"For Truth, Justice, and Peace": Reflections and Proposals from the Association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté

We are grateful to Michael Matt for giving Rorate permission to republish this important statement from the organizers of the Chartres pilgrimage (originally published in English at The Remnant), who have been under severe pressure from the French hierarchy to abandon the traditional Catholic orientation of the pilgrimage, which has just completed its 43rd iteration. As Matt writes: “The razor’s edge that Notre Dame de Chrétienté is talking in defense of the Latin Mass impacts us all, regardless of affiliation.... There are forces at work trying to stop it in the future.”

 

THE QUESTIONS recently raised about the liturgical use of the Vetus Ordo (or Tridentine liturgy) at the pilgrimage of Christendom are an opportunity to shed light on the history and spirit of our pilgrimage, and more broadly of our spiritual family attached to ‘previous liturgical and disciplinary norms of the Latin tradition’.[1]

Attack on Chartres: FULL TEXT of the Letter of Bishops of France in Consultation with the Dicastery for Divine Worship (Cardinal Roche) on Traditional Pilgrimages

For some reason, some have reduced to the rank of a simple "rumor" our previous post transcribing the comment by the French Association "Paix Liturgique" on the attack by Abp. Jordy, Archbishop of Tours and assigned by the French Conference of Bishops (CEF) to deal with Traditional Catholics.

Naturally, we would not have posted such a grave matter based on a simple rumor. No, the letter on general norms on all Traditional Catholic pilgrimages in France does exist, and our translation of it is transcribed below. It was a letter based on correspondence sent by Abp. Jordy and other anti-Traditional French bishops to the Dicastery for Divine Worship, headed by Cardinal Roche, and its intent is obviously to create all kinds of embarrassment to the organizers of the Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage and all other pilgrimages in France. It is shameful and, unfortunately, it is not a "rumor".

***

Paris, Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Dear brother bishops,

The Bishops of France and Cardinal Roche Still at War Against the Traditional Pilgrimages of France -- What Will Leo XIV do?

 

Sometimes, decisions can wait. At other times, they have to be made fast.

In April and early May, making use of the interregnum for their nefarious ends, the anti-traditional bishops of France negotiated with Cardinal Roche, Prefect of Divine Worship, in order to make as hard as possible the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass and sacraments in the Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage -- and all other pilgrimages in France. [Update: Full text of the Letter of the French Bishops here.]

Leo XIV was not involved in these decisions. What will he do now? What will Roche do now?

From Paix Liturgique:

Cardinal Roche's Dicastery for Divine Worship and Cardinal Aveline's Conference of French Bishops wish that the traditional pilgrimages flourishing in France be brought into the liturgical order of Paul VI.

On the 60th Anniversary of the Opening of Vatican II... let's talk about more pleasant things (with beautiful pictures)

The "prophets of doom" mocked by John XXIII in his opening speech were right. Of course they were. Those who warn of the disastrous results of revolutionary projects are always right. They were right when they warned Louis XVI against calling the Estates-General. They were right when they warned Franz Joseph not to declare war on Serbia after the ultimatum had been basically all accepted or when they warned Nicholas II not to decree "partial mobilization" in 1914. 

Anyway, many good things are still going on despite the noxious fumes coming from the Vatican still now with the nonsensical Satan Synod ("Synod on Synodality") as this completely bankrupt pontificate unravels.

This past Saturday, for instance, hundreds of faithful, mostly young people, attended the Pontifical Mass celebrated at the Church of Saint Roch, Paris, for the 40th Anniversary of the association that promotes the yearly Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage (Notre-Dame de Chrétienté). The Mass was celebrated by the Abbot of St. Madeleine of Le Barroux. 

Strong Communiqué of the Chartres Pilgrimage: "Clericalism-Caudillism never works well, motu proprio will be difficult to apply in a Church which is in a catastrophic situation."

Traditional-minded Catholics from all over the world are familiar with the largest of all current Catholic pilgrimages, the Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage that takes place each year (when pandemics allow it...) in the weekend of Pentecost. It assembles in particular thousands and thousands of young pilgrims, attached to the Traditional liturgy.

The Chartres Pilgrimage was famous in the Middle Ages, and made famous once again by Charles Péguy in the early 20th century -- it was recreated by Traditional Catholics eager to proclaim their Faith and their liturgical heritage in 1983. 

Many organizations around the world have made their view and dismay regarding Francis anti-Summorum motu proprio since Friday. They are all available online. But this one by the Pilgrimage organizers (Association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté / Our Lady of Christendom Association) is particularly poignant, and expresses the general feeling of most Traditional Catholics well. [Emphases added by us.]

Communiqué of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté

 

Notre-Dame de Chrétienté expresses its great sadness before the motu proprio Traditionis custodes of pope Francis, who displays nothing but disdain for so-called Traditionalist Catholics. We will pray very particularly for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who, while he still lives, sees his work for reconciliation swept aside.

