The Good Shepherd Institute plays an all too familiar game in Colombia

 

John Grasmeier

Angelqueen.org
July, 2007

 

In November of 2006, not long after the Holy See established the traditional Good Shepherd Institute (GSI), I had the pleasure of being granted an exclusive interview with Father Guillaume de Tanoüarn, one of the five founding priests of the GSI, all five of whom were former members of the Society of St. Pius X.

 

At the time, some of the more suspicious among traditionalists were expressing concerns that the GSI would inevitably seek to undermine or detract from the SSPX. The SSPX, after all, is no stranger to finding themselves on the wrong end of unfortunate gamesmanship that is often employed by diocesan ordinaries and certain “ecclesiastically approved” traditionalist organizations. There have been numerous situations where a local ordinary, who in the past had been ambivalent or even hostile to tradition, suddenly finds his traditional "inner child" and allows a Tridentine Mass in his diocese that just so happens to be located in close proximity to the local SSPX chapel. At times this has been the result of the “approved” organization being used as a pawn by the bishop in an attempt to draw local support away from the SSPX. At other times the SSPX is used as a pawn by “approved” traditionalist organizations in their efforts to establish a new Mass center. A fly on the wall during such negotiations would be likely hear something to the affect of, “Think of it Your Excellency; we can counter THOSE priests who are operating without your consent.”  

 

During the AQ interview, when Father de Tanoüarn was asked to address existing concerns that the GSI would detract from the SSPX, he assured readers that such was not the case. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear that they “don’t intend to compete with the SSPX” and that they “don’t seek confrontation with the SSPX.” He concluded his response by stating “This is no time for division. All those who sincerely want to see traditional liturgy and traditional theology returned to the faithful must unite - as Catholic Tradition really is our common good.”

 

Only a short half-a-year later, the assurances that father de Tanoüarn made on behalf of the apostolate he helped found appear to be no longer operative. I’m not casting any aspersions, as I’ve heard nothing but good things about father. Perhaps certain things are beyond his personal control. However, if part of the intended mission of the GSI is to seek harmony and “unite,” then we have a problem.
 

Allow me to explain.

 

Foundational Aspirations

 

Back in April, I was contacted by an Angelqueen poster who I had become quite friendly with during the time I was looking into the mess at Ave Maria University. Some time before the April call, Jim (I’ll only use first names for the sake of discretion), knowing that I would be able to get in touch with the hierarchy of the Good Shepherd Institute, asked if I could hunt-up the contact information of the one of the priests in the South America region who were in the initial stages of joining with the GSI. Within a few days, I sent him the contact information for Father Rafael Navas Ortiz, the GSI District Superior in South America.

 

During the April phone call, Jim related to me that his discussions with Father Navas, had gone well and that he and his brother Joe, who was married to a Colombian woman, were in the process of creating a foundation with the initial purpose of giving financial aid to a priest in Colombia by the name of Father Pinzon. For a number of years, father had been independent, but now was now on his way to becoming a member of the GSI.

 

Jim related that the mission of the intended foundation would likely not be restricted to the Colombia initiative. The possibility existed that there could be other traditional causes to which the resources of such an organization could be put to good use. The long term purpose of the foundation would be to propagate traditional Catholicism and aid traditionalists. It would not be restricted to any geographic area, and it would not be limited to any particular traditionalist organization or group.

 

The foundation would need to be a 501c3 organization for several purposes. The primary purpose was so that larger sums of money could be donated to the mission while still complying with Colombia’s extensive red tape regarding funds being wired or sent from outside of its borders. Being that the country is in the process of cracking down on its notorious illegal drug problem, the exchange of funds from abroad entails dealing with a bureaucracy that is intrinsically suspicious of large sums of money coming in from other countries. In addition to being the best approach for navigating Colombia’s bureaucracy, the 501c3 would also have the added benefit of allowing donor’s contributions to be tax deductible.

 

Being that the 501c3 needed a board with a diverse makeup to get off on the right foot, Jim asked if I would like to become a member and an active participant in the project. He also indicated that other board members were needed and wondered if I knew anyone else who would be suitable. I told him that at first glance, the idea sounded very good, and that I would get back to him with my thoughts on the idea, along with suggestions for possible board members.

