The Fight of the Faith and Charity – Interview with Fr. Christian Bouchacourt

Interview conducted by Anne Le Pape

Father, how would you sum up the events that  occurred within the Society these past few days?

First of all, a letter from Cardinal Müller was published, granting bishops the possibility of giving Society priests jurisdiction for marriages. As a reaction, an “open letter” was written by certain priests of the Society, prepared in secret – that is what is inacceptable – without showing me its contents. This commentary was meant to alert the General House which, according to the signatories, intends to sign an agreement with Rome imminently. Nothing justifies this way of proceeding.

Fr. de La Rocque came to see me on Friday, May 5, with the text, but Le Chardonnet was already printed and the text had already been sent to different priests and religious communities. I hoped all day Saturday that the priests in question would not read the text publicly. I unfortunately failed to settle the matter “within the family circle”. On Sunday morning, the news spread to parishes and on social media like wildfire. So I had to react publicly. I wrote a letter that same eveningcondemning what had happened.

May 13, the one-hundredth anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, was mentioned as a possible date for a declaration from the pope on a prelature for the Society. Did that have a part in the agitation?

That date was a complete illusion. No one had received any confirmation. Besides, the pope, on his return tip on Saturday, answereda question about the Society that he is still in contact with Bishop Fellay, and  added: “Walk, walk…”

As far as the agreement goes, do you trust Bishop Fellay?

Absolutely. It is his responsibility. Everone must stay in his place, pray, and do penance. Providence will continue to protect us from dangers.

Is there no other way of expressing oneself in the Society except by these revolutionary methods (that in this case, incidentally, were used by the champions of the counter-revolution)?

Of course! If the text had been given to me personally, it would have been transmitted to the General House. Its strengths and  weaknesses (for it had some) would then have been studied. But the fact that it was published urbi et orbi against the will of the superiors meant that I could not consider the text apart from the circumstances of its publication.

What is Bishop Fellay’s reaction to all these events?

Bishop Fellay was extremely distressed. France is the spearhead of Tradition, but sometimes it is a bit of an "enfant terrible" [terrible child]. The Catholic France of our circles really does wish to preserve Tradition, sometimes with a slightly aggressive spirit. It is our strength, too, but it has to be channeled.

You spent this Sunday at St. Nicolas, the heart of the crisis. What was your impression?

I was deeply hurt to see this division that only serves the plans of the prince of division, Satan. Good priests are disturbed, and the faithful even more so; division takes place in certain priories, and the fruits show that this action was not good.

But we mustn’t forget: graces always flow the cross. I strongly hope that this heavy trial will allow the parish of Saint-Nicolas and our Society to close ranks, and to strengthen souls in the good fight for the Faith and in charity.

Fr. Bouchacourt announced from the pulpit on Sunday, May 14, before his sermon at the 10:30 a.m. Mass, that Fr. Puga was named interim pastor of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.

Source: Anne Le Pape – Présent 5/15/17