SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission
P.
O. Box 7352
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11, 00193
Roma, Italy
Encl: Letter to
Cardinal Ratzinger, February 7, 2004
Reply from Msgr. Perl, March 12, 2004
Dear Cardinal Ratzinger,
I sent the enclosed
letter, dated February 7, 2004, to your office because it concerned a question
of Catholic doctrine, and the charge of heresy and
schism made by a diocesan official and spokesman of the local ordinary. The letter was copied to the Ecclesia Dei
Commission for their information only so that they would have additional documentary
evidence regarding the impotency of their office in the defense of the rights
of Catholics to practice the Catholic Faith according to the immemorial
Traditions of the Latin Rite.
The local ordinary
of Harrisburg, PA, Bishop Nicholas Dattilo, made a
public charge of heresy and schism without providing any further specification
or documentary evidence to support the allegation. Since Bishop Dattilo
died on March 5, 2004, he cannot correct or make amends for the calumny that
has been committed against myself and the other
members of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission. This is a serious charge for which, as a
Catholic, I have appealed to Rome for a formal opinion regarding any doctrinal
error that may be contained in our public statements. This question was not submitted to the Ecclesia
Dei Commission and is not a question that pertains to their “particular
competency.” Furthermore, I and the
members of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission hold to the practice of
our immemorial Ecclesiastical Traditions of the Roman Rite by virtue of our
rights as Catholics and not by virtue of any “indult.” Therefore, we do not look to the Ecclesia Dei
Commission for any help in securing our rights since they do not recognize them
as such. The Ecclesia Dei Commission has
been around for sixteen years and has been of no benefit whatsoever to myself,
my family, or any other Catholic in the Harrisburg Diocese who is intent upon
maintaining the practice of the Traditions of the Roman Rite.
Msgr. Perl, the
secretary for the Ecclesia Dei Commission was asked by your office to reply to
my letter. Since the question of the
doctrinal correctness of our publications is not within his competency, he did
not attempt to provide an answer. Msgr.
Perl did however offer a pastoral opinion regarding SS. Peter and Paul Roman
Catholic Mission’s efforts to restore the Ecclesiastical Traditions of the
Roman Rite to this diocese. There are
two statements of Msgr. Perl that I would like to comment upon to your office.
Msgr. Perl said
that “it is not simply for you or your community to determine what is ‘contrary
to, or could in any way impede, the restoration and defense of the immemorial
traditions of the Catholic Church’.” In
this he is correct. The job is the
primary responsibility of the local ordinary. Unfortunately, the local ordinary has not only
failed in the “restoration and defense of the immemorial traditions of the
Catholic Church” but he actively worked to destroy them. What Msgr. Perl ignores is that the primary
responsibility for the salvation of each soul falls upon the individual person,
and when the local ordinary exercises his office in a manner that does not
provide the necessary means for the individual to save his soul, then he must take that responsibility upon himself. To my understanding, this is wholly consonant
with the constant teaching of the Catholic Church.
Further, Msgr. Perl
states that, “Conditional obedience to the Pope and Bishops of the Church in
union with him is always a dangerous position to espouse.” This is not completely true. While it may be “dangerous,” it is not always
or necessarily so. Catholic teaching
requires that an act of obedience to any human, if it is to be an act of
virtue, must always be “conditional.” It
is conditional to the requisite subjugation of the command to the Divine Law,
Natural Law and all previously defined dogma and traditional doctrinal
teachings of the Catholic Church. Again,
it is my understanding that whenever a command is even only apparently in
opposition to the higher order, and the individual
conscience cannot satisfactorily resolve this opposition to produce a true and
morally certain conscience, a Catholic is morally required to follow his
conscience and not obey that command.
There are hundreds
of Catholics in the Diocese of Harrisburg who cannot participate in the
liturgical, doctrinal and moral practices of the Novus Ordo
Church as a matter of conscience, and our Mission chapel is drawing more of
these Catholics to its membership every week.
This “matter of conscience” not only refers to the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass but to the entire complement of innovations that violate our
Traditions. As to the formation of a
correct conscience, there is no better guide nor safer
path than to follow than the countless confessors, doctors, popes and saints
that have gone before us in the practice of the immemorial Traditions of our
Church. Provided I keep to this path, I
have no fear whatsoever regarding the judgment of God, to which we must all
answer, for failing in obedience to a local ordinary who believes he has a
better idea that countermands two thousand years of Tradition, particularly,
when that “better idea” is evidently and manifestly ruinous to the Catholic
Faith and the salvation of souls.
