Madam,
By a letter of May 23, 1987, addressed to the Holy Father, you placed in his hands the recourse, provided for by Church laws, against the decrees of May 4 and 20, 1987, from H. Em. Cardinal Vachon, by which this latter revoked the decree establishing the Army of Mary a pious association, and brought interdictions against the activities of the association.
As was your right, on May 11, 1987, you asked Cardinal Vachon to revoke his decision, and on May 20 you received a negative reply to your recourse.
Following the new decree of the Archbishop of Quebec, May 20, 1987, you addressed to the Sovereign Pontiff, in accordance with can. 1737, “the recourse provided for by canon law, relative to the two administrative or extrajudiciary decrees... taken by the Archbishop of Quebec, May 4 and 20, 1987”.
For reasons of jurisdiction, the Secretariat of State of His Holiness handed over your recourse for study to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Taking into consideration your right to defence, this latter carefully studied the numerous documents supporting this recourse.
The analysis of the dossier and of the questions concerning the Army of Mary which are at its origin, have led to the conclusion that the foundations and the doctrinal principles upon which rest the statutes, the teachings and the activities of the Army of Mary are not in conformity with the teachings of the Church, and that thus the goals of the Army of Mary do not correspond to the goals of the associations of the faithful provided for by the code of canon law (can. 298 ss.).
This is why the Pontifical Council for the Laity can only ratify the decrees rendered by H. Em. Cardinal Vachon on May 4 and 20, 1987, and reconfirmed by himself by the letter of March 2, 1988.
Please accept, Madam, my most respectful greetings.
WELCOME
