“… If I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:2)
In moments of great tension within the Church, we must remember that every judgment made must ultimately serve the salvation of souls. Truth can never be separated from charity, nor charity from truth.
As discussions continue regarding the Society of St. Pius X, I believe we must ask a question that reaches deeper than canonical arguments or historical disputes. What has moved these priests and faithful throughout the past fifty years?
To understand the Society, we must remember its beginnings. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre did not embark upon this path because it was easy, nor because it brought him honor or peace. Whatever one thinks of every decision he made, few would deny that he bore immense personal suffering. He believed that precious treasures entrusted by Christ to His Church – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the reverent celebration of the sacred mysteries, the formation of holy priests, and the perennial teachings of the Catholic Faith – were in danger of being diminished. His response was born from a profound desire to preserve and hand on what generations of Catholics had received with gratitude.
That love for the Church’s sacred inheritance has continued to inspire many priests, religious, and faithful families who have accepted misunderstanding and sacrifice because they believe these treasures were worth preserving for future generations.
Looking honestly at their history, one sees men and women who have sacrificed greatly because they believed they were preserving the treasures entrusted to the Church by Christ Himself: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the reverence due to the Holy Eucharist, the perennial doctrine of the Catholic Faith, and the sacred traditions handed down through the centuries.
Whether every decision made along the way was prudent is a question that reasonable Catholics may discuss. But it is difficult to deny the love that has inspired countless sacrifices, vocations, families, and faithful souls who have desired only to remain close to Our Lord and faithful to the deposit of faith.
The Church has always recognized that discipline exists for healing, reconciliation, and the good of souls. It should never be exercised in a way that obscures the sincere love that many have for Christ and His Church.
This is also a moment for honest reflection. Across the world, many public challenges to Catholic doctrine and morality have caused great confusion among the faithful. Catholics naturally ask why those who openly reject settled teachings of the Church often appear to face little correction, while those whose deepest desire is to preserve the Church’s sacred inheritance are viewed with the gravest penalties. Such questions should not be dismissed, but answered with justice, wisdom, and charity.
No Catholic should rejoice at division. Every faithful Catholic should pray for full visible unity. But unity is strengthened not by suspicion, nor by fear, but by mutual trust, humility, and the recognition of sincere love wherever it is found.
Our Lord taught us that the greatest commandment is love: love of God and love of neighbor. If we begin there, we will speak differently to one another, judge more carefully, and seek reconciliation more earnestly.
As we entrust this matter to Divine Providence, I ask every Catholic to pray – not only for the faithful of the Society of St. Pius X, but also for the Holy Father, for the bishops, and for all those entrusted with the grave responsibility of shepherding Christ’s flock.
May each of us examine our own hearts before the Heart of Jesus. May those who have labored to preserve the Church’s sacred traditions continue to act with humility, fidelity, and love. And may those who must make decisions for the universal Church look deeply into the hearts of those before them, recognizing not only their actions, but the love that has inspired such sacrifices.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is not divided against Himself. His Heart is the source of both truth and love, justice and mercy. It is to that Sacred Heart that we must now turn. If the Heart of Christ guides us, then truth will never be spoken without charity, justice will never be exercised without mercy, and authority will always be directed toward the salvation of souls.
May Our Lady, Mother of the Church, intercede for all her children, that we may remain steadfast in the fullness of the Catholic Faith while loving one another with the very charity of her Divine Son.
“And now there remain faith, hope, and love, these three: but the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13)
And may Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop Emeritus