 

It didn’t take long for me to decide to accept Jim's offer. The more I pondered the concept of the foundation the more I loved it. It seemed to be a great opportunity to perform real-world Christian good works, while propagating tradition to areas which needed it. I decided that if I could be assured that that there would be impeccable oversight of the project - financial and otherwise – I, and by extension Angelqueen.org, could get fully behind it. My only major caveat was that while I didn’t want, at any time, to “touch” any funds (writing checks, receiving or distributing monies etc.) I did want full oversight capability. Jim assured me that transparency was not an issue, and agreed it best that we should keep clear line of distinction between those counting the beans and those accepting and distributing funds. That was good enough for me - I was in.

 

As things progressed, the board came to consist of him, his brother Joe, our much loved Angelqueen.org “French Connection” (the person who among other things gave us the several thousand-member “Tradlist”, introduced me to Father de Tanoüarn and got Jim Father Navas’ contact information), my wife and myself.

 

Having the “French Connection” involved was ideal. He knew all of the higher ups in the GSI personally, therefore he could, through them, be directly apprised of how things were progressing with the Colombia endeavor. Conversely, if the foundation had issues that needed to be brought to the leadership of the GSI, we had a direct, French speaking “in” with the higher ups.

 

Being that my wife is a CPA, she would be excellent to have on hand to oversee the accounts, monitor financial transactions and to keep everything straight with the IRS. She would also save us a bunch of money around tax time, as she would be able to do all of the tax work for free. She’s had extensive experience in dealing with non-profits. She has acted as treasurer for several and has done tax work for them in the course of her employment. She also specializes in international tax.

 

Jim (who would be president) and his brother Joe would provide most of the initial seed money, which, while not a fortune, would be rather substantial. Their financial contribution would to get the ball rolling, at least until the foundation was in a position to collect and process outside funding.

 

As for my part, in addition to contributing financially, I would promote, the foundation in general and the Colombia project in particular, through Angelqueen. I would also eventually set up a domain and website with pertinent information and a function for online credit card and pay-pal donations. We decided that I would accompany Joe on a trip to Colombia to scope out the lay of the land and, while there, interview Father Pinzon for an AQ article that would hopefully generate some initial interest in the project.

 

Everything was a go. I would leave for Colombia on Wednesday, June 28^th and meet-up with Joe at the Bogota airport. We would meet with Father Pinzon the next day and I would return the day after that.

 

I realized that having two full days of international travel over a three day period would be quite grueling – especially given that I despise traveling – but it needed to be done. Besides I’d never been to South America, so even though I’d only be in the Colombia for one day, most of which would be devoted to reconnoiter activities for the foundation, it would be an interesting experience nonetheless.

 

Colombian Exploration
 

Joe and I missed each other at the airport, but were able to rendezvous at the hotel where we both were staying. Over a glass of Johnny Walker, we agreed that we would do a bit of sight-seeing in the morning, then meet with the father at his place by mid-afternoon. After that, we have Mass and then take him to dinner. This would give us enough time to get to know father and gather enough information to contemplate what type of help from the foundation would be most appropriate. At this point, we knew little of Father Pinzon’s situation, so a specific course of action for the foundation had not been established. The discussed possibilities were everything from getting a seminary started (real estate is cheap there) to supplying general material support, to finding a building to be used as a Mass center.

 

I met Joe and his lovely wife early the next day (Thursday) in the hotel lobby, where there was a small café. As we were enjoying cups of the exquisite coffee Colombia is famous for, we decided that before meeting Father that afternoon, we would take the cable car up to Cerro de Monserrate, an old church built atop the highest vantage point in Bogota.

 

It was somewhat bittersweet excursion. On one hand it was wonderful to see such a beautiful temple built at the highest point of the city (10,000 ft.). The Spanish mission architecture, the near life size 14 Stations of the Cross on the steep walk up to the church, and the spectacular location with its beautiful vistas, all silently testified that at one time, this South American society held a deep collective love for Our Lord. On the other hand, it was saddening to realize that we as Catholics don’t do things this way any longer. The bland contemporary guitar music emanating from inside the church belied the fact that our beautiful sacred music had once been the only music sung inside this glorious house of God. Not only have we Catholics all but forgone the finest music mankind has to offer their God, but nowadays, a magnificent church such as this would never be built to sing it in.