 

The traditional Pilgrimage of Christendom, created in 1983, had believed in the promises of St. John Paul II and of Cardinal Ratzinger in 1988: "You have your place in the Church, just as you are." Obviously, the situation has changed and the urgency now is to rekindle the liturgical wars. The argument put forward leaves one speechless: to place under control the young diocesan priests attracted by the Traditional Mass! The intention of the Pope is to erect a wall to prevent the discovery of the wealth of spirituality of the Tridentine Mass! 

Must-see video: Church Militant and the Chartres Pilgrimage

We urge all of our readers to watch this short but powerful video featuring the Americans who participated in the annual Chartres Pilgrimage. More importantly, please share it on your blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. Email it to friends and family. This video perfectly captures what tradition is all about -- and how to restore it. 

There may only be a remnant left. Let's change that, using every means at our disposal, including our keyboards.

Concluding Sermon of the 2016 Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage, by the Father Abbot of Fontgombault -The True Meaning of Pilgrimage

Whitsun Monday

Notre-Dame de Chrétienté (Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres) Pilgrimage

Dom Pateau in Notre-Dame de Chartres, Whitsun Monday

Sermon of the Right Reverend Dom Jean Pateau

Abbot of Our Lady of Fontgombault

(Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, May 16, 2016)

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son.

(Jn 3:16)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The bodily assessment of these few days is pitiful... Painful muscles, feet reddened with blisters, perhaps the secret desire to catch up right now a few minutes’ slumber, thus anticipating a still faraway refreshing night...

Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage begins

The Pentecost Weekend "Notre-Dame de Chrétienté" Paris-Chartres pilgrimage began earlier today. The first event was the Mass in Notre-Dame de Paris:

Godspeed to all pilgrims!

(Image source: NDC twitter account)

It's coming! The 33rd Pentecost Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage

Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, the organizers of the Chartres Pilgrimage, the largest Traditional Catholic event of the year, have just released the names of the celebrants of the main collective events this year:

September 5, 1914: Péguy at 100 - I - The Mystery of Charity in War and Death

Chartres Pilgrimage 2014

Gathering outside Notre Dame in Paris, for Mass and a blessing.

I was on the Chartres Pilgrimage this year; readers can see the official photos here, for this post I'm using my own, which are gathered together here.

Mass in Notre Dame. We were blessed by Bishop Jean-Yves André Michel Nahmias,
auxiliary bishop of the Paris diocese.

For all my aches and pains it was a wonderful pilgrimage. It is not exactly a walk in the park - you walk 28 or so miles each of the first two days, and another 17 on the final day - but the participants are not athletes, it is for everyone. There are special chapters for children and for families with shortened routes, but even the main column includes the very young and the remarkably old, the sedentary as well as the super-fit boy scouts. A pilgrimage is a good (and traditional) metaphor for the Christian life, and the Chartres pilgrims are a good metaphor for the Church.

Setting off.

Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage 2013

One of the best ways to follow the events of the Pentecost Pilgrimages (particularly the Paris-Chartres "Notre-Dame de Chrétienté" pilgrimage) in France this weekend is the NDChrétienté official Twitter account, already filled with links to photo albums and videos.

And, of course, also follow us @RorateCaeli. 

More about Chartres

The Chartres Pilgrimage is complete for another year, and the pilgrims have a chance to recover, upload their photographs, and blog about it. Counter Cultural Father was there; the official photos are available; I've had a problem with most of mine (cough), so I'll be pinching other people's; these are from Notre Dame de Chrétienté, the organisers.

It is quite simply the biggest event of the traditional Catholic calendar. Depending on where you start from, the Camino to Compostella is likely to be a lot longer, but the Chartres Pilgrimage is a single, huge movement of people on the same pilgrimage, attending the same Masses, blessed together at the beginning and the end. The sense of solidarity with so many thousands of other pilgrims is extraordinary. We fill every inch of Notre Dame de Paris at the beginning, and overflow into the square in front of Notre Dame de Chartres at the end.

For various reasons (including economic ones, I suspect) numbers have fallen in recent years; I think this is an event which should be supported with more vigour internationally. One of the founding organisers of the Australian 'Christus Rex' pilgrimage said to me that the it was valuable to have an event each year which acted as a 'gathering of the tribe' for the Traditionalist community in Australia. The Chartres Pilgrimage does that for France, but also for the whole world. Traditional Catholics need an opportunity to meet others from other parishes and nations, served by different orders or dioceses, and sustained by distinct traditions of popular piety, to sing together, to share experiences, to grow in mutual understanding and respect.

There is something uniquely and wonderfully Catholic about the pilgrimage. The different national flags and banners in honour of the patron saints of the different groups, the variety of songs and devotions, all united in one great religious act. In what other context, than a Catholic one, could one see a German flag the size of a football pitch (so it seemed) march across the French countryside, not only in peace, but in solidarity with a French pilgrimage and for the conversion of France?

Pilgrimage to Chartres: setting off