Pope Francis Sends Visitor to Traditional Diocese of Frejus Toulon

Bishop Dominique Rey of Fréjus-Toulon finds himself more and more in Rome's line of fire hostile to tradition. The picture shows him celebrating a Pontifical Mass in the traditional Rite for the international pilgrimage Populus Summorum Pontificum ad Petri Sedem in St. Peter's Basilica. On the right, Abbé Claude Barth, the spiritual assistant of the pilgrimage.

(Paris) It goes in quick succession. The Holy See, through the Dicastery of Bishops, has ordered an Apostolic Visitation of the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon. The reason is named with an adjective: Bishop Dominique Rey is "traditional".

The diocese in Provence has become an exceptional diocese under its bishop. In relation to size, it has far surpassed all other French dioceses for many years. Although it comprises only two percent of the Catholics of France, ten percent of all seminarians in Fréjus-Toulon prepare for the priesthood there.

The reason for this is that Bishop Dominque Rey treats both forms of the Roman Rite equally. The traditional Rite has a firm place in his diocese. Seminarians are trained in both forms. In addition, it promotes the establishment of traditional religious orders. Some were even constituted by him in his diocese, including an ancient Benedictine monastery and a Bi-ritual missionary order.

The ancient Benedictine monastery founded and built by monks in the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon

These facts are a thorn in the side of some in France and Rome. The 70-year-old Msgr. Rey was appointed in the Holy Year by Pope John Paul II. Under Benedict XVI, who held him in high esteem and personally appointed him synodal member of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization where he developed. Under Francis, however, the wind changed. Nevertheless, Bishop Rey pressed ahead in 2017 and declared as the only diocesan bishop at the time that priests of the SSPX can perform weddings in all churches of his diocese.

Then, however, Pope Francis issued his infamous motu proprio Traditionis custodes in the summer of 2021. In June 2022, Rome shocked with a ban on Bishop Rey to administer the already fixed diaconate and priestly ordinations. Katholisches.info wrote at the time to a picture showing a smiling Pope Francis shaking hands with Bishop Rey: "The smile is deceiving".

The accusations made against Bishop Rey last year resemble the stereotypes that are part of the stereotypical anti-conservative and anti-traditionalist repertoire. With the ban, it was clear that the bishop, his diocese and his thriving seminary were targeted by Rome. Those who hoped for calm misjudge the dynamics that drive forces hostile to tradition. It is said that they need enemies like daily bread, and if there were none, they would have to invent them.

The prohibition of ordination eight months ago is now followed by an Apostolic Visitation. An announcement that frightens connoisseurs of the matter. Under Pope Francis, the procedure in other cases means that after the visitator the retirement of Bishop Rey could follow.

Bishop Dominique Rey with canons of his cathedral chapter. Msgr. Marc Aillet (not pictured), since 2008 tradition-friendly bishop of Bayonne, has been honorary canon of Fréjus-Toulon since 2003.

The visitation is scheduled to begin next Monday, February 13, and is expected to last "several weeks," French radio reported. The new Archbishop of Dijon, Msgr. Antoine Hérouard, has been appointed Apostolic Visitor, assisted by Msgr. Joël Mercier, former secretary of the Roman Congregation for the Clergy.

Officially, it says that the visitor should "deepen and continue the work carried out by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline during his fraternal visit, which took place in 2021 at the request of Rome". Cardinal Aveline, the Archbishop of Marseille, had taken in his report to Rome, especially the seminary in the crosshairs. With the result of that visit, Rome then justified the ban on ordaining six deacons and four priests in June 2022. With reference to visitor reports, retirements then took place, even if the visitors had recommended nothing of the kind. In Rome, there is talk of a "well-rehearsed process" in which the result is already fixed.

But not only the seminary of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon disturbs, but also the foundation and reception of new religious communities, in short, everything that has to do with the special and tradition-friendly course of the diocese. Of course, this is not said.

In a statement published this afternoon, the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon says that it welcomes the news of a visitation "in a climate of trust" and invites "all the faithful and clergy of the diocese to carry this visit in their prayers so that it can bear the expected fruits for the good of our diocese".

The local church has used the past few months, it continues, "to think about how various areas of church leadership can be improved". Whether this can appease the anger of the enemies of tradition is doubtful. The fact that Bishop Rey has increased pastoral visits to his diocese and "improved the procedures for monitoring the various communities received in the diocese" and has "received more than 100 priests for a personal meeting" since September should not be very impressive.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Twitter/Monastère Saint-Benoît/MiL (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

The Papal Visitation and the Interconfessional "Cloister" of Bose

Enzo Bianchi and Pope Francis

(Rome) Pope Francis has appointed Enzo Bianchi, the "Almighty" (Sandro Magister) founder and "Prior" the progressive ecumenical "monastery" from Bose, the Consultant of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Bianchi is one of the "favorites" of Pope Francis. He is undogmatic, anarchic about rules and autocratic.

