Regarding Fr. Stephen Somerville (C.I., October, pp. 12-19).

From Peter Gagliardi

There is no doubt that a great deal of what Fr. Somerville says is true. The breakdown in the faith since Vatican II is everywhere; the tabernacle has been put off to the side; the saints thrown out; nuns throwing off the habit; priests cannot get their Roman collar off fast enough to join the ordinary people; priests' vestments no longer reflect the symbols founded by the Saints and Martyrs; church attendance has fallen to about half.

The Catholic Mass on Vision TV begins with a cross that has a maple leaf and no Jesus Christ. This reflects nationalism toward King and Country instead of Christ and Church. It is through those traditions that support the State instead of Christ that Satan has gained authority to drive all nations to war and destruction (Rev. 20:70-8).

However, Ft. Stephen Somerville's actions erode the wonderful works of Pope John Paul II.... For the last twenty-five years, the Holy Father has successfully preached the true Gospel that brought down the Communist governments of the mighty Soviet empire.

Also the putting--off of nuclear war is a great blessing from Jesus, obtained through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Office of the Pope. Therefore, my advice to Ft. Somerville is to support the Pope, because Jesus Christ promised to be with His Church right up to the consummation of the world. (Matt.28:19-20)

Peterborough, ON

From Dalton McIntyre

I also am very upset over the suspension of Ft. Somerville, but it is not that he should not have been suspended, but that the whole matter of the formation of the SSPX has been badly handled by the Church. A serious error was made after Vatican II in banning the Tridentine Mass. This is the Mass that I grew up with and which had the priest as our leader facing the Blessed Sacrament along with all the congregation who followed with their prayer books. Every place that I went, the Mass was the same and made me proud to be a Catholic.

Pope John Paul II has apologized for past errors made in the name of the Church, but allowed this particular error to proceed to the point where a schism had to be declared. His permission in 1988 for the Tridentine Mass to be celebrated was conditional on permission of the local bishops. Why was the restriction imposed if the Mass was legitimate? Further, many local bishops have been responsible for the problems facing the Catholic Church today, such as the Winnipeg Statement (here in Canada), which they have been afraid to withdraw. Ecumenism is being promoted in many ways; why not extend it to the SSPX? It is my opinion that the Catholic Church would be better off with the SSPX in full communion with it.

Ottawa, ON

Editor: The Holy Father has made a number of attempts to invite SSPX members to return to full communion by accepting the Second Vatican Council and all its conciliar documents. Last year a large group of some 20,000 people and priests in Brazil were reunited; but the remainder remain in schism.

From Don Pennell

I am deeply disturbed by the harsh manner in which the editor of CI condemns Father Somerville. The editor and Cardinal Ambrozic seem to condemn not only Father Somerville, but anyone who disagrees with Vatican II. Condemned as well, are so-called "traditionalists" whoever they are. The editor implies neither Father Somerville nor anyone else should support the "traditionalist" Latin Mass, our Catholic heritage of some 1965 years. The editor also speaks of a "conspiracy theory" without mentioning what that theory is. As well he comments on the Catholic newspaper the Remnant.

For the record, there are hundreds of thousands who hold Vatican II suspect, and why not? Vocations are nearly non-existent except in "Traditional" seminaries; other seminaries and convents are closing, priests and nuns are leaving their vocations. Churches are closing all across North America; some which remain open do not even have a priest, but only provide bare bones "services". Where are the young men and women to take the place of those retiring? They certainly are not at the altar embracing our Lord at communion. People are forbidden to kneel to receive our Lord, others are forbidden to take our Lord on the tongue, but must receive Him in the hand only. Altar rails are gone. There are churches with no kneelers, the tabernacle so far off to the side it is hard to see it. The words to hymns became politically correct, thus miscuing their meaning. Need I say more? Are these the fruits of Vatican II that we should applaud?

If Father Somerville calls into question the Liturgy, he has a right to do so. He participated in the translation; if anyone should know the abuses, he should. To ignore the abuses of the Liturgy, as we ignore the fruits of Vatican II, is to ignore reality itself. Is Father Somerville wrong when he states, "It began introducing modernist, liberal concepts into Catholic thought at variances with tradition etc.?"

