To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate

Carissimi

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, on this Feast of Pope St. Pius V, Confessor and Pontiff.

Today marks the thirteenth anniversary of my episcopal consecration, which took place, by Divine Providence, on this very feast in the year of our Lord 2012. It was no small consolation then, as it is now, to have been consecrated on the day the Church commemorates a shepherd of heroic sanctity and fortitude, one who bore the Petrine Office with unwavering fidelity during one of the most tumultuous eras in Christendom.

As I reflect upon these years of episcopal ministry, I do so not with a sense of personal achievement, but with profound gratitude—for the mercy of God, for the prayers of the faithful, and for the fellowship of my fellow clergy. The burden of the episcopate, if borne apart from grace, would be intolerable. But with Christ, “My yoke is sweet, and My burden light.”¹

A Shepherd After the Heart of the Good Shepherd
The episcopacy came to me in these times of crisis, not chosen nor desired by me, but accepted out of necessity—to transmit and perpetuate the orthodox faith and the apostolic succession through tradition and sacramental fidelity, for the sake of the flock and the continuity of the Church amidst confusion, rupture, and decline. It is a ministry I have borne not for myself, but for Christ and His Church, and in union with those bishops who throughout history have stood firm when the walls of the sanctuary were breached.

As the Cardinals prepare to enter the Sacred Conclave on May 7th, I earnestly pray that they will be guided by the Holy Ghost to elect a successor to St. Peter—one to whom I may, in good conscience and with joyful fidelity, surrender my episcopacy, and with whom I might wholeheartedly cooperate in defending, restoring, and perpetuating the perennial doctrine, sacred liturgy, and apostolic discipline of our beloved Holy Church.

In the Footsteps of Pius V
That my episcopacy began under the patronage of Pope St. Pius V is a charge I have never taken lightly. It was he who codified the Traditional Roman Rite, defended the truths of the Faith at Trent, reformed the clergy and religious orders, and roused Christendom to holy unity in the face of grave threats, both spiritual and temporal. He remains a model of the episcopal and apostolic vocation: courageous, uncompromising, and profoundly holy.

In our own day—marked not by Ottoman swords but by the subtler and more insidious weapons of heresy, apostasy, and cultural decay—we too must fight, with the same zeal for souls and the same fidelity to Tradition. The Old Roman Apostolate stands, like a beacon amidst the storm, not because of human strength, but because we cling to the same deposit of Faith guarded and transmitted by the saints.

“In Season and Out of Season”
In these times, the bishop must not be silent. The shepherd must not retreat. Our society has grown indifferent to Truth, and even within the Church, confusion and disobedience abound. The temptation to compromise for the sake of relevance or respectability has never been greater. But the Gospel is not subject to revision. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”²

We must therefore, my beloved, remain steadfast—proclaiming the perennial magisterium, reverencing the sacred liturgy in its immemorial form, calling sinners to repentance, and forming souls in the life of grace.

The episcopal ministry is apostolic succession not merely in orders, but in mission: to teach what the Apostles taught, to guard what the Fathers guarded, and to transmit what the saints lived and died for.

A Word to My Sons in the Priesthood
To my fellow clergy—brothers, sons—thank you. Your fidelity gives strength to your bishop. Your labor in the vineyard, often unseen and underappreciated, bears fruit that only eternity will reveal. Stay close to your breviary and your altar. Be fearless in preaching, tender in confession, and humble in governance. You are alter Christus not only in ritual, but in life. Take refuge often in the pierced Heart of our Lord, and there you will find refreshment.

A Word to the Faithful
To all the laity entrusted to my care: I pray daily for your perseverance. The world would have you abandon Christ for the passing things of this age. But I urge you—cleave to the sacraments, educate your children in the truth, sanctify your homes with prayer, and offer your trials in union with our Crucified Lord. You are the leaven in a collapsing culture. Do not grow weary in well-doing.

A Final Plea: Pray for Your Bishop
On this anniversary, I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to pray for me. Pray that I may finish the race. Pray that I may be found faithful. Pray that, when I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, I may present to Him the souls He has entrusted to me, not lost, but led home.

As we look to the years ahead, may Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, intercede for our Apostolate. May St. Joseph guard us. May St. Pius V, my heavenly patron, embolden us. And may Christ the High Priest purify, protect, and prosper His Church.

With paternal affection, I impart to you all my blessing:

† In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I.X.

Brichtelmestunensis
S. Pii V Papæ et Confessoris MMXXV A.D.

¹ cf. Matthew 11:30
² Hebrews 13:8

Oremus

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