All roads lead to Ecône

 

Recently, one of our Canons at the Cathedral of Antwerp wrote a letter to a seminarian from Ecône, enquiring about the nature of their seminary and the formation that they receive. Much to our surprise, the seminarian from Ecône refused to reply to the canon in the language of the Church but preferred to write in Romanz. After a laborious work of translation, the message that we received is that they are part of a society of common life which isn't even recognised under the 1983 Code of Canon Law. They needn't worry because they aren't recognised under our 1150 Decretum Gratiani either! But they claim to wage war against the Second Vatican Council. What does that mean for us? Should we be spiritually close to them as they oppose the reforms brought through that 20th century Council which has lead to an even greater loss of faith than before? Well, their battle, as noble as it may be, is only partial and therefore bound to not be ultimately a fruitful work for the vineyard of the Lord. Much of their seminary seems to operate in a manner similar to Antwerp Cathedral but instead of having canons permanent there, to resist the allurements of the Newchurch, they rather send their poor priests on their own into the wilderness. They are neither mendicants nor monks because they end up living as canons would but without a cathedral. They are I'm afraid part of the Brave New Church. As admirable as their resistance to the innovations of the Second Vatican Council are, they are still centuries already steeped in and entrenched in the devastating reforms of the Council of Vienne, which we have already seen are not to be followed by any Catholic in good conscience.

 

We follow the Popes and their reforms they agree with Tradition and above all with the former age, the age spoken by the prophet Isaias and which was lived in the entire world in the Middle Ages. The time where temporal powers reigned in harmony and in union with spiritual powers. When the Pope and Emperor were allies, when the Bishop and King were promoters and defenders of the Social Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As much as we hear rumors of people now saying that all roads lead to Ecône, we most certainly differ. If your battle is not against the true enemy, you will sooner or later succumb to him. I am afraid that seems to be the case with the partial battle waged by this Society.