Non Audiatur et Altera Pars: Pope Francis and the Franciscans of the Immaculate

Franciscans of the Immaculate Remain in the Shadows
of the Pontificate of Pope Francis

(Rome) The official news agency of the Catholic Church in Germany (CBA) and Switzerland (KIPA) have entitled the following stories:  "Pope  Insists on New Mass for Franciscans of Immaculata" and "Pope Insists on New Mass."  It is further stated in the reports, "Pope Francis has  rapped the Franciscans of the Immaculata over  decisions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the subsequently developed New Mass."   The pope "warned against departing from  the provisions of Pope Benedict XVI., who had opened up the celebration of the Tridentine Mass again  with a motu proprio of 2007  under certain conditions."

Apart from the peculiar admission that a new Mass form was "developed" that after the Council, the reports are based on the hoax, that the Franciscans of the Immaculate had deviated from "requirements" of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI.  and thus forged a special path, which had made the intervention of Rome necessary. The Franciscans of the Immaculate were pastorally speaking a perfect bi-ritual Order. Therefore, they were entrusted with the care of parishes and places of pilgrimage not only in Italy. The reports confirm, however, that it is actually the Old Rite, which allowed the Congregation of Religious to  go berserk against the young order with the approval of the Pope. 

Pope Francis remarked with a raised index finger several times directly or indirectly against traditional Catholics with the accusation of "ideologically" motivated action. However, the case of the Franciscans of the Immaculate however, calls into question   question just who is "ideologically"  motivated. The traditional site Corrispondenza Romana published a revealing background report on the papal audience, we document here. The intertitles are from the editorial staff.

.

The "Party" Commissar Volpi in Audience with the Pope

Pope Francis meets Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception, but a Audiatur et altera pars looks different

The meeting of the Pope with the young students (and it was a smaller number of young people) of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception took place on the morning of last June 10 in the chapel of Santa Marta.  The message was only on published on the 23rd of June with an article by Andrea Tornielli and from some photos posted on Facebook, while the Vatican media ignored it completely. Why was the announcement  made only 13 days later? There are numerous doubts around the source, which only become thicker the closer one looks. 

Meticulously Selected Participants, Who did not Know Who They Were Meeting

The participants in the private audience with the Holy Father were meticulously selected, as it were hand-picked, but without knowing until the day itself, where they were to go. Only after they were directed towards St. Peter's, were they informed that they would meet the Pope. It was said they were making a pilgrimage to St. Peter's, others wanted to know that there was a special meeting with the Commissioner. But almost none of the brothers cited   (the novices, the remaining seminarians and some led by the rebellious priests and the leading professed) knew where you really went this morning.

Surprise: After a few minutes of waiting they stood before the Holy Father. Shortly before, the  master of ceremonies and actual architect of the meeting, Father Angelo Maria Gaeta ¹ , with the Commissioner, gave directions on how  behave in the presence of the Pope: no spontaneous questions, obedient listening,  at the end of a quick kiss on the hand without stopping. The Pope was very busy. The day before, he had canceled his audience due to illness.

No Encounter with the Order: Founder and Those Loyal Not Invited

To be able to meet in this appeal, after a year of provisional administration with the Pope, however, many brothers are missing. The founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and all those who have remained loyal to him and the founding charism were missing. Not true, that they are  against the Pope, but it was true, to learn that not within a few months, without knowing, however, the  true reasons,  to see the destruction of everything that  they had tried to build over  decades,established with the approval of the Popes, and nurtured with great care. One of the new men in charge tried to justify to the seminarians this blatant lack the most important part of the Order, that only the "obedient brothers" were invited.

Would it not really have been the right moment at this place to call the "disobedient" in the presence of the Holy Father to give up their resistance? Is it not the (supposedly) sick who need a doctor? But why were they just left completely in the dark? Could it have been a moment of reconciliation in the truth before the Pope when an honest word would have been allowed?  But nothing of the sort. Could not they just have invited the brothers and priests who have applied for exemption of religious vows, so that they could openly explain the rationale for their major decision? Are they just numbers? It is unfortunate to have to say this, but  the manner applied to the day   corresponds to the mentality of an emergent new sect: lead by their own adepts on a short leash while the others are discredited and expelled from the group with lies and slander.

Audience Did not Solve the Religious Crisis to Target

The audience with the Holy Father, therefore, was not intended to find a solution to the crisis of the Order of truth and love, but only to stop the internal resolution process, because many, very many, want to leave this kind of religious life, because of the sectarian and partisan actions the new Superiors. 

The brothers have spoken to the Pope about many things. Tornielli informs us of some, but not others, he reported, and also raises the question of why.

The Pope had to close down the Order's own seminary. Without a doubt, he has the power to do so. But who has informed him? The visitors of the seminary itself and the Commissar  have always denied that there were any serious problems that might have endangered its viability.  Were heresies taught? Were there any moral scandals?Homosexuality or pedophilia? Nothing of the kind is known. But what then?

It was then that the  charism and founder was discussed. Who is the guarantor of the charism? Ultimately, of course, the Pope. But when and where dd the founder try to take the place of the Pope? Is it not rather true that the Pope always approves of what the founders decided and its brothers taught? The Order found benevolence from  Pope Benedict XVI..

Talking about the Council must flatter general Vulgate?

The Second Vatican Council is probably pastoral, but also doctrinal and it is following in the footsteps of Benedict XVI.  theologically and ideologically not to read it ideologically. So far so good. In reality,   the new  order  is attempting to discredit what has been done before, but  is horrified: robustly ignorant, they are already alarmed by the mere word "criticism". The Council you must not to touch, alas, they say only a word that does not flatter the sensitive ears of a  general internal church vulgata.

