For the summer of 1987, someone had the idea of organising a meeting of bishops of the ‘Thuc line’. Not a ‘conclave’, not an ‘imperfect general council’; simply a meeting (today some would say: ‘Just to talk!’). We present to our readers the opinion of Monsignor Guérard des Lauriers on the possibility of such an event, as set out in his reply to Mademoiselle Heidi Hagen (we have omitted passages concerning other, personal matters); and in his letter to Commander René Rouchette.
Excerpt from the answer to Mlle Hagen, January 31st, 1987:
On Thursday 29.I.1987, I received your two circular letters concerning, respectively: a gathering, during the summer of 1987, of bishops belonging to the line of Monsignor THUC; a pilgrimage to LOURDES and ESPIS, to which you ‘cordially invite’. I hereby acknowledge receipt of these two documents.
You are, in fact, aware that, for reasons already set out on many occasions, I consider a GLOBAL and somewhat SPECTACULAR gathering of bishops belonging to the line of Monsignor THUC to be entirely inappropriate, and most likely harmful. At present, one can expect NOTHING BUT inconveniences from such a gathering: the foremost of which, quite clearly, is the waste of time.
I certainly do not wish to pass judgement on your intentions.
However, the stakes are OBJECTIVELY so serious that I must, in good conscience, state the following in this letter:
THAT, firstly, any meeting of bishops belonging to the line of Monsignor THUC, will NOT take place in Raveau.
THAT, secondly, wherever such a meeting may take place, I WILL NOT ATTEND IT.
I would ask you, for your part, to realise that your sudden move, which runs against what we had agreed, puts me in an ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ situation; and, what is even more serious, it may have DISASTROUS consequences in the near future.
It is only possible to HOLD OUT and TRULY RESIST through DOCTRINE. You are noisily lumping me together with people who act almost entirely on their passions, and who are, IN THEIR ACTIONS, ABSOLUTELY UNDISCIPLINED.
THAT WON’T DO – IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.
Letter to René Rouchette, January 11th, 1987:
Regarding a meeting of ‘THUC’ bishops:
I – Two serious drawbacks of such a supposedly official meeting (with minutes, press releases, etc.):
1. We shall see the emergence of thoroughly undesirable characters: unbalanced individuals who have so far supported all manner of nonsense, incapable of grasping the issues or discussing them. This would provide an all too easy target for our many enemies.
2. An organised meeting implies: an agenda, a chairperson, minutes of the decisions taken… WHO will draw up the agenda? WHO will chair the meeting? In fact, the most skillful, or the most aggressive, will lead the group. They will appear to be backed by the senior figures, of whom I am one. V. etc do not read what I write. They would not listen to what I say. I don’t mention the incorrigible ones who will talk about themselves whilst listening to their own voices. WHO would silence them.
II – I wouldn’t rule out personal meetings, amongst friends… I’ve never managed to get that even from MONS. S. or Professor L. They shy away from the fundamental issues.
III – I believe I must consecrate bishops who are capable of carrying on the MISSIO. That is ENOUGH, whilst we wait for JESUS Himself to give His Church her Head. I regard as a kind of blasphemy any attempt to restore to the Church Militant the visible Head without whom she cannot do. The Church must atone for her sins, not towards other religions!, but towards her Spouse. It is for this reason, to atone, that the Church must wait in distress. This is what I feel deeply and intensely. I therefore do not find myself in agreement with all those who seem to wish to restore the Church… ‘as before’. Only the Immaculate Heart will triumph. Only Jesus will restore. Their common purpose is obscure to us. The most holy Faith entails loving it; it therefore entails not seeking to replace this wisdom—which is provisionally obscure to us—with measures that appear providentially wise. I respect, and even admire, what the other ‘Thuc’ bishops are doing, in accordance to virtue. But I feel in deep communion only with Bishop MC KENNA. You will therefore understand that, in addition to the reasons I have given, I do not feel inclined, for the time being, to participate in a meeting, whatever its degree of officiality. We must relearn every day the ‘march under the Star’. The Star left the Magi the moment they consulted Herod. This complicated their lives. And Providence, it is true, provided for them. As for us, let us consult human wisdom only when it is truly impossible to do otherwise. He is the Way.
