Conference of Father Franz Schmidberger
Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X
at Rockdale, Sydney, Australia

October 16, 1990

Edited by Father Gerard Hogan and Father François Laisney

It is a great pleasure for me to be once again here among you in Sydney. Father Hogan has asked me to speak to you, to give you a little conference.

In a few days it will be the twentieth anniversary of the official recognition of the Society of St. Pius X. I thought I should take this opportunity to give you an overview of its history during these twenty years, in order that you understand a little better how God, even in these times, gives some special graces, and in order that you know what God wants us to do in these times of the crisis of the Faith.

Archbishop Lefebvre in 1968

In 1968 Archbishop Lefebvre retired as Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, the Church's most important missionary congregation, because of the changes in that Society, because of the revolutionary orientation among some members. He did not want to be guilty of destroying his own religious order. He intended to take his retirement at Rome doing some work for the Propaganda Fide.

It was at that moment that some parents and young men approached him, begging him to do something for priestly training, seeing that things were becoming worse and worse in the seminaries and Catholic universities. So he began to look around, and he found that the University of Fribourg in Switzerland was still quite Catholic. One must add that he knew the Bishop of that city, Bishop Charrière, who formerly visited Africa, where they had met.

1968 at Ecône

Now there is a parallel event which is completely independent of this. In 1968, in Switzerland, in the Canton of Valais, the Canons of the Great Saint Bernard wanted to sell their property at Ecône, because they were lacking vocations. There were people interested in buying this property but they intended to knock down the chapel and make of that property a casino, a house of sin. Some faithful heard about their project just before Easter 1968. Thus they met and asked the question, "What can we do? We must absolutely preserve this place from destruction!" There were finally five laymen who went to see the Bishop of Sion, the local bishop, in order to ask help from him. He said to them, "There is absolutely no question that I can do anything for you: I am closing other houses, so why should Ecône not be closed?" So they took it upon themselves, they took their own initiative. They said, "We have to act on our own."

They decided to buy Ecône with their own money! And after they had bought it, only then did they decide to go to the bank for a mortgage. The bank manager said to them, "You are not very serious people: everybody comes to see if he can have a mortgage before he buys property!" They said, "We need this mortgage"—and they got it!

Once they had the property, what should they do with it? They had only one intention: to hand it over to a religious congregation, to a religious society. It was their only purpose. Now, in the meantime, they had to pay the interest on the mortgage, so they began to take care of the vineyard which was growing on the Ecône property, feed the chickens and the calves, and then to sell them in order to raise the money to pay the interest.

In the meantime, they looked for a religious family and they met some Carmelite Sisters but these Sisters finally decided against taking over the property. Later they met with other Sisters who wanted to establish there a school for girls to learn cooking and home duties. All was arranged and the Mother Superior was scheduled to come and visit the property and to sign the contract. Two or three days before that meeting was scheduled, she fell down a staircase and broke her legs. The meeting was cancelled.

1969—The Initial Stage

Now in the spring of 1969, Archbishop Lefebvre was invited by a parish priest from Fully, near Ecône, a fellow student of his at the French Seminary of Rome where they had studied together. He was invited to give a little recollection for the children receiving First Communion. The Archbishop did not decline this offer and went to preach this recollection. On this occasion, the parish priest from Fully said, "You know, there are some lay people in possession of a property which might be interesting to you." He knew that Archbishop Lefebvre was thinking about a house for candidates for the priesthood. And so the Archbishop met these five laymen. One of these laymen was Maitre Lovey, of whom I will speak again. He saw the house and yet was not pleased with it: it was too isolated, there was no transport, there was no Catholic university near where he could send his candidates to study, and so he did not accept it.

And he began, in fact, in Autumn 1969—which is for us Europeans September and October—he began with nine young men in Fribourg. He had found a house with the Salesian Fathers, in Route de Marly. He sent them to the university, and was giving them spiritual lectures, spiritual guidance, to help them to become really true priests.

Now, near Fribourg is a little sanctuary which had great importance at the time of the Protestant Reformation. At that time, the Catholics of Fribourg went to this little chapel to pray to Our Lady to help them to keep the Faith. And because of this shrine, Fribourg has, in fact, remained a Catholic city. Our Lady is invoked there as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and since the Protestant Reformation, she is also invoked there as Our Lady, Guardian of the Faith—Gardienne de la Foi. The seminarians of Archbishop Lefebvre went very often to this little sanctuary. Here the Archbishop administered the first Tonsure and Minor Orders.

