The Voice of... Pope Pius VIII

On 24th May, 1829, Pope Pius VIII issued his Encyclical Traditi Humiliati upon the occasion of his election as Pope.

"8. Also watch the seminaries more diligently. The fathers of Trent made you responsible for their administration. [Session 25, chap. 18, on reform] From them must come forth men well instructed both in Christian and ecclesiastical discipline and in the principles of sound doctrine. Such men may then distinguish themselves for their piety and their teaching. Thus, their ministry will be a witness, even to those outside the Church and they will be able to refute those who have strayed from the path of justice. Be very careful in choosing the seminarians since the salvation of the people principally depends on good pastors. Nothing contributes more to the ruin of souls than impious, weak, or uninformed clerics."

Traditi Humiliati, No. 8

Sacerdotal Ordinations for the Institute of the Good Shepherd

In another splendid step forward for this young Institute, which approaches the third anniversary of its foundation, two Priests have been ordained for the IBP in the Basilica of Sainte-Anne d'Auray, a magnificent example of Breton neo-Romanesque architecture. The City is a stronghold of the Breton language.

The Basilica was built to honour St. Anne, the patroness of Brittany, who appeared to Yves Nicolazic during the years 1624-5. The apparitions were approved by the Local Ordinary and pilgrimages, known locally as pardons began. The Basilica was particularly favoured by Queen Anne of Austria and her husband, Louis XIII, especially by the donation of a relic of the Saint brought from the Holy Land during the Crusades, and the sponsorship of the erection of a Confraternity of St. Anne there. The miraculous statue of St. Anne was publicly burnt at Vannes during the Revolution. The Shrine continued to be popular in spite of athiestical machinations and reached its zenith during the reign of Blessed Pius IX, who raised to Confraternity to an Archconfraternity, commanded the image of St. Anne to be crowned, once the new Basilica, begun in 1866, was complete, and donated the High Altar.

C'est notre mère à tous;

mort ou vivant, dit-on,

A Sainte-Anne, une fois,

doit aller tout Breton.

The ceremony was performed on 4th July, 2009, by Mgr Ennio Appignanesi, the Archbishop Emeritus of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo in Italy, who had just celebrated his 84th birthday and will celebrate the 60th anniversary of his own ordination early next year. In May last, Archbishop Appignanesi, who is a Canon of St. Peters Basilica, ordained three members of the IBP to the Subdiaconate in the Church of Santa Lucia in Rome.

The Voice of... Pope Leo XII

On 5th May, 1824, Pope Leo XII issued his Encyclical Ubi Primum upon his election as Pope.

"8. Bishops who do not with due concern try to obey the precepts of residence or visitation will not avoid the fearful judgment of Our Savior the supreme shepherd by pleading that they fulfilled their duties through delegated ministers."

"9. For care of the flock has been entrusted to themselves not to their ministers; it was to themselves that the gifts of the Spirit were promised. Consequently the sheep listen more gladly to the voice of their own shepherd than to that of a representative. They seek salutary food with more confidence from the shepherd's hand than from his representative's, and rejoice more to obtain it. For His hand is as the hand of the Lord, whose person is reverenced in His bishops. All this is also amply borne out by experience, the world's instructor."

Ubi Primum, Nos. 8 & 9

The Voice of... Pope Pius VII

On 15th May, 1800, Pope Pius VII issued his Encyclical Diu Satis advocating the return to the values of the Gospel.

"12. Do not admit anyone to the clergy, entrust to no one the ministry of the mysteries of God, allow no one to hear confessions or preach sermons, do not transfer any administration or office to anyone, before you carefully weigh, examine and "test their spirit to see if they are of God.""

"13. Would that We had not learned by experience how many "false apostles" the present age has spawned! These are "deceitful workmen who transform themselves into apostles of Christ." Unless we are on our guard "they will destroy the understanding of the faithful as the serpent seduced Eve by his cleverness, and they will fall away from their simplicity which is in Christ."[II Cor. 11] While you must care for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishop, the watchfulness, eagerness, and effort of your fatherly love and benevolence is demanded in particular by boys and young men. Christ by example and statement has particularly entrusted these to us [Mt 19, Mk 10, Lk 18.] and the enemies of private property and states who are striving to confound all laws, divine and human, hope to effect their wicked plans chiefly by corrupting their young minds. For they are aware that the young are like soft wax and can easily be drawn in any direction, bent and moulded and that they firmly retain a form once they have received it and it has been hardened by advancing years; then they will reject a different form. Hence the well-worn proverb from scripture: "A young man will not depart from his way even when he has grown old.''[Prov. 22]"

"14. Do not allow "that the children of this world be wiser in their generation than the children of light." Carefully investigate the directors given charge of boys and young men in seminaries and colleges, and the courses they are to follow, the teachers chosen for secondary schools, and the schools which are to be run. Keep out the ravening wolves who do not spare the flock of innocent lambs, and expel them if necessary by the way they entered. Eliminate them at once "according to the power which the Lord gave you for edification.'' [II Cor. 13] We must use to the full this power to eradicate this very serious threat to our children. This course is required for the safety of Church, state, leaders, and all human beings; their safety should be dearer and more important to Us than Our own life. Clement XIII treated this subject in his Brief to you on 25th November 1766."

