Sermon of Bishop Bernard Fellay in his 25th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination

In June of this year, Bishop Bernard Fellay celebrated the 25^th anniversary of his priestly ordination. On June 27, during a Mass offered on this occasion at the seminary of Ecône, in his native Wallis, the Superior General of the SSPX gave a sermon in which he expressed his gratitude to the founder of the SSPX, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. We give here some excerpts.

During these days, we must pray, just as we prayed especially last October, to obtain from heaven, for the pope to have the fortitude and courage to restore the Mass to the Church. According to what we have been told, this seems to be his intention, and it looks as if terrible pressure is being put on him. Terrible was the word used. If the Mass is restored, let us speak plainly, it is thanks to Archbishop Lefebvre. Some years ago, on the feast of Corpus Christi, the archbishop of Ravenna told all his clergy in an assembly: "If today, in the Church, it is still said that the Mass is a sacrifice, it is thanks to Archbishop Lefebvre." Today we can say likewise: "If the Traditional Mass is restored, it is thanks to Archbishop Lefebvre," to his tenacity, and it is also thanks to all those who have held fast, all those wonderful individuals, those courageous priests. We must follow their example, and ask for this courage so that we may continue the fight. My very dear brethren, if the Mass is restored, it is a good thing for the Church, but it is not the end of the story. All the errors of the Council, which have spread everywhere, are the object of the next stage. The combat is not over. Far from it. And as long as the authorities want to force us to accept the poison which came through the Council, we must keep saying "no." We cannot give up. It is a matter of life and death! The Mass is one battle won, but it is not yet the end of the war. Obviously, in this combat, we turn our eyes towards the Blessed Virgin Mary. If there is anyone we must thank for having been faithful, as lay people, and even more as priests, it is the Blessed Virgin; for this fidelity is a very special grace in these days of great confusion. The devil was let loose and given the power to sift churchmen like wheat. He was given the power to spread, as it were, a penetrating fog over supernatural grace in today's Church. And the antidote to this is the Blessed Virgin. In our times, God has willed to give a very special power to the Blessed Virgin and she is playing a very special role in this period of the history of salvation. We can see this at Fatima, where the Blessed Virgin did not hesitate to say that God had placed in her hands the peace of nations. We also know that God gave this devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the world, as the last ­these are her very words - the last means of salvation offered to the world. And the popes during the 20^th century have said, when speaking of the rosary, that there is a special grace attached to this prayer, that the rosary is the means of solving all problems. The popes told families: "Pray the rosary!" In this devotion to the Blessed Virgin which unites the mysteries of the life of Our Lord with his holy Mother, there are particular graces which enable us to remain faithful, to remain Catholics today. And this fidelity also, once again, we owe to Archbishop Lefebvre. On this day, let us thank God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for this protection, and for all these benefits, for this goodness and mercy, and let us also continue to ask for them. Let us ask for the grace of holiness for all priests. This is God's will! In Sacred Scripture God demands holiness from the priest. And He also wants us to ask Him for this holiness of the priest. So, my dear brethren, on this day, I entrust to you this intention of prayer for our sanctification, so that, as St. Peter said, our salvation may be more assured, and yours also. Amen.