What is the definition of a "traditionalist"? The editor does not tell us, but certainly the opposite would be "modernist". Is a "traditionalist" one who is nostalgic for the glory and beauty of magnificent old altars, grand old churches and the sacredness of the old Mass? If that is the definition, then I suggest the readers wake up and recognize that millions of Catholics yearn for the old days when weekly or even daily Mass was the highlight of one's life.

Both the Cardinal and Father de Valk inform us that the Society of St Pius X is schismatic. Perhaps they both should check with no less a personage than Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, who has stated that they are neither schismatics, nor heretics, and that the whole matter is one of regularizing a canonical situation.

With regard to the Catholic paper the Remnant, can the editor find any error in Catholic teaching or Church doctrine in the paper? You cannot condemn because you don't agree with the contents. Angelus Press continues to provide some of the finest Catholic books on the market today. Yes, they are reprints of some of the older traditional books. No need to paint them with the label "traditionalists".

The world is in turmoil, the Church is in turmoil, the laity much more so. It is a sad day when the hierarchy of the church uses such a heavy hand, and a good magazine such as C.I. turn on a faithful and gallant priest such as Father Somerville. What would Jesus say? As always, I continue to pray for the Holy Father, and now especially for Father Somerville.

Burlington, ON

From Joseph Blain 

I want to thank you and commend you on your thorough, clear and concise presentation of the most unfortunate suspension of Fr. Stephen Somerville. I agree with your conclusions and also with your presentation of the unfolding of the events opposing Ft. Somerville and the Archdiocese of Toronto. I previously was completely unaware of these developments, as I see very little of the Ontario press and saw none of the features outlining Fr. Somerville and his relationship with Mel Gibson who, I understand, is a prominent traditionalist.

It is disturbing to read the chronology of events you laid out, because they are strikingly reminiscent of the infamous dispersal of the Oratorian Community expelled from Ottawa in July 1988. I believe that Archbishop Plourde waited until the day after Ecclesia Dei was issued in June 1988, to send notice to Fr. Ashley et al. that their services were no longer needed. It seemed the Ecclesial hierarchy and Schools of Theology in Ottawa at the time did not wish to see anything even remotely resembling French 'integrism."

These, among others, are some of the reasons why SSPX adherents have become increasingly anti-Vatican, as they read these events as a kind of cause and effect scenario, leading to the expulsion and suspension of those whom they see as the only true adherents to the Faith, while prominent dissidents are tolerated. Unlike Fr. Somerville, the Oratorians did not dispute the ruling of the Ottawa Ordinary and settled where Providence destined them to be, continuing as faithful ministers of the Church in Canada and elsewhere.

As a fond attendee of the Oratory, from which I learned a great deal, I left Ottawa for Quebec where I had the good fortune and blessing to meet two exceptional priests, Fr. Yves Normandin and Fr. Joseph Bleau of the St. Paul Latin Community in Montreal, who both fully adhere to Ecclesia Dei and are recognized by the Archdiocese of Montreal. They serve a large community of family-oriented faithful Catholics. I have to admit that in attending the Tridentine Rite Mass, not only are we favoured by the immemorial beauty and depth of sacred rites but are also spared some of the hapless attacks on language, liturgy and ultimately the Faith, occurring in some vernacular Eucharistic celebrations.

As a debt of recognition to the Ottawa Oratory, I began reading over the summer the Apologia pro vita sua by Cardinal John Henry Newman, describing his long and arduous journey into the fullness of faith. As a devout and pious member of the Church of England, he spent many years as a Tractarian attempting to see Anglicanism as a repository of the true faith and a bulwark against the errors of Rome, liberalism, heretical doctrines and practices unfounded in antiquity.

It takes the first four chapters of the book for him to recount the painful struggle that began when he first heard the words that appeared in the Dublin Review and that shook his faith in the tenableness of an Anglicanism: "Securus indicat orbis terrarum," St. Augustine's judgment against the Donatists, penned also by Cardinal Ambrozic in his final response to Ft. Somerville. For Newman, it was a troubling but oh how rewarding a long journey to Rome. As he states, "Who can account for the impressions which are made on him? For a mere sentence, the words of St. Augustine struck me with a power which I had never felt from any words before ... they were like the 'tolle, lege--tolle, lege' of the child that converted St. Augustine himself ... "

I thank the Cardinal for again echoing these words in our ears because "the drama of religion and the combat of truth and error are ever one and the same."

Westmount, QC