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| Fr. J. Ratzinger as subdeacon, 1951 (NLM) |
We are not here to criticize Bishops and priests. We are not here, as it were, to rebel against the episcopate. No! Absolutely not! This is absolutely not our intention. On the contrary, we would hope that the bishops and priests who see us would admit that, even in their youth, during the whole period before the Council, when they were priests, when they always celebrated the same Mass that we celebrate, when the Catholic Church was as faithful as we are today. Is what they did in their youth to be condemned today?
We do not believe this. Therefore today we want to explain in front of you, my beloved brethren, that we are not hostile to anyone. On the contrary, we are the most loyal servant of the church, the faithful servant of the Pope and of the bishops. We are deeply indebted to them. Precisely because we are determined to preserve the faith of all times and remain in communion with the Church of all times. This is also why we are here. We hope that all around us understand this so that they may pray with us for the Church. We hope that they are convinced that we are not, in any way, hostile to the Pope and to the bishops, but, on the contrary, that we want to help, to praise God, and to love the Holy Catholic Church we cherish so highly.
Abp. Marcel Lefebvre, at the inauguration of the Seminary of the Sacred Heart (Zaitzkofen, Bavaria), in 1978. (Quote of the day of the German District of the Society of Saint Pius X)
