Update – Tuesday, 25 April – We have received a call from one of the priests at St. Joan of Arc parish, asking that we clarify one aspect of our article. Father was concerned that the article seemed to read as if Fr. Bisig was coming to Post Falls for the sole purpose of giving a talk. In fact, Father told us that Fr. Bisig’s visit was scheduled for a purpose unrelated to giving any type of presentation to the faithful. It was decided later that since he would be in town on other business, it would be an opportune time to provide the laity with his insights on 35 years of the Fraternity of St. Peter’s existence.

The priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) of St. Joan of Arc in Post Falls, Idaho, announced in their parish bulletin today that Fr. Josef Bisig, the rector of the Fraternity’s seminary in Nebraska, will be arriving in our town to give a talk on Saturday, April 29. For those who are unfamiliar with Fr. Bisig, he is one of the founders of the FSSP, having left the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) a couple of days after Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops on 30 June 1988.

For those of our readers who are unaware of the events that led to the episcopal consecrations 35 years ago, there are ample sources and countless analyses¹ and books² that provide a description of the unfortunate disingenuous attitude of the Vatican with respect to the “regularization” of the SSPX in late 1987 and early 1988. In fact, just yesterday, Lifesite News reported that a new comprehensive study of the lead-up to the rupture between the SSPX and the Vatican has been published in the last few days. The book, SSPX: The Defence, by author Kennedy Hall, is available on Amazon.

Most significantly, the foreword to Mr. Hall’s book was written by Father Charles Murr, the former personal secretary to Cardinal Edouard Gagnon. Fr. Murr was privy to the behind-the-scenes Vatican politics that shelved Cardinal Gagnon’s glowing report to Pope John Paul II after that cardinal’s apostolic visit to various houses of the SSPX in late 1987. Cardinal Gagnon’s report collected dust for several months before the ill-fated May 5 protocol, which was repudiated by Archbishop Lefebvre only after the Vatican issued an “oh, by the way” requirement for an apology “for offenses against the person of the Holy Father”. As Fr. Emmanuel du Chalard (who was there) later told us, this demand was made after the document was signed and the Archbishop had already departed the Vatican for the SSPX’s district house in Albano Laziale, about 20 miles away.

Dear readers, please allow us a digression for full disclosure: we have never made any attempt to conceal the fact that we fulfill our Sunday Mass obligations at both St. Joan of Arc and at the SSPX’s Immaculate Conception Church. Our intent is to show that both Masses are valid; but having known Monseigneur Lefebvre personally (and recognizing the great debt that we all owe to him), we have always kept a great devotion to this saintly prelate in our hearts. We were present at the consecrations in June of 1988 and fully supported the Archbishop’s decision and reasoning — as we still do. It has been from the SSPX that we have sought the Sacraments for most of the last four decades, and to which we are most grateful for making available the Mass and Sacraments to us and our children, especially in the 80s, when it was most difficult to find a traditional chapel. As we have told our FSSP priests when we have hosted them in our home for dinner, we believe that it is patently obvious that if it had not been for the courageous Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, we would not have the traditional Mass and Sacraments today — including those “approved” by Rome.

Sadly, the priests of the FSSP continue to wage war against the SSPX, from which, for years now, we have not heard any negative comments regarding the Fraternity of St. Peter from the pulpit at Immaculate Conception Church. In contrast, the Fraternity priests, on at least a few occasions over the last several years, have continued their criticism of the SSPX from the pulpit, as well as in their bulletin. Most recently, in January of this year, there was a major propaganda push to promote John Salza’s position against the Society — which he used to support. Brandishing the same old accusations of “schism” and “irregular status,” the axe-grinding Mr. Salza has been extensively quoted by the local priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter.

The biggest practical problem with the FSSP’s criticism of Archbishop Lefebvre and the SSPX is that there are numerous families in the area whose members are split between the two groups of faithful. This has driven unnecessary wedges into families and caused significant stress to intra-familial relations. Which brings us to the question we posed: why bring Fr. Bisig, known for his vitriol against the SSPX, to Post Falls now? Is it, perhaps, the foreknowledge of the release of Kennedy Hall’s book (which we have not yet read) that prompted Fr. Bisig to visit what is one of the largest, if not the largest, of the FSSP chapels in the U.S.?

