Rebel bishop to say Mass in Chch

Press, 7 December 1985, Page 12

Rebel bishop to say Mass in Chch

Traditionalist Catholics in Christchurch will attend a Latin Mass celebrated by the rebel French archbishop, the Most Rev. Marcel Lefebvre, when he visits New Zealand next week.

Archbishop Lefebvre, aged 79, was suspended from priestly duties by Pope Paul VI in 1976 for continuing to say the traditional Latin Mass and disobeying reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 19605. The reforms included a requirement that masses be said in the local language of the country and with full participation by the congregation. On his only other visit to Christchurch, in 1981, Archbishop Lefebvre said that the new Catholic Mass was too close to Protestantism.

“For me the suspension is non-existent,” he said. “There has been no trial so it is invalid.” Four traditionalist seminaries now exist throughout the world. His movement is based at the Econe seminary, in Switzerland. Archbishop Lefebvre con-

tinues to ordain priests, and this has included two New Zealand brothers who trained at Econe. One is based in Australia, and from February will take over the duties of an Australian priest who has visited New Zealand every two months to say the Latin Mass. The other is in the United States.

Mrs Lyn Hays, who is coordinating the archbishop’s visit to Christchurch, said that about 500 followers of the movement were in New Zealand. About 50 were in Christchurch. They hoped to have a resident priest next year. In Christchurch Archbishop Lefebvre will perform 15 to 20 confirmations, and will celebrate a public Mass on Wednesday morning. He will leave Christchurch on Thursday for two days in Wellington and Wanganui. The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, the Most Rev. Denis Hanrahan, said he was unaware of the archbishop’s visit. The position taken by Archbishop Lefebvre and his

followers seemed to have caused much tension in the Catholic Church, he said.

“Any movement that causes a feeling of division causes a certain amount of damage.” The Latin, or Tridentine, Mass had been banned to help people participate in and understand the Church, he said.

Archbishop Lefebvre’s suspension had not taken away his powers of priest or bishop, such as ordaining priests, because they were lifelong powers.