July 23, 2001
Dear Friends,
I have received, on July 20, 2001, a letter, through fax, from Father Peter Scott, District Superior of the US for the Society of Saint Pius X. This fax contains many half truths. I would like to explain the situation in some detail so that the faithful may know the truth. Father Scott stated that I have been using my vacation time to constantly campaign for my project to leave the Society of Saint Pius X.
Firstly, I have not been campaigning, thus constantly is not a word to use and I do not see how to leave the Society is a project.
Secondly, Father places in the same sentence the fact that Father Benedict VanderPutten is going to see Cardinal Ratzinger, this is in fact misleading as it combines the two thoughts of leaving the Society and seeing the Cardinal. Father Benedict VanderPutten is seeing the Cardinal due to the fact that he has asked from his superiors for a leave of absence in order to come to grips with something that weighs heavy upon his conscience. This is the proposed agreement with Rome which the Society has refused to accept and the crisis in vocations which all our superiors recognize and the crisis in our education system which Father de la Tour so well elucidated in his conferences in February to Post Falls, the Priest meeting and Kansas City. This leave of absence was not granted and so he went to a higher authority, which has never been denied to any subject in the church.
Father Scott stated that I abused my credibility as a Society Priest to convince the faithful that the Society superiors were wrong in refusing the proposals made by Cardinal Castrillon. This is not true. From Bishop Fellay’s open letter of May, it seems that Rome is granting us even more than we could have expected. Seemingly, the main reason it was refused is because our position outside of the Church is a sign of contradiction. One would rather hope that it is more our position of holding the Truth and not that of being outside the Church, which is the most important. Would we lose the Truth if we were accepted by the Church? Would we no longer be a sign of contradiction? Are we here for the sake of the Truth or for our position outside of the Church? In the same paragraph Father makes another misleading point. He stated that I am doing all that I can to recruit followers to help in the foundation of an educational facility in Missouri in direct opposition to the Society of Saint Pius X. Firstly, there are two completely different thoughts in the same sentence. Secondly, they do not flow from each other and they are both misleading. I certainly question, as do many Priests in the French district, the decision of Bishop Fellay with regard to Rome. I was not recruiting any one for any thing in Missouri. I have the list of names of all the people that I had visited on my holiday in California and Post Falls, Idaho. You may call any of them to see if this is true.
Father Scott stated that I have committed an intolerable duplicity in using my spiritual mother to attack her. I do not see how I have attacked her in any way. As one may see his premises and judgements are not true and thus the conclusion does not follow.
Father Scott asks that I am not welcome in any Society chapels or churches to say Mass, either in public or private and that I cannot use Society property to meet with the faithful. I was supposed to say Mass at the Carmel in Spokane on Saturday morning, which is not a Society chapel or church. I was told this was impossible. I was also informed by a note from Father Paul Morgan that I was not allowed in the church in Post Falls on Saturday morning. I was thus obliged to say Mass at nine p.m. that night at the home of my family.
This whole letter is misleading and inaccurate and filled with duplicity as different ideas are placed in the same sentences making for a very difficult understanding and insinuating ideas which are unacceptable. In the first paragraph Father Scott insinuates that we are joining the Novus Ordo church. In the second paragraph Father insinuates that I am on a crusade against the Society. Why is education outside of the Society in direct opposition to the work of the Society? In the fourth paragraph Father gives me an “excommunicatio vitandi.”
On Sunday, July 22, 2001, Father Paul Morgan read this letter from the pulpit in Post Falls, Idaho. As is seen, this letter is not factual nor credible. At no time has Father Scott or Father Morgan or Bishop Fellay spoken to me about the ideas and statements in this letter. Is it not important to get the facts straight? At no time have I ever refused to speak to my superiors. I am tried, judged and condemned without trial.
Here is a list of the people I visited with:
Place When Who
California
John Detar
Father John Peek
Damian VanderPutten
Post Falls, ID
Friday, July 13
Eugene and Winifred Kuypers
Post Falls, ID
Saturday, July 14
The Jaspers
Sr. Marie Hosanna
Father Morgan and in his presence several of the faithful
Post Falls, ID
Sunday, July 15
Sr. Marie Hosanna
The Detars
Post Falls, ID
Monday, July 16
The Kivaks
The Kinneys
Post Falls, ID
Tuesday, July 17
Lunch at the Priory
The Darajkys
Peter Chorjnowski
The Tippanys
Post Falls, ID
Wednesday, July 18
The Epkys
The Dippolitos
The Lindleys
Post Falls, ID
Thursday, July 19
Sr. Marie Hosanna
The Middlemores
The Kleinsmiths
The Gobbins
Post Falls, ID
Friday, July 20
The Gillilans
Peter Chorjnowski
The Kuplecs
The Haynos’
Note: I have spoken to my sister (Sr. Marie Hosanna) and my brother (Damian) as well as to Father John Peek openly about all that weighed on my mind. I have also asked the professional advice of Dr. Chorjnowski on matters of Philosophy.
Father Brandler is reported as having said that to leave the Society of Saint Pius X is like a wife leaving her husband. This is not true. Firstly, we have not vowed allegiance to the Society. Secondly, our oblation in the Society is not part of a Sacrament. Thus it is very bad theology. We hope that this brings some light on this disconcerting and confusing letter. We seek only that the truth might be known. For any questions, please feel free to contact me at the above address where I will be until as Father Scott says the Superior General can decide on any further action.
I have been transferred to India and have personally paid the $3000 necessary for the ticket, as the superior in New Zealand, where I was stationed, would not pay for it. Father Blute, the Superior in India, could not pay. I have also acquired a renewable one year visa to India. All was set to go, but now…
In the love of Christ Our Lord,
Father Angelo VanderPutten
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