1970—The Official Birthday of the Society

Now, during this time, Archbishop Lefebvre became very sick, seriously ill, and nobody could find exactly the reason. After months, they found that he had a tropical virus that was destroying his health. He had to recover: it took him a lot of time. He could not take adequate care of his seminarians; there was another priest taking care of them, who was not very convinced of his position. And then there came other difficulties. Seven of the nine seminarians left. Only two remained: one is Father Paul Aulagnier, District Superior of France and First Assistant of the Society, and the other is Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Secretary General of the Society.

Now the Archbishop was not very sure if he should continue his efforts. But these two pushed him not to give up and, finally, there were some priests from France offering their services to him. For a long time he had thought of establishing a "year of spirituality," a kind of novitiate for the secular clergy. Having entered the Holy Ghost Fathers after his priestly ordination, he followed their novitiate, and realized that the secular clergy were lacking the formation he received there. During his years of episcopacy, he developed the idea. Now was the time to realize it.

Thus, once again, the idea of Ecône rose up in his mind because an isolated house would be quite fit for the purpose. And so he contacted these laymen, owners of Ecône. It was the Spring of 1970. They had lunch together and closed the deal at that very hour. One of these laymen, Mr. Alphonse Pedroni, who had been unusually silent throughout the luncheon, said at the end of the meal: "Monseigneur, one day the whole world will know about Ecône!"

Now the Archbishop went to Bishop Adam, the local bishop, to ask for the regular permission to open this year of spirituality. Bishop Adam said to him. "We have three houses for the training of priests in my diocese, I do not give permission to open a seminary, but we do not have such a house of spirituality, thus I give my permission for that purpose."

The first school year began at Ecône in October 1970. There were eleven new seminarians coming in.

Bishop Charrière of Fribourg pushed the Archbishop to establish statutes for an Order. He had encouraged him to establish a work for the training of priests.

On November 1, 1970, Bishop Charrière officially recognized and approved the statutes of the Society of St. Pius X. This is its official birthday.

It is of very great importance that the Society of St. Pius X be thus officially established, recognized and approved by the Church, as a legitimate religious society, a solid branch of the Church.

It seems to me also very important that in the very beginning of Ecône there was an act of pure faith on the part of some laymen: they had acted without knowing who would take over their property some day. They had acted in blind confidence in the Divine Providence. You also see an act of humility on the part of Archbishop Lefebvre that he, an Archbishop of Holy Mother the Church, preaches recollections for a few first communicants!

1971 to 1974—The Growth

In the meantime, he understood that not all the seminarians would be fit to go to the university and make their studies there. Moreover, the Modernist influences were growing at Fribourg. So he thought about establishing Ecône as a true seminary, with its own classes, lectures, where he would give instruction himself, along with the priests who helped him to train these seminarians. He went again to see Bishop Adam, and asked him if Ecône could become a full-fledged seminary. Bishop Adam said to him, "Last year, I said no to you, because we still had three houses for the training of priests in my diocese. Two have since closed. Thus, now I give you my permission!"

Now, there were more seminarians interested in entering Ecône. Already in 1971 there were more than twenty who came, and we had to think of extending or acquiring new property. Finally it was decided to build, to make new buildings at Ecône itself. In 1972, there were more than thirty who came.

This, I think, is the first section of the history of the Society of St. Pius X. Thus, from 1968, its very initial stage, with the official beginning on November 1, 1970, until November 11, 1974.

1974 to 1976—The Persecution

Why this date? Because the French Bishops saw that an ever increasing number of young men were walking towards Ecône, and their own seminaries were emptying; they were very much upset. They did not like Archbishop Lefebvre at all. So they went to Rome, accused him there and asked from their friend, Cardinal Villot, the suppression of the Society of St. Pius X. They wanted to finish with all this training of priests, because they understood very well that these priests one day would return to their dioceses, and would make problems against the bishops' new orientations.

They had a certain success in Rome because on November 11, 1974, there was a Canonical Visitation of Ecône, to examine the seminary.

Archbishop Lefebvre was told that this examination was very positive and that he just had to come to Rome and clarify some questions. But, in fact, the judgment was already made and established: Ecône and the Society of St. Pius X had to disappear. And so Bishop Mamie officially (but illegally!) withdrew the approval and suppressed the Society of St. Pius X on the 6th day of May 1975, which was exactly the day of the death of Cardinal Mindszenty. The very day before, on the Feast of St. Pius V of the Holy Year 1975, Archbishop Lefebvre had taken the resolution that he would continue, come what may.

We are now entering into a second section of the history and growth of the Society of St. Pius X, from November 1974 until June 30, 1988. I would give to this section of history the title: the open debate and discussion with Rome and the Bishops, and at the same time, a worldwide spreading and development of the Society of St. Pius X.

