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The FSSP In Quebec City

The first parish Priest of the FSSP in Quebec City, Fr. Guillaume Loddé.
The first parish Priest of the FSSP in Quebec City, Fr. Guillaume Loddé.
[Source]

1) Mass schedule and coordinates

See the official web site of the FSSP in Quebec City.

3) My opinions on the FSSP

First, I normally agree with FSSP Priests (except for the crypto-lefebvrists). The local FSSP Priest is so far the only one who dares to come and pray at the Life Chain, even if all the Bishops and Priests (roughly 300 clergymen) of the Diocese are invited every year. Also, their sermons are usually good, contrary to the usual sirupy, toxic and bland sermons.

Secondly, I have nothing against the Catholic Mass, on the contrary! I love all valid Catholic Masses, whether they are celebrated according to the ordinary form ("the Vatican II Mass") or the extraordinary form ("the Latin Mass"). Everybody has a right to his tastes, and I have a personal preference (the Vatican 3 Mass), but currently there are no Parishes in my Diocese where the ordinary form is correctly celebrated.

Thirdly, I hate of course all heresies, among them those of Extreme Traditionalism. But the FSSP officially rejects those heresies, therefore I have nothing against the FSSP, in itself. (Misinformed people have a tendency to confuse the FSSP with Monsignor Lefebvre's schism).

4) Is the FSSP going to get "sandbagged" in Quebec City?

Sometimes, I have the impression that Cardinal Ouellet is placing his pawns on the chessboard in order look good in the eyes of Rome, while making sure the FSSP fails in Quebec City. To understand my impression, compare Cardinal Marc Ouellet, with Cardinal Cram Telleuo:

4.1) Speed of the invitation. Cardinal Telleuo would have begged the FSSP to come, two weeks after having arrived in Quebec City. Compare that with all the efforts (and even the threats of going up to Rome, by one parishioner frustrated by the backstage meddlings at the Diocese) that had to be deployed to make Cardinal Ouellet move.

4.2) Publicity. Cardinal Telleuo would have celebrated himself the first Mass in the FSSP Parish, back to the people, in Latin. Then, a few times a year, he would have done it again, to show all the faithful that not only is this Mass permitted, but it's recommendable. He would have dismissed critics by reasserting that the Liturgy has two absolutely valid forms (ordinary and extraordinary). But Cardinal Ouellet? Invisible.

4.3) The location. Cardinal Cram Telleuo would have put the FSSP in a decent location. For example, here in my neighborhood, there is Saint-Charler-Garnier's church. (Not a beauty, but not a post-Vatican II horror either.) It's well-maintained, with a huge parking lot, fairly close to Laval University (because we need to attract young persons to Christ and to priestly and religious vocations). Parishioners are relatively rich, so no financial problems. It's central, visible from Laurier Boulevard (the "main street" in Quebec City!), etc. On top of that, it's currently a Parish that is merged with another one (Saint-Michel-de-Sillery), so we're giving it back a Parish Priest, rather than removing anything.

What dit Cardinal Ouellet do? The contrary, once again. A decrepit and beat-up building, in a poor neighborhood, far from everything, with no parking lot, no rectory, etc.

On the other hand, Cardinal Marc Ouellet could also have done much worse. He did eventually invite them, and he doesn't actively oppose them, and he has rented them the St-Zéphirin-de-Stadacona church for 1 dollar for 10 years, as well as square the bureaucratic circle in order to give the FSSP Priest the powers of a "curé", without putting him under the "Loi des fabriques" which would put him at the mercy of a committee of laypersons.

5) Conclusion

A real Catholic Priest? In a good church building? It would be a "massacre". No more heretical tracts distributed every Sunday to the parishioners. No more Baal. No more horrible hymns and electric guitars. No more sacrilegious communions and suspicious "marriages".

We could have only Latin Masses, whether those of before Vatican II, or those after. Indeed, as we speak (October 2011), there is no Rome-approved French translation of the Vatican II Mass (Editio typica tertia, 2002). Therefore, in theory, all Masses in the Diocese should be in Latin!

The wolves in the Diocese would howl in pain. Heretics would scurry into their bomb shelters, while air raid sirens warned of incoming bombers. The anti-Catholic media would spring into action, trying to slow down the inevitable mass stampede toward a real Catholic Parish. Only one thing could scare them more: a real Catholic Priest promoted to Director of the Quebec City Seminary!

Ah! That would be so cool!


6) Post-Scriptum: A few comments on the priests

While Fr. Loddé was in Quebec City, I was able to go to Sunday Mass without fearing the usual abominations.

Unfortunately, my support for the FSSP was shaken by the arrival of Fr. Loddé's replacement, Fr. Pierre-Henri Gouy. I wish I'm wrong, but he seems to be a crypto-lefebvrist. I'm not the local Bishop, so I can't decide, but if you want to know what my opinion is based on, read my correspondence with Fr. Pierre-Henri Gouy.

When Fr. Gouy finished his term, he was replaced by Father Laurent Demets. I have no negative comments about him. He just seemed like a standard, normal priest, the kind there used to be in every parish in this province (except for his accent from France!). After five years, Fr. Demets is leaving on 2019-sept-06 to go proselytize in communist Vietnam. I think that heman is far more courageous than myself! I would be terrified to do such a thing!

The current priests are Fathers Garrick Huang and Fr. Marchand. So far, I've had two disagreements with Fr. Huang. Once when I had the impression he was flirting with papolatry and once when I protested because he asked the whole parish to come listen to political advice given by somebody I consider misguided. For the rest, I can't blame Fr. Huang, since he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

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