Earlier this year following Vatican advice, Bishop Michael Gielen instructed the Sons (aka Transalpine Redemptorists) to leave the Christchurch Catholic diocese. That order was later rescinded but others were not.

They may not, however, celebrate Mass or conduct any other "priestly ministry" for anyone outside their religious community.

Growth pains

Rather than follow Vatican instructions, the Catholic sect is in expansion mode. As CathNews recently reported, they're re staying in the Christchurch diocese where they have bought a church and land from the (blindsided) Anglican Church.

The Sons have also appealed Gielen's orders, saying they will take him to the Catholic equivalent of the Supreme Court.

With the new property, the cult's entire New Zealand property portfolio has a rateable value of $5 million.

Abusive power-hungry leaders

Former sect members fear the group's leadership will never cede control. The Church should do more to stop them, they say.

Fr Colin Marshall says his former superior, Fr Michael Mary, enjoyed having control over people.

One aspect of his management style is to isolate members from their families, he says.

Several former members - or their families - attest to this.

As an example, after not having a relationship with her child for several years, one mother recently discovered that might be because her child had joined the Sons.

Now, they have a family she is not allowed to see. The loss is "devastating" she says.

"They've been brainwashed and they need help."

Another former member says outsiders have no idea how extreme the Canterbury group has become.

"If you haven't been in there and heard Fr Michael talking, and heard his sermons and the way he communicates ... he has these people completely under his thumb."

She says the sect's defiant expansion ... "tells you it's about establishing power and control".

A man who left the sect after growing disillusioned with Fr Mary's leadership says the Sons' teachings grew increasingly extreme the more involved that priest became.

As a result members involve him in their personal decisions.

Even those who feel abused stay because most haven't experienced the Latin Mass outside the sect, a former member says.

"So it's like, because they offer the Latin Mass, it gives them this seal of authority and authenticity to anything and everything they say."

The Sons' deny all the pressure and abuse allegations, saying "There is no cult. There is no control".

Cult wants concessions!

Son's leader Michael Mary says he could be willing to do as he's asked - if a few concessions are granted.

He has written to Gielen saying his community will leave if three permanent replacement priests are found from one of three named traditional Church communities.

He says leaving would also be on the condition that it would involve no dereliction of duty on the Sons' part.

Liturgy expert and theologian Fr Joe Grayland has followed the drama surrounding the controversial Catholic sect. He says that the no dereliction of duty condition probably means the Sons want to be absolved of any alleged wrongdoing.

Source

• The Press

A notice on the Diocese website says a petition to have the Sons' removal of priestly faculties overturned was denied.

However a canon lawyer representing the Sons says, after lodging an appeal to the Holy See, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has suspended the decree requiring members of the Order to leave the Diocese within 90 days.

Why the u-turn on the diktat?

Just why the Vatican has chosen to go back on its original (and unexplained) order that Gielen expel the conservative group Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (aka Transalpine Redemptorists, FSSR) has not been disclosed.

Julia du Fresne suggests in her "Canto Fermo" blog that it could be because the Sons have proposed taking court action against Gielen for expelling them.

The Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life will review both the Sons' expulsion and its illicit female branch - despite the Daughters of the Most Holy Redeemer stating they are not nuns, but merely a private association.

Fr Michael Mary FSSR says the Dicasteries will review the case against the Sons and Daughters.

In the meantime, the priests remain suspended and their Masses will remain private until the review is completed.

Vatican review

du Fresne attached to her blog a letter which Fr Anthony Mary FSSR wrote to the Sons' supporters about the Vatican's u-turn. In it he had said:

"I have just heard from the Dicastery in Rome that they have suspended our expulsion from the diocese until they have properly reviewed the case.

"The Daughters' expulsion from the diocese and suppression of their community has also been suspended until the case is properly reviewed.

"As expected, the priests remain suspended and their Masses remain private until after the case is reviewed.

"That is to be expected because it would be a very negative and confrontational thing to force a bishop to return us our faculties. This is not so difficult to live with either.

