inundado por um mistério de luz que é Deus e N´Ele vi e ouvi -A ponta da lança como chama que se desprende, toca o eixo da terra, – Ela estremece: montanhas, cidades, vilas e aldeias com os seus moradores são sepultados. - O mar, os rios e as nuvens saem dos seus limites, transbordam, inundam e arrastam consigo num redemoinho, moradias e gente em número que não se pode contar , é a purificação do mundo pelo pecado em que se mergulha. - O ódio, a ambição provocam a guerra destruidora! - Depois senti no palpitar acelerado do coração e no meu espírito o eco duma voz suave que dizia: – No tempo, uma só Fé, um só Batismo, uma só Igreja, Santa, Católica, Apostólica: - Na eternidade, o Céu! THE STORY OF THE ABBEY OF LE BARROUX
"Reform the Reform"
Dom Gerard ,OSB Speaks
winter 1995 (from Italian to French to English)
The monks of St Madeleine's Abbey (of Le Barroux in France) parted company with Archbishop Lefebvre over his decision to consecrate bishops without the approval of the Holy See. 30 Giorni correspondent Stephano Paci interviews its Abbot and founder, Dom Gerard Calvet.
How did your full reconciliation with the Holy See,recognition with Rome come about?
DOM GERARD CALVET: In 1984, (still in canonical ‘Limbo’ and without recognition by Local Bishop) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger telephoned me saying that he wanted to meet me. I immediately rushed to Rome and Card. Ratzinger received me. He was very respectful and listened to all I had to say. We immediately felt an affinity, both intellectual and spiritual. My esteem for him has grown with the years with every discourse of his that I read, especially his very moving intervention at the Communion and Liberation movement's Meeting in Rimini in Italy in 1990. I was greatly impressed by the depth and clarity of its analysis of the Church today.
To go back to my meeting with him that day in 1984, I told Cardinal Ratzinger that our canonical situation at Le Barroux was not good, that we had not been welcomed at all by the Benedictine order. At the time, Archbishop Lefebvre was ordaining our priests. Ratzinger advised me to speak with the ‘Congregation for Religious’. But the Congregation demanded that we stop celebrating Holy Mass by the old Traditional rite - the St Pius V Rite - in order to be fully integrated within the Church. and receive their help. So negotiations broke down.
Then one day, June 19, 1988, Cardinal Augustin Mayer called me telling me he wished to see me at the Vatican. He also begged me not to follow the path of Msgr Lefebvre. The Cardinal, who had also been a Benedictine abbot, came to le Barroux here, with an aide, Msgr Perl, and told us at a deeply emotional meeting ,that the Pope (John-Paul II) was ready to grant us whatever we asked for our monastic life - we could celebrate all liturgy, Mass, by the old rites. We were so happy at that news. It is hard to describe the joy we felt at