Rembering Eric de Saventhem, 1919-2005

Today is the 20th anniversary of the demise of Dr. Eric de Saventhem (28.04.2005).

Obituary: Eric Maria Vermehren de Saventhem

23 December 1919 – 28 April 2005

Born in 1919 to a patrician Lübeck family, Eric Maria Vermehren was the youngest of three children. When the Nazis came to power all the family were considered politically unreliable and Eric’s repeated refusal to join the Hitler Youth organisation marked him as ‘unfit to represent German youth’ at Oxford, having won a coveted Rhodes scholarship. His passport was revoked, thus making it impossible for him to travel to England.

Eric Vermehren converted to Catholicism shortly after his sister Isa (who had been expelled from her school in 1933 for refusing to salute the Nazi flag). He subsequently married Countess Elisabeth Gräfin von Plettenberg-Lenhausen, a member of one of Germany’s traditional Catholic families, which had clandestinely distributed the banned anti-Nazi encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge of Pope Pius XI in 1937. Elisabeth’s parents were imprisoned by the Gestapo and she confronted them successfully and obtained their release after three weeks. She herself was variously accused of subversive activities and cross-examined on many occasions by the Gestapo.

Pope Francis, Requiescat in pace.

With the death of Pope Francis, Una Voce International, representing lay Catholics attached to the Traditional Mass all over the world, calls on all Catholics to pray for his soul, as we prayed for him in life.

Requiem aeternam dona ei Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.

We also pray for the Cardinal electors, and for Pope Francis’ successor, for wisdom in guiding the Church, and to see the contribution that the Traditional Mass continues to make to the evangelisation of our societies.

We urge all our supporters to assist at Masses for Pope Francis and pro eligendo Summo Pontifice, and to make their own the Collect from the latter Mass:

We entreat Thee most humbly as suppliants, O Lord, that Thy boundless mercy may give the holy Roman Church a Bishop whose loving care in our regard will always be pleasing to Thee, and may be constantly honoured by Thy people for the glory of Thy name for his beneficent rule. Through Christ our Lord.

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FIUV Universal Ordo for 2025

The Federation's own Ordo, giving the Mass to be said every day of the year according to the Universal Calendar (1962), is now available as a pdf download here.

Hard copies are now available to buy in the New Year, from the LMS online shop.

The FIUV took up the publication of this Ordo when the PCED, which used to do it, ceased to exist. It is modelled on the old PCED Ordos.

Please direct corrections to 

fiuvordocomments@mailbox.org.

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The FIUV welcomes a member association from Korea!

The Council of the Federation has voted to welcome the 

Una Voce Korea

as a member of the Federation.

We have been in touch with a founders of this association for some years, and are delighted that they have taken the step to establish a formal association and to apply for membership of the Federation.

The Traditional Mass celebrated in Korea

Korea takes its place among a good number of associations in south east Asia: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, and the Philippines. These are all nations with a rich Catholic heritage, going back to the 16th century, and with their own saints and martyrs who were formed in the Traditional Mass.

We wish UV Korea every success in its work to restore the Traditional Mass to a place of honour in the Church in Korea, and we will be supporting them in this important work.

You can contact them by email: unavocekorea@naver.com . 

They have a website here: https://blog.naver.com/unavocekorea

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Gregorius Magnus 18 published!

Download the pdf here High-definition version for printing here. Read it online in ISSUU (optimised for mobile devices)

In this issue we commemorate Michael Davies, 20 years after his death; the petitions in favour of the Traditional Mass of 2024; plus news, comment, and features from Australia, Nigeria, France, and around the world.

Press Release: De Saventhem medal presented to Cardinal Sandoval and Sir James MacMillan

Press Release: Spanish language version below.

The International Federation Una Voce awards the Dr. Eric de Saventhem Medal to Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez and Sir James MacMillan

Rome, 19/Oct/2024 – The International Federation Una Voce (FIUV) is honored to announce the presentation of the prestigious Dr. Eric de Saventhem Medal to His Eminence Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez and Sir James MacMillan, in recognition of their significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Traditional Latin Mass within the Catholic Church.