The announcement of Father’s visit included some of the topics on which he will be speaking, among which are his “first-hand account” of his “dealings” with the previous two popes, as well as the foundation of the FSSP. The announcement goes on to state: “As a longtime council member of the SSPX, and close advisor to Archbishop Lefebvre, Fr. Bisig has a very important perspective of these decades that will surely include details that you have never heard before.” That description was enough to make us cringe, remembering Fr. Bisig’s anecdotal reminiscence in a now-deleted YouTube video in which he accused Archbishop Lefebvre of being a closet sedevacantist.

Then there was Fr. Bisig’s talk in Ottawa, Canada, on November 24, 2018, at which time he discussed the founding of the FSSP. Louis Verrecchio, on his blog AKA Catholic, quoted from the erstwhile Catholic Register newspaper of Canada: “It was clear we had to leave the Society because of this rupture with Rome,” said Bisig, one of 12 priests, one deacon and 20 seminarians who left. “We did not want to leave the SSPX,” [Fr. Bisig] said. “We were forced to do so. Our superior became schismatic. We felt like orphans abandoned by our father.” For more cringeworthy assertions from the rector of the Fraternity’s seminary, read Mr. Verrecchio’s full analysis.

But the most puzzling aspect of the Fraternity’s persistent sniping at the SSPX is that those of us who are described as “traditionalists” are being brutally persecuted by the man who holds the office of the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter. At a time when the traditional Mass of the Ages is under crushing attack from Rome, why does the FSSP insist on keeping up the “circular firing squad” against other like-minded Catholics? This is the real crux of this article. Why bring Fr. Bisig here to Post Falls, just a few miles from the second largest SSPX chapel in the nation, to give a talk in which he will certainly criticize Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society? Why highlight differences between the two priestly orders, when these tradition-minded priests should be working together to fend off the attacks of Francis against the Mass of the Ages? Shouldn’t we be allied against the malevolent forces in Rome that seek to obliterate the Mass and Sacraments of our ancestors? It just doesn’t make sense to us. It is a mystery.

In view of all of the above, we have some questions for Fr. Bisig. Perhaps someone will be good enough to pass these on to him ahead of his talk on Saturday evening, April 29, at 6 pm at St. Joan of Arc in Post Falls, Idaho (just in case we can’t make it to ask these questions ourselves):

— To the best of your knowledge, has Protocol 1411/99, the Vatican edict that allows any FSSP priest to say the Novus Ordo mass (and even encourages concelebration with local ordinaries) ever been rescinded?

— As a trusted advisor to Archbishop Lefebvre, when did you let him know of your intention to leave the SSPX?

— Did you contact the Vatican regarding your crisis of conscience over the consecrations prior to June 30, 1988?

— Weren’t you present at the priestly ordinations of June 29, 1988 and even at the consecrations on June 30, 1988?

— Despite last year’s assurance from Rome that Traditionis Custodes does not apply to the Fraternity, numerous FSSP chapels have been closed by their local ordinaries. Are these being appealed?

— What response do you foresee from the FSSP if Rome moves to make the much anticipated final assault on the Traditional Latin Mass and reneges on its promise to the Fraternity?

We ask these questions in a spirit of true Christian Charity, not just to clarify points that have remained ambiguous over the years, but in order to show that instead of persisting in criticism, we are stronger to defend against the evil forces arrayed against us in Rome if we stand together. The authorities in the Vatican are using the ages-old strategy of “divide and conquer”. Let us not fall into their trap.

1. One of the best articles on the situation in the immediate aftermath of the consecrations is The Glass Confessional by Dr. John Senior.

2. Two excellent books on the entire history of the relations between Archbishop Lefebvre and Rome are: Archbishop Lefebvre and the Vatican and Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre.