(LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Athanasius Schneider is convinced that Pope Francis’ Consecration of Russia and Ukraine finally fulfilled Our Lady’s requests from so many years ago, and he is convinced that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was a “prophet.”
He told me so on Wednesday in an extensive interview wherein we discussed two of his books and the state of the crisis in the Church.
Bishop Schneider was gracious enough to chat with me so we could discuss his two most recent books, The New Springtime that Never Came, and The Catholic Mass. Both books are published by Sophia Institute Press.
The New Springtime that Never Came is an interview-style book, much like Christus Vincit, and as a result, the topics are wide ranging. As I am no stranger to controversy – and tend to thrive on it – I asked Schneider to elaborate on what he said about the controversial founder of the SSPX, Archbishop Lefebvre, in the third chapter of the book.
Prophet Marcel Lefebvre
In the chapter entitled The Gnostic Threat, he said, “ … Archbishop Lefebvre was right. It’s often the case in history that people are not understood until some time after their death … we can clearly see how Archbishop Lefebvre’s arguments were correct, and we can see his deep solicitude and accurate diagnosis of the dangers as early as in the 1960s and 1970s.”
This passage refers to Lefebvre’s insistence that the Vatican II document Dignitatis Humanae was ambiguous enough to encourage error regarding religious freedom and the rights of Christ the King.
About the conciliar document and Lefebvre’s critique, Schneider said, “The text itself is at least highly ambiguous … and I even would say, erroneous.”
It is troubling for some Catholics to hear that a document from an Ecumenical Council could contain error, but he assured viewers not to worry.
“I see no problem because it is only a declaration, it is not a decree of the Council. It is not an ex-cathedra definition … it is a very low level of doctrinal affirmation of the Church.”
“We can express our critiques with respect for this, for the love of the truth, for the love of the Church, for the salvation of souls,” he added.
Coming back to Archbishop Lefebvre and his stance against erroneous trends in the Church in the aftermath of Vatican II, Schneider said, “I think the contribution of Archbishop Lefebvre, I consider his intervention … prophetic … it was a solitary voice.”
Canon Law subordinate to salvation of souls during a crisis
It was declared by Pope John Paul II in 1988 that Lefebvre had excommunicated himself by consecrating four bishops without papal approval.
Schneider pushed back against the narrative that Lefebvre had erred in his decision to consecrate in 1988 by referring to saints of the Church who acted similarly during the Arian Crisis.
Comparing our day and the centuries of Arianism over 1,500 years ago, he stated, “The Arian Crisis was concentrated on only one topic of the faith … the divinity of the Son of God … but today we have a crisis which is touching almost all the mysteries of the faith … it is doctrinal relativism and moral relativism and liturgical relativism.”
He mentioned Saints Eusebius of Samasote, Hilary of Poitier and Athanasius, who continued their episcopal minister during the Arian age, even when under penalty by Arian prelates.
“When Athanasius was excommunicated by Pope Liberius, he continued to consecrate bishops in Egypt because he was the Primate of Egypt, but he did this in interior union with the pope.”
Fatima being fulfilled
Speaking of consecrations, I asked him about Pope Francis’ consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This action by Pope Francis has been a source of debate for Catholics, with some believing that the Pope – however unlikely it was for a man like Francis – had finally fulfilled Our Lady’s requests to consecrate Russia as was instructed to Sister Lucia.
“Thanks be to God, the pope finally consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart on March 25th.”
I pressed the bishop just a bit to get a more developed answer so that he might address some of the concerns individuals may have about the validity of the consecration.
“We have to have the right understanding of the consecration,” he said. “This is not a sacrament. A sacrament is operating instantly when the conditions are fulfilled … a consecration that the pope is doing is a sacramental (he spoke with emphasis).”
Contrasting a sacramental and a sacramental, he explained: “It is a kind of intercession, prayer. It is a work of the church directly, not of God Himself directly. It is a work of the Church and depends on the prayers of the Church.”
“In the eyes of God, it has an objective value because it is a work of the Church.”
It should be expected that the effects of a consecration are “not immediate,” he added.
“People who are awaiting from this consecration of Fatima – which the pope did – an immediate effect, they have in my opinion a deficient understanding of this because it is a kind of understanding like a magic act. It’s not a magic act … doing something then it is produced. These attitudes of these people are implicitly a lack of faith. It’s a lack of faith, they want immediately to see the result. This is not Catholic, this is not Catholic.”
He went on to say that “it is up to God” to know the timing of what will come of the Consecration of Russia.
Bishop Schneider also stressed that for the bishops to be “in union” with the Pope – which was a stipulation given by the Virgin Mary – “is not a question of arithmetic.”
I said to him, “Whenever the Pope does something publicly as the Vicar of Christ, as the head of the bishops on Earth and says he’s doing so in union with them, I mean, that is de facto something done in union with the bishops … ”
Schneider replied, “Exactly, I agree with you.”
In addition, he made reference to the fact that arithmetical majority is not required for even an ecumenical council decision to be an act of the Pope in union with the bishops.
“If the majority of the bishops would vote for a deficient formulation about faith or something ambiguous, and the minority would vote for a clear statement … if the Pope will join the minority and not the majority, then it will be the decision of the entire Catholic Church … it is sufficient that the pope and the minority … will constitute the entire Church.”
The interview ended with Bishop Schneider leading the prayer he composed to hasten the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