The compulsory control of Rome is perceived as idiosyncratically complex under Pope Francis. The faithful Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, a positive anomaly in the religious world, is enslaved under provisional administration.The visitation of the declining progressive US women religious of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who are in heresy and under suspicion of serious violations of church order were "peacefully archived" by the Pope, said the Vatican expert Sandro Magister.

The fact is that the male and female religious experience are not exactly enjoying a heyday in the West. The secretary of the Congregation of Religious, Curial Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo Fra spoke recently of several dozen Apostolic Visitations that are currently taking place. 39 orders are finding themselves for various reasons under provisional administration. 3000 religious  give up their vows  each year.

In addition to the Roman Congregation of Religious    diocesan bishops can also carry out visitations in their jurisdictions and initiate investigations. The Order itself can ask for a Visitor.

A visitation in Bose?

The latter is the case with the amazing "ecumenical monastery" from Bose. How so?

From a legal perspective, the church community of Bose is neither an Order nor is it a monastery, but a "private association of the faithful". In other words, a lay organization. It was not until 2001,  that it was ever canonically recognized and that is through the small diocese of Biella, in Bose.

There are major obstacles in the way of recognition as religious order. Two are of particular importance. There is the fact that there is a  mixed community of undistinguished women and men. Such a mixed community has never been known in the long history of monasticism.

Secondly, the Community is interdenominational. The Lutheran Swiss pastor Daniel Attinger belonga to ir, as well as other Protestants, women and men. The Orthodox Metropolitan Emilianos Timiadis spent his last years in Bose. The former Greek Catholic Ukrianian Sophia Senyk is also included in the community. She was in the Ukrainian section of the faculty at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, but then converted to Orthodoxy.

Interconfessionality   and Intercommunion

Bose has practiced intercommunion for a long time. The Eucharist is given to Catholics and non-Catholics alike which  the Catholic Church as well as the Orthodox churches strictly prohibits. For some time, the liturgies are celebrated separately by Catholics and Orthodox  in Bose, which means that the Protestants receive Communion among Catholics. The violation of the ban has simply discontinued out of consideration for the Orthodox.

Nobody really seems worried about the interconfessionality in the papal entourage today is really worried. Finally, Pope Francis has  "highly valued" him (Sandro Magister) idiosyncratically as a Catholic "Prior", appointing Enzo Bianchi as Consultant for a Roman Congregation specifically calculated in terms interconfessionality.

Current Rome doesn't seem to have any doctrinal problems with Bose and seems have been both eyes pressed shut on the Tiber. The problems seem to concern the Community's internal relationship among the "brothers" and "sisters" from Bose. Enzo Bianchi indicated there had  been such problems three years ago  in an sibylline interview with the Jesuit magazine Jesus.

"Experience with Falsehood"

"In recent years I have  internally checked  our experience with falsehood, not directly against me, but regarding the whole community. I did not have to experience such an internal destabilization, which is why sometimes I'm quite confused.  I never had such an experience. Malignancy yes, you can understand, but the falsity is not on my horizon. That was the hardest test of my life in the Church and in the life of a monk."

Bianchi meant monastic life, of course,  what  he means by monasticism. It is less clear what he means by "falsehood". It can only be imagined that his authority was challenged.

In another interview on the history of Bose, Bianchi spoke of the common coexistence of women and men is a "very stressful" knot. Not so much because of the natural attraction between the sexes, but because of the indomitable "hostility" that - has ruled since the origin of the world between man and woman - according to Bianchi.

In addition to new items and quite a few outlets, Bianchi experienced some storms. In particular, the departure of three leading members, two "brothers" and a "sister" was carried out with the fierce criticism of the "Prior".

Bianchi asked for a  Visitation and Chose the Visitors Himself

Thus, the conversation turns to the way Enzo Bianchi exerts his leadership. Several members speak of an "authoritarian" style, says Sandro Magister. In order to prevent the situation getting out of control, Bianchi decided to  take the bull by the horns. He applied for the implementation of a canonical visitation. Advantageously, he chose the visitor himself. 

It was Father Michel Van Parys, former abbot of the "ecumenical" Benedictine monastery of Chevetogne in Belgium and today Hegumen in the monastery of the Byzantine rite of Grottaferrata in Italy. For the female side, he commissioned Mother Anne-Emmanuelle Deveche, Abbess of the Trappist Cloister of Blauvac in France. Both are long-time friends of Bianchi, especially Van Parys, who is one of the most enthusiastic visitors and speakers at Bose meetings.

