The charter
tradition - christendom - mission
1
The purpose of the association of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, a non-profit organisation governed by the French “law of 1901”, is to promote Christendom,
understood as the fulfilment in civic life of “the kingship of Christ over the whole of creation and, in particular, over human society” (CCC N°2105). Its main means of action is the organisation of a pilgrimage to Notre-Dame de Chartres every year at Pentecost, following a tradition that was resumed by Charles Péguy and revived since 1983 in the spirit of Henri and André Charlier.
2
The association is Catholic. It is headed by lay people who are assisted by a chaplain.
It is free from any political affiliation.
3
The pilgrimage is Marian and missionary.
It seeks to bring together all those who are motivated by the desire to promote the social kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thus enabling each human being to fulfill his or her vocation as a child of God. It is in this spirit that each pilgrim is encouraged:
– during the pilgrimage, to delve more deeply into all the dimensions of the Catholic Faith and its indispensable embodiment in civic life, or to discover or rediscover them.
– after the pilgrimage itself, to participate, according to one’s abilities and personal situation, in various temporal initiatives with a view to “restoring everything in Christ” (Saint Pius X).
4
In complete fidelity to the Holy See,
The organisers of the pilgrimage are guided by the constant teaching of the Church.
They express their attachment to Tradition in all its forms, in particular doctrinal, liturgical and sacramental tradition, through the exclusive use of the Tridentine Rite as codified in the liturgical books of 1962, and again confirmed by the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007 as being the extraordinary and never abrogated form of the Liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
They require from the priests who accompany them to comply with this choice in their ministry both during the pilgrimage and in the course of various preparatory activities.
5
Joining the pilgrimage is only possible within officially recognised and authorised chapters.
These are encouraged to maintain a life of their own beyond the pilgrimage itself. They are expected to share its missionary zeal.
6
The organisers and chapter leaders commit to comply with all the provisions of the present charter
and thoroughly to prepare the pilgrimage by in-depth work. The pilgrimage offers them the opportunity, through study and prayer, to reinforce their union and increase their love for the Church.
7
The members of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté know that they are but instruments in the hands of Providence.
They place their efforts at the feet of Our Lady and put all their hope in Her. It is in this spirit that they strive to spread the consecration to Mary and the daily recitation of the rosary, so that through Her all souls, families and nations may be won to Jesus.
