The prior and community of the Monastery of Saint-Benoît in Brignoles have issued a public appeal for June to be observed as a time of earnest prayer and fasting for the unity of the Church, particularly in light of the Society of St Pius X’s planned episcopal consecrations on July 1.
In the appeal, issued on Trinity Sunday, the monks quote Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 reflection on divisions in the Church: “Looking back over the past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have rent the Body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at critical moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was done by the Church’s leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity. One has the impression that omissions on the part of the Church’s leaders have had their share of blame for the fact that these divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to enable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew.”
The monastery, a traditional Benedictine community, has announced that it will observe one day each week as a day of particular prayer and fasting: Wednesdays June 3, 10 and 17, and Friday, June 26, respecting the feasts of the Sacred Heart and St John the Baptist. On those days, the Conventual Mass will include a votive Mass Pro unitate Ecclesiae and a Holy Hour of adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament, concluding with Benediction.
The monks explicitly link their appeal to the forthcoming consecrations announced by the SSPX on May 26. They write: “At the present time the Church faces the possibility of the hardening of divisions through the positions held by various parties in respect of the episcopal consecrations announced for July 1 by the Society of St Pius X.”
The statement invites the faithful to join “in whatever way they can in praying and fasting for the unity of the Church, most particularly, where possible, by offering the votive Mass Pro unitate Ecclesiae.”
This appeal comes amid heightened tensions following the SSPX’s announcement that four priests – Fr Pascal Schreiber, Fr Michael Goldade, Fr Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Fr Marc Hanappier – will be consecrated bishops on July 1 at the seminary in Écône, Switzerland. The Society has stated that the dossiers of the candidates were presented to the Holy Father with explanations regarding the exceptional context, while reaffirming fidelity to the Roman Pontiff.
The monks’ call reflects a widespread desire among traditional Catholics for reconciliation and the avoidance of further schism. Many continue to pray for a canonical solution that would allow the SSPX to operate fully within the Church while preserving its charism of tradition. The Benedictines of Brignoles, known for their fidelity to the traditional monastic liturgy and life, have positioned their initiative as a spiritual response rather than a political one. The Monastery of Saint-Benoît is part of the traditional Benedictine movement in France.
The full appeal concludes with an invitation to all Catholics to participate according to their state in life, emphasising that “the glance at the past imposes an obligation on us today” to work for unity.
