An open letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Amos and to all those in search of the truth.
Amos, September 3, 2020
Subject: Disallowance of Father Michel Rodrigue's messages and prophecies
Brothers and sisters,
Father Michel Rodrigue arrived in the Diocese of Amos on August 1, 2011. We had met before, in May 2011, a month after I became Bishop of Amos. He had explained to me his plan to found, in our diocese, the Apostolic Fraternity of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre. It would have three branches and would be dedicated to the new evangelization in the hope of giving more life to small parishes. I welcomed it with confidence and hope. During the first five years, he was pastor of the two parishes of Amos and was also responsible for the formation and accompaniment of the members of the Fraternity: young men to become priests, female consecrated women and couples. At that time, we had frequent and very good exchanges.
In 2016, at the request of Father Michel Rodrigue, I agreed to release him from the parish priest hood of Amos and entrusted him with three small parishes, including St-Dominique-du-Rosaire where the Fraternity had already bought land. From the beginning, in order to have a Sunday free and despite the distance to be covered, Father Rodrigue organized the programming of Sunday masses, on the same Sunday, for his three parishes. This allowed him to have about ten consecutive days to dedicate himself to the formation of the members of the Fraternity and to other activities, such as parish retreats and others. Beginning in 2017, on several occasions, Father Rodrigue went to the United States to preach retreats; in 2019, the frequency became greater.
On March 25, 2020, while we were on a Covid-19 break, the Countdown to the Kingdom website posted eight lectures given in California by Father Michel Rodrigue in November 2019. He is presented as the “Apostle of the End Times” and an official exorcist of the Church. I would like to make it clear that he was never appointed official exorcist of the Diocese of Amos.
In the presentation of Father Michel Rodrigue, on the aforementioned website, appeared this state ment: “Fr. Michel Rodrigue receives the full support of his bishop, and all of his locutions and visions are submitted to his local ordinary for approval”. Indignant and shocked, I wrote this to Father Rodrigue on April 21, 2020:
I am extremely shocked and I feel betrayed by these remarks, since I never approved of them. I therefore ask you to correct this falsehood on the aforementioned site. I also want to be informed how and when this will be done. I want to make it clear that I absolutely disagree with the prophecies of you on the aforementioned site (Ex. Warning, days of dark ness, Era of peace, punishment, World War III (nuclear war in 2020), construction of shel ters, etc.). This is what I intend to answer to the people who have asked me.
As I requested, corrections have been made on the aforementioned site. Unfortunately, the false statement is still present in Christine Watkins's book, The Warning. Testimonies and Prophecies of the Illumination of Consciousness (pages 278 and 280).
Today, September 3, 2020, more than four months later, I am making this statement public because I see that anguish is rising among many people who share Father Rodrigue's messages and proph ecies. My Vicar General, Father Raymond Martel, devotes a lot of time to responding to e-mails from the four corners of the world, as well as phone calls from worried people.
To this total disavowal of Father Michel Rodrigue's messages and prophecies, I add that I with draw my support and that of the Diocese of Amos from the Studium Saint-Joseph, founded in 2015 by Fathers Michel Rodrigue and Simon Dufour. This Studium, of which Father Rodrigue is the rector, had as its goal to give theological training in Abitibi, a region far from the major centers.
Finally, I would like to inform you that, since June 30, 2020, Father Michel Rodrigue's residence on our territory has become his only link with the Diocese of Amos. He has renounced his pastoral charge as pastor of the three parishes that I had entrusted to him. He also renounced his member ship in the Presbyteral Council and the College of consultors. He also retired as an active priest in the diocese. He remains an incardinated priest in the Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee, Ontario. At this time, postal mail is our only means of communication with him.
This is the light that must be shed to remove doubts and questions about the position of the Bishop of the Diocese of Amos and to warn fragile Christians. I invite you to reread the words of Jesus, quoted by Saint Luke: "Take heed that you not be deceived” (Lk 21:8; cf. Mt 24:4ff and Mk 13:32). Let us abandon ourselves to the divine Mercy of our God, from whom all comfort comes. May the Holy Spirit drive away from us all sickly fears and anxieties. May this prayer to Mary sustain and reassure us: “Under the shelter of your mercy, we take refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our prayers when we are in the trial, but from all dangers always deliver us, glorious and blessed Virgin."
Trust and peace to all!
+ Gilles Lemay
Bishop of Amos