Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
Encyclopedia
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (Latin
: Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri; abbreviation: F.S.S.P.) is a traditionalist Catholic
Society of Apostolic Life
of priests and seminarians in good standing with the Holy See
.
, the F.S.S.P. is a "Clerical Society of Apostolic Life
of Pontifical Right". It is not, therefore, an Institute of Consecrated Life
, and members take no religious vows, but are instead bound by the same general laws of celibacy and obedience as diocesan clergy and, in addition, swear an oath as members of the Society. The Fraternity's pontifical-right status means that it has been established by the Pope
and is answerable only to him in terms of their operation (through the Pontifical Commission
Ecclesia Dei
), rather than to local bishops. A local bishop still governs the Fraternity's work within his respective diocese. In this sense its organization and administrative reporting status are similar to those of religious orders of pontifical right (for example, the Jesuits
or Dominicans
).
who intend to pursue the goal of Christian perfection according to a specific charism
, which is to offer the Mass
and other sacraments according to the Roman Rite
as it existed before the liturgical reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council
. Thus, the Fraternity uses the Roman Missal
, the Roman Breviary
, the Pontifical
(Pontificale Romanum), and the Roman Ritual
in use in that year, the last editions before the revisions that followed the Council.
The 2007 motu proprio Summorum pontificum
has authorized this older form of the Mass, known as the Tridentine Mass
, not only for the Fraternity, but for all Latin Rite priests as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
.
Following from its charism, the Fraternity's mission is twofold: to sanctify each priest through the exercise of his priestly function, and to deploy these priests to parishes. As such, they are to celebrate the sacraments, catechise, preach retreats, organize pilgrimage
s, and generally provide a full sacramental and cultural life for lay Catholics who are likewise drawn to the rituals of the 1962 missal. In order to help complete its mission, the Fraternity has built its own seminaries
with the goal of forming men to serve the Fraternity.
, Switzerland by twelve priests and a score of seminarians, led by Father Josef Bisig, all of whom had formerly belonged to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
's Society of St. Pius X
; they were unwilling to follow that movement into what the Congregation for Bishops
and Pope John Paul II
defined to be a schismatic
act and grounds for excommunication latæ sententiæ
due to the consecration of four bishops
without a papal mandate. Father Josef Bisig became the Fraternity's first superior general.
Confraternity
of Saint Peter enrolls 3,487 members who spiritually support the Fraternity's charism.
They also operate a boarding school—St. Gregory's Academy
in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri; abbreviation: F.S.S.P.) is a traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
Society of Apostolic Life
Society of Apostolic Life
A society of apostolic life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose. Unlike members of an institute of consecrated life , members of apostolic societies do not make religious vows...
of priests and seminarians in good standing with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Canonical status
According to Canon lawCanon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
, the F.S.S.P. is a "Clerical Society of Apostolic Life
Society of Apostolic Life
A society of apostolic life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose. Unlike members of an institute of consecrated life , members of apostolic societies do not make religious vows...
of Pontifical Right". It is not, therefore, an Institute of Consecrated Life
Institute of Consecrated Life
Institutes of consecrated life are canonically erected institutes in the Roman Catholic Church whose members profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience by vows or other sacred bonds...
, and members take no religious vows, but are instead bound by the same general laws of celibacy and obedience as diocesan clergy and, in addition, swear an oath as members of the Society. The Fraternity's pontifical-right status means that it has been established by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and is answerable only to him in terms of their operation (through the Pontifical Commission
Pontifical Commission
A Pontifical Commission is a committee of Catholic experts convened by the Pope for a specific purpose. Examples include:* Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State* Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei...
Ecclesia Dei
Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is a commission of the Catholic Church established by Pope John Paul II's motu proprio Ecclesia Dei of 2 July 1988 for the care of those former followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre who broke with him as a result of his consecration of four priests of his...
), rather than to local bishops. A local bishop still governs the Fraternity's work within his respective diocese. In this sense its organization and administrative reporting status are similar to those of religious orders of pontifical right (for example, the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
or Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
).
Mission and charism
The F.S.S.P. consists of priests and seminariansSeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
who intend to pursue the goal of Christian perfection according to a specific charism
Charism
In Christian theology, a charism in general denotes any good gift that flows from God's love to man. The word can also mean any of the spiritual graces and qualifications granted to every Christian to perform his or her task in the Church...
, which is to offer the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
and other sacraments according to the Roman Rite
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
as it existed before the liturgical reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. Thus, the Fraternity uses the Roman Missal
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
, the Roman Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
, the Pontifical
Pontifical
Pontifical may refer to the Roman Pontifical, a Roman Catholic liturgical book used by a bishop.When used as an adjective, Pontifical may be used to describe things related to the office of a bishop, such as the following:*Solemn Pontifical Mass...
(Pontificale Romanum), and the Roman Ritual
Roman Ritual
The Roman Ritual is one of the official ritual works of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. It contains all of the services which may be performed by a priest or deacon which are not contained within either the Missale Romanum or the Brevarium Romanum...
in use in that year, the last editions before the revisions that followed the Council.
