In the context of contemporary traditionalist Catholicism, marked by profound doctrinal divisions stemming from the Second Vatican Council, figures like Abbé Michel Marchiset (born in 1949, a French priest ordained in 1984 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre) and Father Paul Schoonbroodt (1933–2012, a Belgian priest excommunicated in 1988 for his refusal of the Novus Ordo) emerge as bastions of an uncompromising resistance 🛡️. Their relationship was not one of documented personal friendship but of a deep intellectual and activist partnership, united by sedevacantism—the conviction that the See of Peter has been vacant since Paul VI due to modernist heresy. This alliance manifested in shared publications, joint initiatives, and a common vision of preserving the immutable Catholic faith against "Masonic infiltrations" 👁️ and conciliar reforms. This article explores the details of this collaboration, highlighting its impact on the traditionalist movement.
👥Brief Biographies and Shared Context
Father Paul Schoonbroodt, born in Eupen, Belgium, to a family of farmers, was ordained in Liège in 1958. As the parish priest of Steffeshausen and Auel since 1970, he refused to adopt the Novus Ordo Mass, connecting with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and Lefebvre. His excommunication in 1988 by Bishop Albert Houssiau did not stop him; on the contrary, he became a fervent defender of the Tridentine Mass, associated with alleged Eucharistic miracles 🙏 in 1971, and founded the website Virgo-Maria (virgo-maria.org), a sedevacantist platform active until his death in 2012 following a traffic accident.
Abbé Michel Marchiset, for his part, was ordained by Lefebvre in the Fraternité de la Transfiguration in Mérigny, France. His path led him to a sharp critique of Paul VI's reforms, especially the 1968 Pontificalis Romani Rite, which he considers invalid for sacraments such as episcopal consecration. Marchiset is the author of works like La Passion Mystique de l'Église (co-authored with Bernard Fragu, published in recent editions), which analyze the "passion" of the Church under modernism, citing texts such as the Commonitorium of St. Vincent of Lérins and the bull Cum ex Apostolatus of Paul IV. His initial architectural training and later dedication to the priesthood positioned him as a meticulous thinker, focused on papal infallibility and the "Masonic invasion" of the clergy.
Both shared a prophetic vision: Lefebvre as an initial mentor, but with growing distrust of the SSPX for its alleged concessions to Rome. Schoonbroodt traveled across Europe administering traditional sacraments, while Marchiset preached at conferences and published doctrinal analyses, often invoking the "good fight" ⚔️ of St. Paul (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
💻 Points of Collaboration: Publications and Joint Initiatives
The relationship between Marchiset and Schoonbroodt crystallized along two main axes: the Virgo-Maria website and the International Rore Sanctifica Committee.
Founded and maintained by Schoonbroodt, Virgo-Maria served as a vehicle for Marchiset's contributions. In March 2006, Marchiset published the article "Les Loges maçonniques dans les abbayes bénédictines" (Masonic Lodges in Benedictine Abbeys), reproducing and commenting on a 1939 text by Fernand Corti about Masonic infiltration in the Benedictine clergy. This essay, hosted at virgo-maria.org/articles_HTML/2006/003_2006/VM-2006-03-22/VM-Loges-maconn, echoes Schoonbroodt's denunciations of the "crisis in the Church" and modernism as the work of the "antichrist." The site, described as "the voice of the combatants for the survival of valid sacraments," published dozens of Marchiset's texts until 2012, including analyses of the invalidity of the Pauline rites and calls for sedevacantist resistance. Schoonbroodt, as editor, promoted these writings, creating an implicit dialogue: while Schoonbroodt focused on personal accounts of resistance (like his excommunication), Marchiset provided the theological framework, citing theologians like Dom Paul Nau and St. Robert Bellarmine.
The relationship between Marchiset and Schoonbroodt crystallized along two main axes: the Virgo-Maria website and the International Rore Sanctifica Committee.
Founded and maintained by Schoonbroodt, Virgo-Maria served as a vehicle for Marchiset's contributions. In March 2006, Marchiset published the article "Les Loges maçonniques dans les abbayes bénédictines" (Masonic Lodges in Benedictine Abbeys), reproducing and commenting on a 1939 text by Fernand Corti about Masonic infiltration in the Benedictine clergy. This essay, hosted at virgo-maria.org/articles_HTML/2006/003_2006/VM-2006-03-22/VM-Loges-maconn, echoes Schoonbroodt's denunciations of the "crisis in the Church" and modernism as the work of the "antichrist." The site, described as "the voice of the combatants for the survival of valid sacraments," published dozens of Marchiset's texts until 2012, including analyses of the invalidity of the Pauline rites and calls for sedevacantist resistance. Schoonbroodt, as editor, promoted these writings, creating an implicit dialogue: while Schoonbroodt focused on personal accounts of resistance (like his excommunication), Marchiset provided the theological framework, citing theologians like Dom Paul Nau and St. Robert Bellarmine.