Diu Satis, Nos. 12-14

New Priests for the IBP

by Shawn Tribe

From Vannes.maville.com, in turn by way of Le Forum Cathoiique comes news of the ordination of two new priests of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in the basilica of Sainte-Anne d'Auray on July 4th.

The ordaining prelate was Msgr. Appignanesi, archbishop emeritus of Potenza, Italy.


(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

The Voice of... Pope Pius VI

On 13th April, 1791, Pope Pius VI published his Encyclical Charitas on the Civil Oath of the Clergy in France.

"We address you too, beloved sons, priests, and other clergy and ministers of France. Since you have been called to the Lord's work, you ought to stay close to your lawful pastors and be firm in faith and doctrine. Above all, avoid and condemn the sacrilegious intruders."

Charitas, No. 31

Official Photos of Ordination in Wigratzbad

by Martin Bürger

The official photographs from this year's Priestly Ordinations at the end of June are now online. They have been complemented by some photographs of the Pontifical Vespers from the evening before.


These photographs and many more can be found on the FSSP's website.

(tr. from exsultet.net)

The Voice of... Pope Clement XIV

On 21st September, 1769, Pope Clement XIV issued his Encyclical Decet Quam Maxime condemning financial abuses by the Clergy.

"In keeping with Our apostolic office and its obligations, We propose these things to you. If you rightly carry them out, they will aid the splendor of ecclesiastical discipline, the tranquility of your consciences, and the best guidance of your flocks. We do not think that they will be burdensome and harmful to you, although they will somewhat reduce your customary emoluments. Even the least suspicion about you is absent in view of your exemplary piety, proven religious sentiments, and your zeal for preserving ecclesiastical discipline whereby what till now was gain for you will in the future be considered a loss for Christ. You will place your true gain in this alone, that the worship of God be ever increased, that the people committed to you be more easily and felicitously fed by your word and example."

Decet Quam Maxime, No. 41.

Priestly Ordinations in Wigratzbad

by Gregor Kollmorgen

On Saturday morning, H.E. Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Karganda, Kazakhstan, and author of the book "Dominus est", ordained new priests for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in the shrine church of Wigratzbad, Germany, where the Fraternity has its European seminary. Here are some images from the ceremony (Henri de Villiers of the Schola Sainte Cécile):














Those who understand German may watch the bishop delivering the excellent sermon on the centrality of the offering of the most holy sacrifice of the Mass in the life of the priest here.

(reproduced, with permission, from The New Liturgical Movement)

The Voice of... Pope Clement XIII

On 17th September, 1759, Pope Clement XIII issued his Encyclical Cum Primum on the discipline of and against worldliness among the Clergy.

"It is true that from the very beginning of the Church right up to our own times, there was nothing more plainly or more attentively legislated either by the decrees of the councils or by the constitutions of the popes who preceded Us. Nothing seemed to be stressed more frequently or more eagerly by the holy fathers and the pastors of the churches than that the ministers of the church, both clergy and monks, abstain from the desire for temporal wealth and that they should remove themselves from worldly concerns. Not only spiritual censures but also very serious temporal punishments were decreed for those who presumed to infringe or violate the canonical rules in this matter. Having carefully considered everything, We think that there is nothing left for Us to do, Venerable Brothers, other than to exhort you to cling to the intention of Our predecessors and the spirit of the church in all things. We exhort you to be zealous in obtaining the observance due these holy laws by all churchmen-both those subject to your ordinary jurisdiction as well as those subject to your delegated jurisdiction-according to the example of the sacred canons and the decrees of the Holy See and the synodical statutes of each diocese."

Cum Primum, No. 3

FSSP Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

by Gregor Kollmorgen

In April, roughly a month before Pope Benedict, the seminarians of the European seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter at Wigratzbad, Germany, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They now have published some images. Here is a selection:

Mass in the Holy Sepulchre:


In the Catholic chapel of the Nailing of the Cross on Golgotha:


In the Austrian Hospice of Jerusalem:


On Mount Carmel:


In the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter in Tabgha where Jesus appeared the third time after his resurrection (John 21:1-24) and said to St. Peter "Feed my sheep!":


In Qumran:


They also were received by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem:

(reproduced, with permission, from The New Liturgical Movement)

The Voice of... Pope Benedict XIV

During these first months of the Holy Year for Priests, let us listen to the voice of the Popes on the Priesthood. On 3rd December, 1740, Pope Benedict XIV published his Encyclical Ubi Primum on the Priesthood.

"...Above all, see to it that the clergy excel in character and in zeal for divine worship and that ecclesiastical discipline is kept in good condition or restored where it has suffered. The example of dedicated clerics is the best inspiration for the faithful. Therefore, direct the keenness of your mind so that those men are chosen for the clergy from whom it can reasonably be expected that their lives will command respect from all who walk in the law of the Lord and who go from virtue to virtue. Their work will bring spiritual benefit to your churches. It is better to have a few ministers who are upright and effective, than many who labor in vain to build up the Church..."

Ubi Primum, No. 1.