It is regrettable
that Msgr. Perl found my letter to Bishop Dattilo
offering him the opportunity to consecrate our chapel as “polemical” and
“accusatory” for the letter was neither.
This comment says a lot more about Msgr. Perl and the Ecclesia Dei
Commission than it does about the tone of my letter. The letter is a straight forward affirmation
of our intent to claim our rights as Catholics to the immemorial Traditions of
our Church that we hold are necessary for the accomplishment of our duties that
God has placed before us. We are
committed to the practice of the Catholic Faith according to the Traditions of
the Roman Rite with or without the permission of the local ordinary. Regardless, we will continue to insure that
the names of Pope John Paul II and the next local ordinary are cited in the
canon of the Masses offered at our chapel.
I appeal to your
office again regarding the charge of heresy that has been made in the public
forum. If there is any heretical opinion
expressed in the previously provided documents, I respectfully request that
your office clearly and specifically identify them.
Sincerely in
Christ,
Dr. David M. Drew
Chairman
SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission
cc. Rev. Msgr. Camille Perl, Secretary Pontifical
Commission of Ecclesia Dei
P.
O. Box 7352
February
7, 2004
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Prefect of Doctrine
of the Faith
Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11, 00193
Roma, Italy
Dear Cardinal Ratzinger,
I am the chairman
of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Mission.
The Mission is an association of lay Catholics dedicated to the
restoration of the Ecclesiastical Traditions of the Roman Rite to the Diocese
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. To this end
we have purchased a church in the historic district of York, PA and provide for
the regular offering of the Traditional Roman Rite (Tridentine)
Mass, the daily practice of a holy hour of adoration and reparation to the
Blessed Sacrament with the reading of Vespers and Compline,
catechetical instruction for both adults and children, and the sponsoring of
speakers for public lectures.
The local ordinary,
Bishop Nicholas Dattilo, has refused to fulfill his
obligation to care for our spiritual needs which has necessitated our taking
the initiative to see that we have the Catholic sacraments, Catholic doctrine
and Catholic morals without compromise and according to the traditions of the
Roman Rite. Bishop Dattilo
has refused communion with the Traditional Catholics of SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission. He has refused
to permit the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to operate in this diocese. The papal flag is displayed in the sanctuary
of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Chapel, located at 129 S. Beaver Street,
York, Pennsylvania, and the names of Pope John Paul II and Bishop Dattilo are included in the canon of the Traditional Masses
offered in this chapel.
Rev. William J.
King, JCD, the judicial vicar and spokesman for Bishop Dattilo
has published the unsubstantiated allegation in the diocesan newspaper and
parish bulletins against the Traditional Catholics of SS. Peter and Paul Roman
Catholic Mission that “many of their doctrines and practices contradict
Biblical revelation and authentic Catholic teaching,” and that “their theology
contains certain doctrinal errors.” He
has also described us as a “dissident sect in schism with the Catholic
Church.” Rev. King has refused an offer
to specify these allegations or defend these statements in a public forum where
he could be directly questioned.
This is a public
accusation of heresy and schism against Catholics who hold the entire Catholic
Faith whole and inviolable in its doctrinal and moral integrity. The Catholics of SS. Peter and Paul Roman
Catholic Mission appeal to your Excellency to examine these accusations to
determine their merit. Rev. King must be
required to substantiate his accusations with a specific charge that is
supported by real evidence, or he must be required to publish a retraction and
an apology in the same forum with the same degree of emphasis that the false
accusations were made. Failing that, we
ask that your office examine these documents and determine if they contain any
error of Catholic doctrine or morals.
I have enclosed for
your information that statement of our corporate purpose of SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission, the letter of invitation to Bishop Dattilo
to consecrate our church, a document formally submitted to Bishop Dattilo by one of his priests for determination of any
theological error.
We remain loyal
Catholics in doctrine, morals, liturgical worship and in all disciplinary
matters that do not restrict our practice and defense of the Ecclesiastical
Traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
Sincerely in
Christ,
David Drew
Chairman
SS. Peter and Paul
Roman Catholic Mission
Encl: Rev. King’s
notice in the Catholic Witness, the diocesan newspaper
Letter inviting Bishop Dattilo to consecrate SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic
Chapel
Rev. King letter
of February 3, 2004
Reply to a Conservative Canon Lawyer,
A Defense of Our Rights to the Ecclesiastical
Traditions
Two front page articles from the York
Daily Record, the local newspaper
cc. Cardinal Castrillon
Hoyos, President Pontifical Commission of Ecclesia
Dei
Bishop Nicholas Dattilo,
Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg
Rev. William J. King, JCD, Judicial
Vicar, Diocese of Harrisburg