 

On our way back into town we paid a visit to the Gold Museum and the local mall, then hailed a cab to our meeting with Father Pinzon.

 

The narrow but deep row-house was located in a quiet neighborhood about 10 miles or so outside of downtown Bogota. After exchanging greetings we sat down to discuss the pressing matters at hand. I wanted to learn all I could about the particulars of father’s current situation. A very pleasant lady served up a batch, our second of the day, of her country’s delicious coffee as we discussed everything from Colombian zoning and real estate laws, to father’s relationship with the GSI and the local Bishop. Father told us that the local ordinary, who was completely hostile to tradition, had yet to allow a traditional Mass anywhere in the diocese. Father said that on July 20, Father Laguérie, the head of the GSI would be coming from France for negotiations with the bishop. He would also get familiar with the new GSI location in Colombia and formally accept Father Pinzon into the institute.

 

We also found out that some group (exactly who, at the time of this writing, is still unclear) had arranged a five year lease for the house. According to the arrangement, no rent was required, the only thing that would need to be paid was costs such as utilities and the like.

 

After our very informative discussion concluded, Father gave us a tour of the house. I was pleasantly surprised at how large it seemed inside in contrast to how small it looked from out front. The two story building had a small bookstore in the front lobby, and 3 bathrooms - two separate men’s and lady’s rooms and another bathroom upstairs. There was rather well stocked library, an ample kitchen and enough room to sleep several priests or guests. The backyard was very small, only a few feet wide, but it was well maintained and had a tastefully appointed Mary grotto in the center.

 

I was most impressed with the chapel area, which neither Joe nor I knew existed until after we arrived at the house. It was not especially large, but we estimated that it could accommodate at least 60 or so congregants given a proper configuration. It certainly needed work to bring it up to par. The few “pews” were cobbled together from plywood and 2 x 4s. Two makeshift kneelers served as the communion rail. The existing florescent lighting, which needed upgrading, gave the room a dingy ambience. The sanctuary had all the required elements, but one could tell at first glance that it could use the type of TLC and beautification that only money could buy.

 

Our tour concluded just in time for the Rosary and Mass, which would be attended by the fifteen or so faithful who had been trickling since our arrival. The Rosary was done in Latin, as was, of course, the Mass. I couldn’t help but dwell on the fact that here I was, in an environment where it was impossible to for me to engage in a conversation with any of the natives, yet now we were all speaking una voce. With the exception of the homily and readings, this Mass could have been offered back home in Florida, in Europe, in China, Africa or anywhere else in the world, yet all in attendance would have been worshipping in unity regardless of where they called home. If the very meaning of the word “Catholic” is “universal,” it was easy to see why this Mass has converted so many souls, over so many centuries, in so many different cultures, in so many diverse tongues.

 

After Mass (which was given by another priest who was sympathetic to the GSI but not yet planning on becoming a member) we all hung around for the usual post-Mass conversation and small talk that seems to be an unspoken requirement for every Christian service in existence. After everyone dispersed, the two priests, Joe, his wife, her cousin and I walked a few blocks to the main road and hailed two cabs back to the Hotel where we would have dinner.

 

A Fly in My Soup

 

Romans 15:20

And I have so preached this gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man a foundation.

 

Since the time of our tour, and as dinner progressed, it became apparent that the focus of the foundation should be geared towards the existing house that Father Pinzon had been operating out of over the last few months. Along with the amenable financial arrangement he enjoyed, the structure itself was well suited for an upstart traditional apostolate. If eventually the congregation grew too large for the building – a good problem to have – that bridge could be crossed when the time came. The existing set-up had all the necessary elements of potential, so directing the foundation’s resources towards supporting it would be far more logical than seeking any new property and starting from scratch.

 

Things were turning out better than I had expected. Any concerns I had regarding the role the foundation would play in the Colombia mission had been addressed and I had all of the material I needed for an informative article, which I would put together as at my earliest convenience.

 

I should have known that it was all too good to be true.

