A crisis in the spiritan family
The Spiritan Bishops who took part in the Second Vatican Council
In the wake of Vatican II, many things were questioned. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit also experienced considerable internal tensions and divisions. A uniform world, modelled on norms and values which were looked on as universal, built around the old Europe and its culture; this was a world that was dying. But for many, it was just a passing crisis that had to be got through as quickly as possible so as to return to the structures of the past.
No to collegial government!
A few months before the end of his mandate as Superior General of the Spiritans, Mgr. Lefebvre wrote an article entitled "A little light on the present crisis in the Church". He denounced the "collegiality of the Magisterium" which he saw as a sign of the democratisation of the Church:
"Modern ideas have been introduced into the Church under the famous slogan of "collegiality". The whole government has to be "collegialised": that of the Pope and the bishops with a presbyteral college, that of the parish priest with a pastoral college of lay people, the whole enveloped by commissions, councils, assemblies etc....before the authorities can proceed to giving orders or directives...This war of collegiality, supported by the communist, protestant and liberal press, will remain famous in the annals of the Council"
Having been elected Superior General in 1962, Mgr. Lefebvre did not approve of the spirit of Vatican II. As a member of the preparatory commission of the Council, he was involved in the drawing up of the schemas prepared by the Roman Curia and presented to the Fathers of the Council.
Almost immediately, the 2,500 bishops asked for a revision of the prepared schemas. Mgr. Lefebvre opposed this collegial move along with some other bishops who could identify with the motto on the coat of arms of Cardinal Ottaviani, "Semper Idem" (always the same).
Mgr. Lefebvre made several interventions during the general sessions of the Council. The other forty spiritan bishops who were present asked Mgr. Lefebvre for an exchange of views, because, in view of his position as the Superior General of their Congregation, they were not happy with the attitudes and positions adopted by him. Mgr. Gay, the bishop of Guadeloupe, acted as spokesman for the group. Mgr. Lefebvre listened to them, then with his usual good nature, but without any dialogue, brought the meeting to a close with the following words:
"You have your way of thinking, I have mine. I would never force any of you to vote the same way as myself, even less to think the same way as I do. We all have a conscience: everyone must follow his own".
