"They Knowingly Lie" -- Franciscans of the Immaculate Defend Themselvesin Official Statement

(Rome), the Franciscans of the Immaculate seem to have caught on after a first moment of shock. The Order has now responded with two official clarifications to a number of false reports that were apparently and deliberately circulated in connection with the decree of the Congregation of Religious. Both explanations are directed against Vatican Insider . The Order has precisely recognized, that this news platform are some Vaticanists, from which emanated the article with false reports. "They are lying and know that they are lying," said Messa in Latino about the behavior of some journalists. Unaudited reports were adopted by Catholic media and broadly disseminated. In recent days, it has been repeatedly claimed that it was not about the Old Mass in the whole thing. In reality, it is first and foremost on the Old Mass.

Vatican Insider as a Smoke Screen against the Franciscans of the Immaculate and the Old Mass

Even the report of the commissarate over the Order of Alessandro Speciale on July 30th was a smoke screen. Speciale reported on the actions of the Congregation of Religious, but also mixed a number of false reports in the article that were to serve to justify the extraordinary measures. For this purpose, he presented a supposed "spokesman of the Order," which he had cited in detail, thus giving the false impression that these were official statements. In reality, it was a leading representative of the "rebellious, progressive minority" (Roberto de Mattei). The statements of the alleged "speaker" was a single ignition out of smoke grenades, which were taken as stated by many Catholic media.

The supposed "spokesman" justified the Roman intervention allegedly because the order had been "exploited" as a "mediator" in the unification talks between the Holy See ands the SSPX (lie 1). He also described the ominous internal "poll" (lie 2) as the first in circulation, and even an "overwhelming majority" (lie 3) of the members of the order report that they would reject an "exclusive" celebration (lie 4) Tridentine Mass "especially in pastoral care in the parishes."

So it went on 2 August at Vatican Insider with the article about the unconvincing attempt by Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi to placate in the matter of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. This time the article was no longer marked by name.

Slanderous allegations against the founder of the Order and the Old Mass

The statement by Father Lombardi was clearly then apparently much for the order. Franciscan Sister of the Immaculate contemplative branch . Now the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception have a first official clarification. That an order which is under provisional control, is not necessarily a given. The Order concluded with the statement that the only speaker of the order continues to be Father General Alessandro Apollonio alone. This is a finding which clearly goes against the false statements of the alleged "speaker" spread by the media.

In the declaration of the order states that the product of Vatican insider "includes defamatory statements against our Founding Father Stefano Maria Manelli, assertions that we must reject. The article also contains false or inaccurate information. "

The Premise for the Decision is "not the truth"

Vatican Insider claimed that the "decision of Pope Bergoglio" was justified by the fact that the "Father General Stefano Manelli has forced all communities of the Franciscans of the Immaculate to exclusively say the extraordinary form of the Roman rite in the liturgy."

In contrast, the official statement of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception says: "This is not true. It is our duty to respond to the best of our knowledge and belief, Father Stefano has never imposed exclusive use of the Old Rite on all communities. "Rather, he celebrates himself in both forms of the Roman rite. It is important to know that the official explanation that, before, during and after the Apostolic Visitation (July 2012-July 2013) as well as today, that the Old Mass was used following a promotion by the Father General with the General Council was "completely legitimate" and advanced "the Vetus Ordo in Respect to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (2007), in respect of the decisions of our General Chapter of 2008 and in respect of the instruction Universae Ecclesiae (2011)".

By letter dated 21 November 2011 (Protocol 77/2011) was transmitted by the Secretary-General on behalf of the General Council to all branches of the order some guidelines for use of Vetus Ordo (no rules, therefore they represented also no compulsion).

"Even after that some communities have preferred to continue the New Rite instead of the Old Rite. There was apparently therefore no compulsion exerted by Father Manelli. "Some brothers have, however, criticized the letter," said the order in its statement. "Some brothers" apparently already felt the possibility of celebration of the Old Rite went too far and were intriguing against Rome.

Ecclesia Dei Confirmed the Internal Promotion of the Old Mass in Accordance with Benedict XVI.

In the official statement of the order it said, "For this reason we have asked the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for clarification, in the letter of 14 April 2012, Prot 39/2911L, the compliance of the letter Prot 77/2011 with the "mens" of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. was confirmed in the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae, No. 8."

The anonymous article from Vatican Insider also claimed that the Old Rite could be used only for orders and communities who have been in the "Lefebvrian schism", but were then returned to communion with Rome and placed under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

"In reality, it is necessary to clarify that according Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum (No. 3) and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae (No. 8a) the Vetus Ordo may be exclusive or 'primarily' may be used by religious institutions that are not of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and not dependent on coming from the Lefebvrian 'schism'". Besides that, it was never intended to come to an exclusive use by our founder," said the order in its statement.

It was argued further by the article in Vatican Insider: "The Franciscans of the Immaculate, however, are created after the Council and a survey of the brothers has shown that the majority of them wants the celebration in the ordinary rite."

The order took exception here as well: "The fact that we weren't created until after the Council, does not prohibit us of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, to accept the Old Rite or favor. Incidentally, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum applies (which was published after the Council) and the Institutes of Consecrated Life (without reference to their date) and also the instruction Universae Ecclesiae specifies that it is that goal 'of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum at No. 8, all the faithful the Roman Liturgy in usus antiquior offer because it is a valuable treasure that must be preserved."

Among 'all believers' is included also the religious."

There was never any "poll" for New Mass - assertion "unfounded"

Regarding the claim of the "survey" and an alleged "majority" of the brothers for the New Rite, (in explanation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception is also expressly mentioned by Speciale in the article from July 30th mentioned by Vatican Insider), according to the official statement of the order, there had been "no survey". "Therefore, the allegations of surveys by an alleged desire of a majority of the brothers is without foundation." Since the order was always bi-ritual, every priest of the order would "continue" to celebrate the New Rite, "as he has always done before." Without further explicitly addressing it, the order firmly asserts execute that there is no justification for the intervention of Rome against the Old Mass.". Regardless of our obedience to the instructions of the Holy See, it is our duty to provide clarity to avoid slander against our founder and hurdles for a peaceful course of the provisional administration."

Tornielli has set out with a hoax - Franciscans react immediately with the second explanation.


In the Declaration, the Congregation for Religious, stressed that their current term Decree was expressly brought by the approval of Pope Francis.

In defense of Vatican Insider it is to add that the first official clarification by the order was issued in full on Sunday.


The Congregation for Religious does not seem to have been concerned about the impact the decree has made decree on pastoral care.

Not only internal to the order, especially for the sister monasteries, but also for the numerous Mass locations in the Old Rite, which are managed by the order. Countless believers are deprived of the Old Mass on the 11th of August, to which they had been long accustomed. The resulting logistical problems and spiritual nature of these believers has not been addressed at all by the Congregation of Religious. Not a word of regret or of encouragement. If it goes against the tradition of the progressive parts of the Roman Curia, and so they behave like a bull in a china shop, and this against a worthy and entirely correctly celebrated liturgy and made the believers to orphans.

A small reconnaissance trip through the parishes in which members of the disobedient priest initiatives in the German speaking involved would suffice to create an abuse register that cries out for intervention. There is enough action. One does not have to look elsewhere for it.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Franciscans of the Immaculate
Trams: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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