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Franciscans of the Immaculate, Photo From Better Times: 1st Row in the middle are the two founders (Father Pellettieri, Father Manelli). 2nd Row, 2nd from the right, Father Serafino Lanzetta |
(Florence) The "tragedy" of so-called "conservatives" in the Church under Pope Francis is currently being revealed emblematically in Florence, says lawyer Carlo Manetti. This coming September 25, Father Serafino Lanzetta of the "Commissariat" oppressed Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in Florence will his announce his latest book: "The Second Vatican Council: a Pastoral Council" arranged to be introduced in the context of this conference. Cardinal Archbishop of Florence Betori has prohibited the public celebration of Holy Mass in the traditional Rite by Father Lanzetta.
Father Lanzetta had been the Prior of the Order, since the provisional administration, at its convent in Florence. Since then he lives in "exile" in the monastery of Kitzbühel.
It was not only he and his brothers were forced to leave the city by the Apostolic Commissar Father Fidenzio Volpi. Meanwhile, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Florence must vacate, who are currently affected by Apostolic Visitrix.
The Archbishop, the Old Mass and "Reasons of Expediency"
These days one of the decisions of the Archbishop of Florence has caused a stir. Because of the abnegation of Pope Benedict XVI's Moto Proprio by the Congregation of Religious, the organizers presented Archbishop Giuseppe Cardinal Betori the request for Father Lanzetta to celebrate on the occasion of the meeting and for the participants in Florence, a Holy Mass in the traditional rite. The request was rejected by the cardinal.
In the book, which is at the same time a Doctoral thesis, Father Lanzetta outlined and analyzed, based on meticulous documentation of the main currents of the Second Vatican Council and its work in bringing about the conciliar documents (see separate report M
ental Power of an Exile - Habilitation Thesis of Father Lanzetta Presented on Second Vatican Council ). The preface is by the famous theologian Manfred Hauke, who supervised Lanzetta's habilitation. A book of "incontrovertible orthodoxy," said Carlo Manetti in an interview. Manetti is the editor of the book:
Un caso che fa discutere: i Franciscan of the Immaculate (Franciscans of the Immaculate: One Case that Provides Discussions, Fede & Cultura, Verona).
The lecturer in International Relations is one of the speakers at the conference, to be held in the ballroom of the Regional Parliament of Tuscany. Among others, the historian Roberto de Mattei (European University of Rome) and Pietro De Marco (University of Florence) will speak, as well as representatives of Catholic media, Guido Scatizzi (Riscossa Christiana) and Pucci Cipriani ( Controrivoluzione ). The organizer of the conference is traditional association Communion Tradizionale of Florence, under its president, Ascanio Ruschi. Ruschi it was who put the motion to the Archbishop and received the written rejection from him. The interview was conducted by Domenico Rosa for Il Sito di Firenze .
The No of Cardinal Betori to Father Lanzetta and Traditional Rite
Carlo Manetti on the "conservatives" in the new "climate" of Pope Francis
And yet seems Cardinal Betori, who is counted among the "conservative" bishops, does not consider the book by Father Lanzetta as "orthodox" ...
Manetti: Judging by the letter his lawyer Ruschi, President of the association Communion Tradizione has sent, in which he expressly forbids Father Serafino public celebration of the traditional Mass, one can see no doctrinal condemnation of the book content, but - if one may say - it is a "political" condemnation of the text. It is said that a Bishop can not approve the theses contained there, without claiming that we are dealing with heresies, whereby the doubt arises that this impossibility is not caused by the thesis itself, but the position of the bishop; in other words. that it is not about doctrinal reasons, but "pastoral" considerations that cause the head of a Catholic diocese, to not comment positively in public on the great work of Father Serafino.
If you allow, I would like to extend the question still to the drama, not to say, tragedy, to present the situation in which the so-called "conservative" Catholics are: they would like,perhaps to return to the truth in their hearts, but reasons of practical expediency, which are called "pastoral" today ," compels them to accept this and to confess as always, they are valid and immutable. So, to avoid the current widespread accusations of "traditionalism" or more recently even the "crypto-Lefebvrianism", they are forced to represent opinions and to put actions that actually represent the progressive Catholic extremism.
How do you explain the ban in the Church of San Gaetano to celebrate a Holy Mass in the traditional rite ... the church which is supervised by the Old Rite Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest? How do you see this "turnaround" of the Archbishop of Florence, who generously supported the traditional Mass until recently and the Old Ritual community churches entrusted to his care?
Manetti: As the Cardinal himself stated in his letter, the reasons are not doctrinal, but pastoral, political, ideological. Today, after the accession of Pope Francis, the "most endangered" prelates, the so-called "conservatives" are exactly like that. case of Cardinal Piacenza example showed: the first defenestrated by the new Pope. They are forced to show themselves as far more progressive than their colleagues to provide evidence of their loyalty to the "new course". For the progressives whose resistance acted against Benedict XVI., is today, however, like a life insurance policy, a guarantee certificate for the future that they believe in the so-called new "Church of Mercy". The Conservatives, however, who, offered assistance to Benedict XVI have aroused "suspicions", and are forced today, but also in the future, to provide evidence of their "reliability". In particular, they may not afford the slightest relapse and that includes any concession to the "Traditionalists."
So you are, in a humanly speaking, very difficult situation from which there is a solution only if they recognized the priority fully for themselves of the truth about the practice, recognize and accept the primacy of faith over the pastoral, the primacy of Jesus Christ through the hierarchy. This is not just a question of courage. After decades of the devaluation of truth in favor of the tactical achievement of practical results, it is hard to sacrifice everything you have built up personally and intellectually appropriated. Often it is difficult to be conscious of this necessity.
Father Serafino Lanzetta is not a dangerous heretic?
Manetti: Of course not. Father Serafino Lanzetta is not only not a dangerous heretic, but - despite his young age - one of the greatest living theologians, brilliant and profound at the same time, capable, as I said, to the depths of the errors, but also he has gathered the reasons and presented the actors of the Council.
How is the provisional administration of the Franciscans of the Immaculate to end, after most of the brothers have unsuccessfully made the request to be allowed to leave the Order?
Manetti: Everything happening so far suggests that the deliberate intention is to "liquidate" the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, both the male and the female branch. All measures, sometimes accelerated, sometimes slowed down, aim at that. It can be seen plainly that the case of the Franciscans of the Immaculate reveal the violent face of modernism and show the way postulated by Gramsci of the primacy of practice leads over theory.
I would therefore like to take the opportunity of this interview to prompt all, in the defense the truth about the Order of the Franciscans of the Immaculate founded by Father Manelli and Father Pellettieri, to persevere so that the silence about this sad state of affairs can be spread, because of the silence can make profit only the persecutors.
Introduction / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Messa in Latino / Carlo Manetti
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG