The following account from a former Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) seminarian shows just how purposely destructive the intervention of the FI has been -- at the hands of Commissioner Volpi and approved by Pope Francis:
It was a win, win, win situation:
1) People could give the gift of Christ to family and friends by enrolling them in a Novena of Latin Masses celebrated according to the 1962 Missal;
2) Those enrolled received spiritual graces from the Masses, plus a Christmas novena card and a gift-wrapped CD of sacred music; and
3) The proceeds went to assist the contemplative branch of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in the Sibillini Mountains in Italy… that is until Christmas of last year when their Apostolic Commissioner, Fr. Fidenzio Volpi, expressly stopped the contemplative Friars both from offering the Masses for the Novena and from receiving the donations it brought in. This was a hard blow for the contemplative Friars who depended upon these donations to survive, isolated as they were from the populace [see the video below].
In an attempt to keep the Novena alive and the "win, win, win situation" going, the lay person who had set up the website (i.e. Christopher Wendt at HyperDo Media, Inc.) and those who had taken care of the mailings sought out other priests to offer the Masses (like the monks at Norcia and the chaplain of the Benedictines of Mary) and have been passing the proceeds of this year's Novenas on to a Carmelite hermit in Italy who is dedicated to Adoration and to praying for families.
Their hope is to hook the Novena website up with another traditional community in the near future.Besides signing up family and friends for the Novena, we do well to continue our prayers for the poor Friars -- especially those at the poor, isolated Friary in the Sibillini Mountains.
