"On the afternoon of 10 June, 1971, Archbishop Lefebvre met with some seminarians of the House of St. Pius X, Fribourg, and announced to them his intention of rejecting the Novus Ordo Missae-a solemn moment imbeded in the memory of the participants.

"The talk lasted two hours, the presentation very carefully worked our, and everyone understood the importance of this historic talk which can be summed up this way:

"The use of the Novus Ordo Missae, central act of the Reform Liturgy-as it had wholesome results or does it produce disastrous effects which could be prevented?" The Angelus, November 1995, special 25th anniversary edition, pages 12 and 15.

This is also reported in the Novemer 1980, Angelus.

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Recites the Novus Ordo

This valiant Traditionalist Archbishop regularly recited the Novus Ordo from the time it was instituted until December 24, 1971, when Fr. (now Bishop) Guerard des Lauriers confronted him on this point.  Des Lauriers related this incident in a later open letter to Lefebvre.  Note well that des Lauriers account does not square with the account gien in The Angelus (see above).  However, both confirm Lefebvre's regular use of the Novus Ordo Missae for some time. 

Daniel Dolan, now a bishop in the Thuc line and ordained at Econe by Lefebvre reports that the first draft of the statutes of the Society of Saint Pius X called for con-celebration, implying the use of the Novus Ordo in the early days of the Society. His artilcle is at another website.

A Novus Ordo priest Abbe Pazanam reports that Lefebvre concelebrated the Novus Ordo with him in 1973.  This report appeared in two places.  First in the Rhone-Alps Newspaper, which would be close to Econe and then in a letter in reply to a lady who inquired for more information.

Archbishop Lefebvre also atively participated in the funeral of his sister in 1980. .

Lefebvre's position on the Novus Ordo has vacilated over the years as one website reports. 

Finally Rama Coomeraswamy, who once taught at the SSPX seminary in Ridgefield, Connecticut, under Archbishop Lefebvre recited the Novus Ordo. 

Dr. Rama Coomeraswamy, February 27, 1994 The Mental Health of Archbishop Thuc: The Archbishop is accused of scandal.  I know of no priest today who is not guilty of scandal – the very nature of the current controversry is, to say the least, scandalous, and those with any sensus Catholicus left are more than weary of it.  There are, of course, different degrees of severity with regard to scandal, and I for one refuse to engage in any debate as to which individual is guilty of the greater offenses.  However, while on this issue, let two things be quite clear:

1.Scandal, regardless of degree, does not and never has invalidated a sacrament.  As Pohle Pruess state, the these that “The validity of a sacrament does not depend on the personal worthiness of the minister,” is a proposition that “embodies an article of faith.”

2.For every scandalous act that Archbishop Ngo-Dinh Thuc is accused of, I can match an equally serious scandal on the part of Archbishop Lefebvre – including that of celebrating the Novus Ordo rite and performing inappropriate ordinations.  In fact, some of the theological opinions officially embraced by him and by his Society go well beyond the realm of scandal.

Note the linking of external sites does not imply endorsement by the Catholic Church.  These are linked only to confirmt he information reported. 

Michael Fighting

Home  •  Election proofs  •  Cum ex page  •  Papal bio

"Michael…who   standeth  for…thy  people," —  Dan. 12:1-12