 

Just as we were finishing up dinner, Father Pinzon, knowing that I attend Mass at an SSPX chapel, asked for my take on how the SSPX viewed the GSI. I replied that in my experience, when it comes to matters of opinion, the SSPX priests were usually not a monolith. Leaving aside issues such as the traditional sacraments, the crisis in the Church and such other homogenizing issues that go to their mission, I told father, in so many words, that if one were to ask 100 SSPX priests their opinions on any debatable issue, one would probably get 100 different answers. Father then said that the SSPX in Colombia didn’t take well at all to “us” (meaning the GSI people in Bogota). After he said that, I realized that in my entire intelligence gathering effort before and since arriving in Colombia, it had not occurred to me to find out if where or if the SSPX existed in Colombia. Being that I often spoke with Bishop Williamson by phone at the seminary in Argentina, I knew that they were in Argentina, but that was the extent of my knowledge of the Society’s South American interests. Somewhat bewildered, I told Father Pinzon that I had no idea that the SSPX had a presence in the country. It was then that father, quite nonchalantly, dropped the proverbial ton of bricks.
 

“Oh yes. Only ten blocks from where we’re located” he said.

 

I didn’t send my fork clanging onto my plate, but I knew at that moment, that everything had turned on a dime. I immediately wanted to kick myself for neglecting to look into whether the SSPX was operating in Colombia. Not only were they operating there, but being that the blocks in that area of Bogota were about the length of my arm, ten blocks meant the existing SSPX operation was within easy walking distance of the GSI house that the foundation, and I, would be supporting. Father went on to say that the SSPX Mass center had been there for quite some time, with several hundred faithful regularly attending Mass.

 

The wheels in my head were turning as we finished up and headed out of the restaurant. Interestingly, when we got to the lobby, it was buzzing with various uniformed non-civilians and VIP types in business attire. The President of Colombia had just left the hotel after attending an event there. The hubbub didn't faze me much, my thoughts were on the days events and the thinking-problem Father Pinzon just handed me.

 

Although I urgently wanted to speak to Joe about the days events, most especially Father Pinzon’s troubling disclosure, we would have no opportunity to debrief each other on what we learned that day. After dinner, Joe was planning to see some more of Bogota with his wife and her cousin, and I was to leave for the airport at 5 AM the following morning (Friday) Joe wasn’t leaving until Saturday, so I told him that I’d get with him ASAP after he returned. I kissed the hands of both padres as we all said our goodbyes.

 

After returning to my room, instead of pondering matters having to do with my intended purpose for visiting Colombia, father’s “bombshell” was what occupied my thoughts as I organized my things for early morning flight back home. One thing that became certain to me was that the GSI venture winding up within walking distance of the existing SSPX chapel was no accident. Another thing I was sure of was that I could no longer have anything to do with Colombia venture.

 

Deteriorating Debriefings

 

The Friday trip back to the Florida, 14 hours total, was absolutely horrid. It’s a good thing that my initial flight out of Bogota was delayed for several hours, because it would have been missed due to the four hour line I had to stand in just to get my one small bag checked.

 

After sleeping that off, I phoned Jim on Saturday to give him a rundown of the Colombian excursion. His brother Joe was spending that entire day traveling; so neither I nor Jim had the opportunity to speak with him about Colombia by the time I phoned Jim. Before the call, I had concerns that if he or the foundation was set on continuing with this particular project, it would create a rather difficult or impossible situation for me. Those concerns ebbed when, during our call, Jim became as troubled as I about the proximity of the GSI house to the SSPX chapel. He agreed that it wasn't happenstance that the GSI house was being opened so close by and said “we can’t have that.” We decided to set up a three-way conference call with Joe the next day to discuss how we would proceed.

 

I received the expected call from Jim and Joe midday on Sunday. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Jim’s tone had markedly changed since we spoke the day before. For whatever reason, he now was now telling me that he had no problem whatsoever with the GSI location and that he was all for going ahead as planned. Joe, in a tone that I found quite off-putting, told me that with the growth of tradition, I should simply learn to accept these types of situations. He went on to say that there was nothing unusual about the GSI location being a literal stone’s throw away from the SSPX chapel. Reason being, according to him, was that the neighborhood was the only suitable one in Colombia for the GSI to set up shop. I listened somewhat pensively, thinking it best not to tell him that his schpeal was insulting to the apparently small degree of intelligence he believed I possessed.