The Visitation took place from last January to May. At the end,  the two visitors submitted a signed declaration, Charter Visitationis ago that made ​​Bianchi, in turn, send it to the competent authorities in Rome and Bishop of Biella. Shortly afterwards Bianchi became appointed as the Consultant.

In the current Advent letter to the "Friends of Bose" Bianch writes that he is allowing  'the Community to undergo two financial checks of its financial situation."  The visitation he reasoned, "is so that the community never falls into complacency, becoming self-referential, or worse, narcissistic and sectarian". The language is strikingly similar to that of Pope Francis.

"Workshop of Unity Between the Separated Churches"

In their visitation report written by Father Parys  and Mother Deveche, the "quality" especially of Bose is appreciated as the "workshop of unity between the separated churches today."

However, they also expressed the wish that the various line offices in the community should not be authoritarian, but exercised  "transparently and synodally."

"Obviously,  Bianchi finds synodality  so precious that when he calls for reforms in the Church and the papacy, Bose in itself is not as high a priority, because it required a canonical visitation  in order to remind  the Prior about it," said Sandro Magister ,

Finally, it should also be noted that Sophia Senyk is not the only one from the faculty of the prestigious Pontifical Oriental Institute who gave up the Catholic faith and converted to Orthodoxy. The Oriental Institute is connected to the Pontifical Gregorian University. Both institutions are led by the Jesuit Order.

More sensational than the conversion of Senyk in recent months was the crossing of Father Constantin Simon to Orthodoxy.The American Jesuit of Ukrainian-Hungarian descent was  Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute in 2013 and is considered an expert on Russian Christianity.

The former Jesuit was solemnly received on June 7th  as a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church. The   liturgy was presided over by Archimandrite Amwrosi (Ambrose Yermakov) of Peterhof, the Auxiliary Bishop of St. Petersburg, and rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

Text: Settimo Cielo / Giuseppe Nardi
image: Settimo Cielo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

Rorate Confirms Apostolic Visitation of FSSP: Bishop Bruskewitz Leads

Edit: as we’d reported below, there will be a Visitation.  Looks like friendly forces so far, possibly just a social call and nothing more.

The recently mentioned Ordinary Apostolic Visitation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is, as its name indicates, a routine measure determined by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED). 

The first news item of the visitation was posted by the FSSP themselves (see here) only with the name of the principal visitator. Rorate can now confirm that the visitation is indeed happening, and the officials are: 
Bishop Vitus Huonder, of Chur/Coire (Switzerland), Principal Visitor (Wigratzbad)

Dom Hervé Courau, O.S.B., Father Abbot of Notre-Dame de Triors (France), Co-Visitor (Wigratzbad) 

Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop Emeritus of Lincoln, (United States)

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  Link...

Church Bishop Huonder Named as Apostolic Visitor to FSSP

Bishop Huonder was commissioned by the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" with the Apostolic Visitation of the Fraternity of St. Peter - Chur media relations officer described this for kath.net a "sign of confidence"

Chur-Vatican (kath.net) The Bishop of Chur, Vitus Huonder, was commissioned by the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" with the Apostolic Visitation of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. This was announced in a press release by the Diocese of Chur on Friday. It is to be a routine Visitiation as it is done in other communities. Bishop Vitus Huonder will act as key visitor, in cooperation with other agents in Europe and the USA.

Giuseppe Gracia, Media Officer of the Diocese of Chur, commented for kath.net: "Among the numerous possible bishops of the universal Church that are eligible for such a task in question, Rome has selected the Bishop of Chur. This is a big vote of confidence at a crucial time, about which  we are extremely pleased. "This decision also shows" the diplomatic wisdom of the Apostolic See," continued Gracia. "It is known that the bishop of Chur enjoys the trust of  the Fraternity of St. Peter  and that the visitation will take place under his leadership, with open doors." 

Bishop Huonder thanked the Apostolic See you for the trust they have placed. He will be preoccupied  by the visitation till the end of 2014.  A formal procedure of the Fraternity of St. Peter  will ensure that the bishop may still handle his main tasks in the diocese during this time and to be represented in some areas.

 The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" is responsible for the care of different communities, which use the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. The President of Ecclesia Dei is the prefect of the CDF, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Cardinal. 

Pope Francis and the Bishop of Chur Vitus Huonder Photo (c) Diocese of Chur

Link to kath.net...

AMGD