 After the second session of the Council, the group came formally into existence, issuing a circular letter, signed by archbishops Lefebvre, Proença Sigaud, Cabana (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada), Silva Santiago (Concepción, Chile (emeritus)), Lacchio (Changsha, China) and Cordeiro (Karachi, Pakistan), which announced a group of Council fathers attached to the traditions of the Church.Sources close to the organization report it had 250 members out of the approximately 2,400 bishops attending the Council at any given time.Other studies describe it either as having 16 "core members" or as having 5 members in the steering committee, 55 general members, and 9 supporting cardinals.