 

As the conversation progressed and it became obvious that we were at an impasse, Jim asked if I planned on remaining on the foundation board. I, of course, told him that it would be impossible. As one who attends SSPX Masses, I could not participate in a venture that would be a slap, real or perceived, to a society of priests who brought me back to the eternal faith and have produced such fine spiritual fruits for myself and my family. As the admin of Angelqueen, it would be foolish of me to wade into a situation that could become a point of acrimony between two high-profile traditionalist groups. As a Catholic, I cannot involve myself with activities that I believe to be morally wrong.

 

In the past, Jim and I had spoken at length about how unnecessary internecine conflicts amongst various traditional groups only harm the faithful in the long run. In fact we had spoken about the very subject only the day before – in direct relation to the Colombia situation - when he indicated to me that the GSI opening its doors within walking distance from the SSPX was unacceptable to him. Though I hadn’t gotten to know Joe well enough to know his mind on such matters (our one day together in Colombia was too hectic), I was quite disappointed with Jim, who I had come to know as a friend.
 

So, the conference call that Sunday essentially dissolved the board in its then current form. It goes without saying that my wife would not continue on, and it seemed unlikely that the French Connection would either. This was confirmed in a telephone conversation with him shortly thereafter.

 

Points to Ponder

One of the main reasons for writing this article was full disclosure. Should there be any confusion or controversy, now or in the future, regarding my role in the Bogota GSI foundation initiative, I wished to make it known that I have withdrawn any and all support. Although I take full responsibility for neglecting to more thoroughly investigate the SSPX situation in Colombia before becoming involved, as soon as I discovered the nature of the GSI venture in Bogota, I completely extracted myself from it and ended all relations with the remaining members of the foundation. Jim, who I considered a friend, has been removed from active membership of the AQ forum. In fairness, his posting privileges will be temporarily restored should he desire to respond to this article once it’s posted on the AQ forum. 

 

As far as Colombia goes, the Tridentine Mass, as is the case in most of Central and South America, is nearly non-existent. I was only able to find three locations in the entire country where it is offered. Two SSPX chapels (the one mentioned above in Bogota and another in Bucaramanga) and one FSSP chapel in Anolaima, which is approximately 15 miles outside of Bogota. The land Mass of Colombia is around 440,000 square miles. It’s beyond ridiculous for anyone to contend - or anyone to believe - it a coincidence that a GSI chapel is cropping up less than a mile from one of the only two SSPX chapels in the entire country.

 

It is an inescapable conclusion, that the proximity of the SSPX chapel was known by the clergy opening of GSI house, immediately or shortly after they became involved. This includes Father Laguérie (who was a member of the SSPX for many years), Father Navas, and Father Pinzon. The laymen who are still with the foundation, though they may not have initially, are now fully apprised of the situation. None can claim ignorance to the fact that they are party, directly or indirectly, to the unsavory and all too frequent practice of a traditional enterprise exploiting an existing SSPX apostolate for its own end.

 

There are over 43 million people living in Colombia, the vast majority of whom are Catholic. Considering that there are only three known existing traditional outlets, that means that only several hundred faithful, at most, are currently being reached. The country is currently starved for tradition. If the idea is to propagate the traditional faith and truly serve the spiritually-poor of Colombia, the GSI endeavor in Bogota is ill-conceived. That very neighborhood is already being served, with a thriving traditional community already in place only a few blocks from the projected GSI location. If the parties involved – priests and laity – are truly concerned with propagating the faith, they would go where traditional Catholicism is needed most and build an apostolate from the ground up – as has already been done by the SSPX and its benefactors. That would be the honorable and admirable course.

 

The higher-ups in the GSI should refrain from making public statements such as "all those who sincerely want to see traditional liturgy and traditional theology returned to the faithful must unite - as Catholic Tradition really is our common good.” However well intended such statements were at the time they were made, this early overseas venture by the GSI's proves that it didn't take long at all for "unity" and "common good" to take a backseat to opportunism.