Impact upon the Church Authorities

The pilgrimage to Rome in 2000, led by Bishop Fellay, was very impressive from many points of view, but the impact upon the Church authorities was highly significant. It really was impossible to deny that all these people—bishops, priests, seminarians, religious, and faithful—were anything other than truly Catholic.

For us, the city of Rome, not Jerusalem, despite its significance in the history of salvation, is the Holy City. In the words of Archbishop Lefebvre, we are Romans.

In a conference given to his seminarians at Ecône, he stated that Christ left to His Church three great gifts: Himself in the Holy Eucharist, His Blessed Mother Mary, and the Papacy, the Holy Father, Vicar of Christ.

Attached to Rome

The Roman pilgrimage of the Society manifested our attachment to the Holy See, our defense of Tradition, and the vitality of our faith.

This enthusiasm and commitment to all that is essential in the Church—the Faith, the Holy Mass, dogma and moral teachings, etc., was not lost on Vatican observers. A short time later, our bishops were invited to meet with His Eminence Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, a meeting which would have many significant repercussions for the Society, as yet not fully resolved. Our contacts with the Roman authorities were conducted by the Superior General, who follows in this regard the prudent path outlined by Archbishop Lefebvre and the principles laid down by him. As was stated by our founder, we are at the service of the Church, and we will not envisage a separation from Rome, Mistress of Truth and Unity for the entire Catholic world.

Rome Pilgrimage

• 280 priests
• More than 200 seminarians 
 and religious
• A large variety of religious 
 congregations
• Over 6,000 faithful