And then there was the issue of poverty. And the Pope brought owls to Athens. The Holy Father exhorted the Commissar and the brothers to be poor, even more, to live like  "Gypsies". Francis literally said: "pilgrims and strangers in this world." But the concept was clear: One should not cling to earthly collateral such as houses and monasteries. In fact, the Commissar has raised for months, initially quite openly, then furtively after a lawsuit,  that the claims were totally unjustified, alleging that Father Manelli, after  the appointment of a Commissar,  transferred the goods and property of the Order   to family members. As this was too outlandish, the family Manelli filed a court case against the Commissar. Since then, the claim has been passed around on the sly.   In fact, there is hardly a religious who lives in poverty with such seriousness, and as Pope Francis demands again and again,  as the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

The Suppression of the Old Rite

And finally it came to the Holy Mass in the Vetus Ordo. The Pope has the right to celebrate the Old Rite,  to limit the celebration of the Old Mass in order to clarify whether there had actually been any coercion under the previous superiors. So went the official version. Once it was guaranteed that the decision was made for this manner of   rite in freedom, the Commissar would have had the Old Rite generally approved again for the Order. "Had" because in reality this permission has not been granted to date (except in very few cases). Not only that, but he did not even answer to the numerous requests that were directed by many priests of the Order individually to him in order to be able to continue to celebrate the Old Rite. Quite the contrary. In some cases, the Commissioner invented the excuse that   the permission in the traditional form, had been blackmailed out of competent bishops with malice and arrogance. One can only wonder if  anything is known of the situation in the dioceses.

A Brother's Brave Words to the Pope

This meeting came to an end. As the organizers and new superiors probably hoped: a quick greeting of individuals with the Pope and dismissal. However, a   brother present did not with hold  his irritation and disappointment that the encounter took place without the founders, although they were constantly mentioned and criticized. This brother had the courage to spontaneously say to the Pope: It is not true that Father Manelli is against the Pope and against the Church. He simply asks to be heard humbly and to be able also to set out his views on the matter.

The startled Pope replied that the doors of Santa Marta are also open for the founders. One of those present new superiors, not at all happy that the situation threatened to slip out of control, immediately pushed to the ear of the Pope and told him to give no credence to the words of the young brother. A spiritual murder, committed against a brother in the eyes of other brothers. This superior obviously acted  against Pope Francis' sermon: against  hasty judgment, libel and slander. But this episode should be enough actually to make them understand the Pope, where the apple is really lazy where that spiritual putrefaction prevails behind the whole affair. Jealousy, envy, resentment, careerism. The thing is of a human touch, too much of a human touch  and unfortunately it has serious consequences.

Father Manelli Under House Arrest - Why Pope Francis is Not Calling Him to Her?

Father Manelli, a holy spiritual father has been banished to a monastery at Cassino since the beginning of the provisional administration and is under virtual [?] house arrest. Each change of location outside the monastery and the Diocese of his place of confinement must be approved in advance by the Commissioner. And the approval is far from certain, as recently when he was refused by the Commissioner to proceed to Frigento (Avellino), where the mother house of the Order is located, to celebrate Holy Mass there at his parents' grave.

The house arrest was has been imposed on the founder of the order, although there is neither an indictment, an investigation and a fortiori, no penalty imposed against him. The method is reminiscent of regime, arresting people without due process and casting them into prison, as is the case in the People's Republic of China today.   Father Manelli is held in exile. It keeps him away from his brothers and sisters and prevents him from meetinig the Pope. Are the doors of Santa Marta really open to him?

The Pope could at any time request on his own to see Father Manelli to personally get to know him and let him defend  and justify himself. But Francis preferred to be at part of  a staged  half hour   encounter with the "provisional" Party of Order. After all, he granted the brothers selected a considerable time. He only granted five minutes to the President of the French civil rights movement Manif pour tous, Ludovine de la Rochere,  on June 12, two days after the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

More and More Brothers Make Dismissal Request - No Longer the Same Order

The young brother who defended  Father Manelli before the Pope, presented a motion to leave the order a few days after the meeting  "because he rejects the Second Vatican Council," said Tornielli. One last trick  in a tragedy rich with strategems, to once again discredit the brothers who have requested a release from religious vows.  They have requested and complained because of the incorrect and false behavior of the new superiors, as recently expounded by a former brother in an open letter and primarily the behavior of Father Alfonso Bruno, the new Commissar appointed Secretary General of the Order.

What a trivialization: The brothers are not even entered the Order, not because it had allegedly spoken  ill of the Second Vatican Council, but because of this Order, with its spirituality and  serious, rigorous lifestyle habit that coincided with the tradition of the Catholic Church and the religious life. And that was lost within a few months   by the intervention of a Commissar. Therefore, more and more brothers are making an application to be able to leave the Order, because it is no longer the Order in which they entered. Besides the Pope,  the other side must be granted  the grace to be heard and to defend itself against the (unknown) charges levied against them behind closed doors. And which was obvious, such as what was whispered into the Pope's  ear on June 10.

Introduction / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Picture: Corrispondenza Romana / Vatican Insider

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

Fußnoten:

1. 1999 übertrug Papst Johannes Paul II. den Franziskanern der Immakulata von Pater Manelli den Sakristandienst in der Patriarchalbasilia Santa Maria Maggiore. Pater Gaeta leitet derzeit den Sakristandienst [↩]

AMGD