In fact, after this so-called suppression, Archbishop Lefebvre just continued his work. He ordained three new priests in 1975 and was due to ordain thirteen in June 1976. When these ordinations approached, Rome sent emissaries to see the Archbishop and to put pressure on him to accept the New Mass. One of them gave the Archbishop the new missal and said to him, "Now you must say this new Mass, you must concelebrate with me right now, before tonight." When the Archbishop declined this proposal, he said: "A final proposal: on ordination day itself, June 29, 1976, you must say the new Mass!" Well, the Archbishop did not accept, and he was suspended a divinis on July 22, 1976.

You can read all the details of the facts and letters which were exchanged on these occasions in the very good book, Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre, by Mr. Michael Davies, available from The Angelus Press. I do not want to put before you all these details.

1976 to 1988 Development of the Apostolate

Let me just say that in 1971, the apostolate began in England. One priest, the first ordained, was sent there; he visited groups faithful to the old Mass who did not want the new liturgy.

In 1973, the apostolate began in France; in 1974, in the United States; in 1975, a new seminary was founded in the United States and another in German-speaking Switzerland.

In 1976, the apostolate began in Switzerland and Germany; in 1977, in Argentina and Italy; in 1979, in Spain, Belgium and Canada; in 1981, in Austria; in 1982, in Australia; in 1983, in Ireland; in 1984, in Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Colombia, Portugal and in the French Antilles; in 1986, a new seminary was opened in Flavigny, France; a new priory was opened in Gabon, South Africa; another in India, Chile, New Zealand; 1987 in Zimbabwe, in 1988, the Holy Cross Seminary in Australia opened its doors.

The Vatican understood very well that there was a constant development.

Pope Paul VI appointed Cardinal Seper to deal with Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society of St. Pius X. After the Cardinal's death, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Ratzinger to continue. There were many letters and meetings, but these negotiations never came to a concrete result, since Rome never allowed the Archbishop "to make the experience of Tradition," and always wanted from him an acceptance of the reforms and teachings of Vatican II, for the mere motive of authority; they did not want to see that the papal authority was not engaged because the Popes themselves did not want Vatican II to be a dogmatic council, neither did they want to see the objective opposition with the previous teachings of the Church.

The 1984 Indult came not so much from these discussions but rather from the desire of Rome to attract the growing number of faithful attached to the traditional Mass away from Archbishop Lefebvre. Yet, it rather gave a boost to our chapels!

Moreover, while the traditional chapels were growing, the scandals of the Modernists were growing too: the Pope visited a Lutheran church, he went to the synagogue, he took part in an animist ceremony, and in a Buddhist ritual. All this was crowned by the meeting at Assisi!

1988—The Consecrations

In view of this, Archbishop Lefebvre announced on the occasion of the priestly ordinations at Ecône in 1987, that he would eventually consecrate bishops. And so Rome was worried and began to make more concrete contact with us. It was finally agreed that an Apostolic Visit would be made to the Society of St. Pius X in order to come to an arrangement. You know that this Visit took place in November/December 1987. Cardinal Gagnon wrote in the Visitor's Book of Ecône, on December 8,1987: "We pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary bless this wonderful work of priestly training and make it fruitful for the whole Church."

He promised to give us a copy of the report which he would make to the Holy Father. He never gave us such a copy, but we have his report—in the diary of Ecône: "We pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary bless this wonderful work of priestly training and make it fruitful for the whole Church." He said on several occasions that his report could only be a positive one.

The negotiations to find a solution took place in April and May of 1988; but all the proposals made were not satisfactory.

Thus, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops on June 30, 1988, "in order to continue the priesthood of the Catholic Church and in order to save the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

There is a very interesting coincidence in these dates. On June 2, 1988, Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, the Archbishop wrote to the Pope that he declines all further negotiations and announces that he will go ahead with the consecration of a bishop, "waiting for better times." On the very same day, Cardinal Mayer establishes guidelines for worship without priests. So you see two churchmen, two prelates are considering the situation of the Church: "All is falling apart, there is an enormous need of priests. What are we going to do?" And you see the different solutions. One says: "We must establish worship without priests, let the laymen take over in the Church! Let the Church be desacralized; let the Church be laicized." The other one says: "The Church has been established by Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Catholic Priesthood. We have to take the means to preserve it, to spread it, to re-establish it and to renew it." And so he decided to consecrate bishops in order to preserve the Catholic Priesthood. I think that this date is very significant—the second of June 1988, Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, the Feast of Corpus Christi.

And so, we now arrive at the end of the second section of the history of the Society of St. Pius X. You know that there were excommunications pronounced by the Holy See, but nobody took this seriously: most traditional faithful considered them as invalid as the suspension. Our faithful made a very strong stand.

We are now entering into the third stage of the history of the Society which I will call—it must be necessarily—a time of consolidation, and of strengthening and building up our communities.