Launched on April 26, 2006, the International Committee for Scientific Research on the Origins and Validity of the Pontificalis Romani (roresanctifica.org) represents the pinnacle of their partnership. Schoonbroodt served as the initiative's "official patron," endorsing its founding declaration, which questions the validity of Paul VI's episcopal consecration rite, arguing that it compromises all sacraments (except Baptism and Matrimony). Marchiset, a founding member and lead researcher, led the scientific and doctrinal analyses, publishing studies that he describes as a "crusade to make clergy and faithful aware of the consequences of ritual invalidity." The committee, opposed to the "novelties" of Vatican II, united them in a strategic battle: Schoonbroodt provided spiritual and logistical backing (via Virgo-Maria), while Marchiset crafted the arguments, as in his commentary on the "Masonic infestation" in the Church. This collaboration resulted in publications such as reports on the "total break with Tradition," distributed in sedevacantist circles.
Furthermore, both were part of a wider network of traditionalist priests, including Abbés Vérité and Maury, with whom Schoonbroodt collaborated on Ignatian spiritual exercises. Marchiset, in interviews such as the 2021 one on Odysee (entretien-avec-labbe-michel-marchiset), indirectly mentions these ties when discussing his formation with Lefebvre and the need to "keep the Faith" against heresies like baptism of desire (a Feeneyite thesis he temporarily adopted in 2014, causing controversy).
✨ Tensions and Legacy: An Alliance Not Without Conflicts
Despite the synergy, signs of tension emerge in later criticisms. In 2014, sedevacantist blogs like CatholicaPedia accused Marchiset of "Feeneyism" (strict baptismal rigorism), contrasting him with Schoonbroodt, who was described as a "tireless friend" who "ran across Europe ministering." However, Marchiset publicly recanted, preserving the legacy of resistance. After Schoonbroodt's death in 2012, Marchiset continued the work through books and conferences, as in La Passion Mystique de l'Église, which cites sources common to both, such as the encyclical Mortalium Animos of Pius XI.
The legacy of this relationship is a body of writings that strengthened sedevacantism: more than 50 articles on Virgo-Maria and reports from Rore Sanctifica, influencing the faithful in France, Belgium, and beyond. They exemplify how traditionalism can unite generations in a "mystical passion" for the eternal Church.
Despite the synergy, signs of tension emerge in later criticisms. In 2014, sedevacantist blogs like CatholicaPedia accused Marchiset of "Feeneyism" (strict baptismal rigorism), contrasting him with Schoonbroodt, who was described as a "tireless friend" who "ran across Europe ministering." However, Marchiset publicly recanted, preserving the legacy of resistance. After Schoonbroodt's death in 2012, Marchiset continued the work through books and conferences, as in La Passion Mystique de l'Église, which cites sources common to both, such as the encyclical Mortalium Animos of Pius XI.
The legacy of this relationship is a body of writings that strengthened sedevacantism: more than 50 articles on Virgo-Maria and reports from Rore Sanctifica, influencing the faithful in France, Belgium, and beyond. They exemplify how traditionalism can unite generations in a "mystical passion" for the eternal Church.
🏁 Conclusion
The collaboration between Marchiset and Schoonbroodt was not a mere ideological coincidence but a strategic alliance against what they saw as the "conciliar apostasy." Schoonbroodt, the Belgian pioneer, provided the platform and the lived testimony; Marchiset, the French theologian, the analytical rigor. Together, they left a testament of fidelity to Tradition, inspiring current resisters in a fragmented ecclesial world. As Marchiset echoes St. Paul, they "fought the good fight" ⚔️, keeping the Faith for posterity.
The collaboration between Marchiset and Schoonbroodt was not a mere ideological coincidence but a strategic alliance against what they saw as the "conciliar apostasy." Schoonbroodt, the Belgian pioneer, provided the platform and the lived testimony; Marchiset, the French theologian, the analytical rigor. Together, they left a testament of fidelity to Tradition, inspiring current resisters in a fragmented ecclesial world. As Marchiset echoes St. Paul, they "fought the good fight" ⚔️, keeping the Faith for posterity.