"The term 'private Mass' does not refer to Mass with neither a server nor a congregation, but rather to an unscheduled Mass, regardless of the number of faithful present and regardless of the degree of solemnity (a High Mass can still be a private Mass).

"We have a priest present for Confessions, and the others of us, while in the diocese of Christchurch, offer our Masses privately.

"I suppose the Bishop of Christchurch is not going to tell people that his case against us and our expulsion have been suspended by Rome. But we will be able to tell anyone who asks. Please pass the news around."

Source

• Christchurch Diocese
• Canto Fermo
• Christchurch Diocese

Legal action could be pending, a lay community member says.

The Congregation of The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer says they have grave concerns about "the calculated mischaracterisation" of their Christchurch community.

Gielen made the call to expel the Congregation's professed members last weekend after a Vatican investigation into alleged abuse and unauthorised exorcisms.

However Mark, a prominent Catholic and regular (English) mass-goer, supports Gielen's action though he is disappointed with diocesan communications that will not answer simple questions - such as:

• What authority does the diocese have over the property's use?
• What steps will the diocese be able to take to ensure the group no longer operates?
• What will happen on Sunday? Will the congregation turn up at St Alban's church?
• What sanctions are available to the diocese should the group ignore Bishop Gielen's instruction?

Mark does not understand why the diocese is not speaking and he cannot fathom why the diocese has not published the report.

"Could do better...even the Greens have come to the party" is how he describes the Christchurch diocese's communication.

"I accept some parts of the Vatican report may need redacting, but old-style communications don't really cut it in a Church that is going synodal."

CathNews has also asked if other New Zealand Catholic bishops will support Gielen's stance and deny The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer access to exercise sacred ministry in their dioceses.

At the time of publication, Catholic Communications confirmed that only the Bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley, said he would not let them into the Dunedin diocese.

The bishops of Palmerston North and Auckland, John Adams and Steve Lowe, were away. Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin and Hamilton Bishop Richard Laurenson had not replied to Catholic Communications at the time of publication.

Community witness

In a recent homily, Pope Francis reflected on the strength of community witnessing in the name of evangelisation.

"Let us pause a moment on this image: the disciples are sent together, ... We do not proclaim the Gospel alone, no: it is proclaimed together, as a community" said Francis.

Mark says "The way this is being handled reflects on all of us".

"We've been through enough. I hope we've learnt some communication lessons along the way."

Earlier this year Pope Francis thanked the media for their work.

"In a certain sense, being a journalist is choosing to touch with your hands the wounds of society and of the world" said the Pope. "This is an occasion for me to thank you."

Source

• The Press
• Diocese of Christchurch
• Homilies of Pope Francis
• NCR

The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, based on a tiny windswept island in the Orkney Isles, Scotland, was formerly part of the breakaway Society of St Pius X.

In a formal ceremony on the island of Papa Stronsay, the group's superior, Father Michael Mary, FSSR, expressed gratitude to "the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, to Bishop Hugh [Gilbert] of Aberdeen and Bishop Barry [Jones] of Christchurch for their mercy and kindness towards us".

Three brothers of the traditionalist group are in the Christchurch community, which was established in 2007. There is also one in the Philippines.

The community on Papa Stronsay — a name which means "Priests' Island of Stronsay" — made a public profession of vows before Bishop Gilbert during the ceremony of canonical recognition.

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer was founded in 1988 — with the blessing of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre of the Society of St Pius X — on the Isle of Sheppey in England. The community moved to France in 1994, then purchased Papa Stronsay for its home in 1999.

In its remote and austere location, the order produces electricity with a diesel generator, pumps water from wells, and heats its buildings and water with kerosene burners. It also maintains a website and its superior is on the social networking site LinkedIn.

The journey to the island from the mainland usually requires two ferry trips, followed by another five-minute crossing on the monastery's boat.

The traditionalist group's reconciliation with the Catholic Church followed Pope Benedict's issuing of "Summorum Pontificum", a papal decree that allowed traditional Latin rites to be more widely used within the Church.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Transalpine Redemptorists

Image: Transalpine Redemptorists