The 2007 motu proprio Summorum pontificum
Summorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued "motu proprio" . The document specified the rules, for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for celebrating Mass according to the "Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962" , and for administering most of the sacraments in...
has authorized this older form of the Mass, known as the Tridentine Mass
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
, not only for the Fraternity, but for all Latin Rite priests as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
"An extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" is a phrase used in Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum to describe the liturgy of the 1962 Roman Missal, widely referred to as the "Tridentine Mass"...
.
Following from its charism, the Fraternity's mission is twofold: to sanctify each priest through the exercise of his priestly function, and to deploy these priests to parishes. As such, they are to celebrate the sacraments, catechise, preach retreats, organize pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s, and generally provide a full sacramental and cultural life for lay Catholics who are likewise drawn to the rituals of the 1962 missal. In order to help complete its mission, the Fraternity has built its own seminaries
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
with the goal of forming men to serve the Fraternity.
Founding
The F.S.S.P. was established on July 18, 1988 at the Abbey of HauteriveHauterive, Fribourg
Hauterive is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It was created from the union in 2001 of the villages of Posieux and Ecuvillens....
, Switzerland by twelve priests and a score of seminarians, led by Father Josef Bisig, all of whom had formerly belonged to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Following a career as an Apostolic Delegate for West Africa and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing the changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.In 1970,...
's Society of St. Pius X
Society of St. Pius X
The Society of Saint Pius X is an international Traditionalist Catholic organisation, founded in 1970 by the French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre...
; they were unwilling to follow that movement into what the Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
defined to be a schismatic
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
act and grounds for excommunication latæ sententiæ
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
due to the consecration of four bishops
Ecône Consecrations
The Écône consecrations were a set of episcopal consecrations that took place in Écône, Switzerland, on 30 June 1988. They were performed by Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antonio de Castro Meyer, and the priests raised to the episcopacy were four members of Lefebvre's Society...
without a papal mandate. Father Josef Bisig became the Fraternity's first superior general.
Organization
, the Fraternity included 392 members: 228 priests, 10 deacons, and 154 seminarians in 117 dioceses spread among Australia, Austria, Benin, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Switzerland, and the USA. The Fraternity's membership represents 35 nationalities, and the average age its members is 36. The layLaity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
Confraternity
Confraternity
A confraternity is normally a Roman Catholic or Orthodox organization of lay people created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy...
of Saint Peter enrolls 3,487 members who spiritually support the Fraternity's charism.
Superiors General
The F.S.S.P.'s current superior general is the Very Rev. John Berg. The Vicar General and Assistant is the Very Rev. Patrick du Faÿ.- Josef Bisig (1988–2000)
- Arnaud Devillers (2000–2006)
- John Berg (July 7, 2006–present)
Districts and regions
The Fraternity is divided into three districts and two regions:- German-speaking District, Superior: Rev. Axel MaußenAxel MaußenFather Axel Maußen, F.S.S.P. is a German Roman Catholic priest and is the current district superior of the German-speaking district of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, which covers the territories of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.Maußen was born in Bonn, Germany. He studied...
- French District, Superior: Rev. Vincent RibetonVincent RibetonVincent Ribeton is a French Roman Catholic priest, and the regional superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in France, one of the largest missions for the fraternity....
- North American District, Superior: Rev. Eric Flood
- Belgium-Netherlands Region, Superior: Rev. Hervé Hygonnet
- Southern Cross Region, Superior: Rev. William Define
Educational institutions
The Fraternity has two seminaries:- The International Seminary of St. Peter in WigratzbadWigratzbadWigratzbad is a hamlet in the Lindau district of Bavaria, Germany. The village is 1 mile north of the town of Opfenbach, and south of Hergatz. It is situated on the ancient frontier of Bavaria and Swabia, a short distance from Germany's borders with Austria and Switzerland.-Marian apparitions:The...
-OpfenbachOpfenbachOpfenbach is a municipality in the district of Lindau in Bavaria in Germany.-Geography:Opfenbach is located in the Allgäu region, more precisely in the Westallgäu, about 15 km from Lindau. One of the districts of Opfenbach is Wigratzbad...
, in the German state of BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
(Diocese of Augsburg), was established in 1988. It serves French and German-speaking seminarians. - Our Lady of Guadalupe SeminaryOur Lady of Guadalupe SeminaryOur Lady of Guadalupe Seminary is the second seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a Society of Apostolic Life in the Catholic Church....
, in DentonDenton, NebraskaDenton is a village in Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 189 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Denton is located at ....
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Diocese of LincolnRoman Catholic Diocese of LincolnThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln is a Roman Catholic diocese in Nebraska, and comprises the majority of the eastern and central portions of the state south of the Platte River. The episcopal see is in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was established on August 2, 1887, by Pope Leo XIII...
), was established in 1994 and serves English-speaking seminarians.
They also operate a boarding school—St. Gregory's Academy
St. Gregory's Academy
Saint Gregory’s Academy is an all-male Roman Catholic boarding school located in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania. It is associated with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The Academy offers a threefold education and formation: spiritual, intellectual, and physical...
in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania.
External links
- Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter – International website with pages in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and Latin
- Confraternity of Saint Peter (Lay associate members of the F.S.S.P.)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary
- The Seminary of Wigratzbad
- Saint Gregory's Academy