After first learning about the suffering of His Excellency, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, following the accident in Écône on September 28th, last week I learned of his passing to the Lord. From the official announcement of the Society of Saint Pius X, we learned that his departure from this world took place on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, at 10:08 PM. At the age of 79, he was one of the four priests consecrated as bishops in one of the most significant and dramatic moments in the history of the Catholic Church in the 20th century. A worthy shepherd, he will undoubtedly be remembered by the faithful as the bishop who administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to many generations of young Catholics. Having recently moved to Italy, I was sincerely hoping that my two younger sons would also receive the Holy anointment from his hands. It was not meant to be.

Along with the sadness that overtook me upon hearing the unexpected news, conveyed to me early in the morning by Bernhardt, a friend from Germany, I immediately thought of both his contributions and the consequences of his departure to the world of eternal joy. Besides the image of a shepherd entirely dedicated to the mission of spreading the true Gospel, tireless throughout the hundreds of journeys he made around the world, he remains one of the most important scholars of Holy Tradition. For he is the one who wrote the monumental biography of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, which, if I recall correctly, was even appreciated by Pope Francis. His intellectual honesty is indisputable. We all remember that, based on his extensive research, he definitively confirmed that, initially, his mentor signed the documents of the Second Vatican Council when he still did not foresee their terrible consequences (Marcel Lefebvre: une vie, Éditions Clovis, 2002, Chapter 13). We owe such information to his scholarly monograph. However, without a doubt, the most significant act of his entire life was his acceptance to be one of the four bishops consecrated in 1988 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer.

Especially such a bishop, who was not afraid to face the consequences of his choices, must be remembered with hope.

Now, despite this troubling event, we must not allow ourselves to be overcome by sadness but, on the contrary, reflect on the joy we should feel when a worthy shepherd has gone to God. Let us be sure that he is now praying directly to the Lord Jesus Christ for the terrible situation the Church finds itself in, caught in the tsunami of the current crisis. It is said that early Christians did not celebrate birthdays, as we do today, but the day of death—the birth into Heaven. Especially the martyrs were celebrated in this way. However, I believe that any baptized person who has strived to honor and fulfill his calling should be remembered the same way. Especially such a bishop, who was not afraid to face the consequences of his choices, must be remembered with hope. Together with his fellow SSPX bishops, he managed, under absolutely terrible conditions, to preserve the sacred treasure of the Traditional Holy Mass for all of us. Practically, without him and his fellows, all other communities and fraternities that fight to preserve the liturgical treasure of the Roman Church would have been sooner or later annihilated. For priests who serve exclusively the Roman Rite can only be ordained by such bishops devoted to the Holy Tradition.

If the Apostle Paul said he would have accepted being ‘anathema’ for his Jewish brethren (Romans 9:3) to save as many of them as possible, the four bishops accepted something similar to help all those souls who long for the Holy Sacraments offered with true reverence according to the rites dating back to apostolic times. Considering this, we do indeed have a reason to grieve. One less bishop in the ranks of the Society of Saint Pius X inevitably means a reduction in the number of shepherds wholly devoted to Holy Tradition. At the same time, this will result in increasing pressure on those who remain. And this calls, without a doubt, for the one action that cannot be delayed. I am referring to the consecration of new SSPX bishops devoted to Holy Tradition.

For some time now, we have been hearing various rumors about the preparation of a new episcopal consecration by the Society of Saint Pius X. Now, most likely, these will soon become a reality. However, it should not be haste that prevails, but the wise discernment of the most suitable candidates. That is why all the priests of the Society must seriously reflect on the ministry of Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais. For he is an example to follow, not only in an extremely difficult mission but in one of the most challenging periods in all of history.

And we, the laity, must increase our prayers, devotions, and penances, asking God for worthy shepherds.

And we, the laity, must increase our prayers, devotions, and penances, asking God for worthy shepherds. No effort should be spared to make ourselves heard and listened to. Though we are in mourning, we await that the example of the one who has left us will be followed by other shepherds.

At the end of this small article, I will recall a teaching I received from His Excellency many years ago, through the video recording of one of his numerous homilies. At that time, likely responding to the questions and concerns of some present in the church where he was preaching, he made a clarification that illuminated me. The question raised referred to the multitude of hierarchs who betray the Church’s teachings: how do you face such a number of wolves in sheep’s clothing? How can you speak to members of the neo-Protestant or Eastern schismatic communities about holiness with such counter-examples? His answer was as brief as it was enlightening.

The essential idea of his response, which I quote from memory, asked us to no longer speak of these people as if they were Christians, Catholics. Because, quite simply, they are not. Therefore, we should no longer treat those who do not confess and live the true Christian faith as though they could be representatives of the religion founded by the Savior Christ. Though baptized, unfortunately, they are not and cannot be considered disciples of the Son of God. No one can be such without assuming at least the minimum condition of the penitent sinner, who, with humility, acknowledges—like the publican—his sins and repents for them. Since then, I have known how to respond, calmly and clearly, to my friends from the Eastern Christian schism or neo-Protestants whenever they attacked me by pointing out what ‘liberal’ (non-)Catholics do and teach. I owe this to Bishop Tissier, who, without knowing it, provided me through a simple and clear sermon the answer I needed.

May God rest his soul in peace!