The Society of St. Pius X is reviewing a statement of principles that the Vatican has said it must accept as a condition for full reconciliation with the Church.
The “doctrinal preamble” was presented Sept. 14 to the superior general of the traditionalist society, Bishop Bernard Fellay, by the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal William Levada. The confidential document, coming after two years of Vatican-SSPX talks, consists of doctrinal points the Vatican wants clarified for full reconciliation.
The Society of St. Pius X rejects the innovative teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly the Novus Ordo Mass, the Council’s teachings on religious freedom and ecumenism.
As of this writing, the society has no canonical status in the Church, according to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, and its ministers “do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”
A Vatican statement issued on the day of the meeting said the “doctrinal preamble” spells out “doctrinal principles and criteria for the interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary to guarantee fidelity” to the formal teaching of the Church. But it added that the preamble leaves room for “legitimate discussion” about “individual expressions or formulations present in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the successive magisterium” of the pontiffs elected after the Council.
The statement also reported that Cardinal Levada and Bishop Fellay discussed possible “elements of a canonical solution” if the SSPX is reconciled with the Church. Father Lombardi said the “most likely solution would be a personal prelature,” a Church jurisdiction in which pastoral activities can take place without being limited by geographical boundaries. Headed by a prelate who is appointed by the Pope, the Church’s only current personal prelature is Opus Dei.
In a responding statement on the doctrinal preamble, Bishop Fellay acknowledged that “there is no clear-cut distinction between the inviolable dogmatic sphere and the pastoral sphere that is subject to discussion.” But he stressed the point, made in the Vatican statement, that the document “leaves open to legitimate discussion the examination and theological explanation of individual expressions and formulations contained in the documents of Vatican Council II and of the later magisterium.”
He described his meeting with Cardinal Levada as conducted “with great courtesy and with equally great candor, because, for the sake of honesty, the Society of St. Pius X refuses to evade the problems that remain.”
Although a confidential document, some claim to have seen the doctrinal preamble already. A well-placed Vatican source told Catholic News Agency Sept. 14 that Rome’s overall position in the preamble was “very generous indeed,” while a blogger, who posts on the MessainLatino.it website, claims it is a “positive surprise” that offers both Rome and the society a “win-win” situation.
Roger McCaffrey, publisher of The Traditionalist magazine, told the Register that the doctrinal preamble probably “contains what they [the SSPX] need to edge back into the boat, while fully, legitimately pointing out that their central contention about the nature of Vatican II was right.”
One possibility is that the document formally underlines what Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in an address to Chilean bishops in 1988: that Vatican II “defined no dogma at all” but chose to remain “merely a pastoral council.” It was never a sort of “superdogma,” Cardinal Ratzinger said, which takes away the importance of all the rest.
As French commentator Côme Prévigny remarked, it appears probable that, through this document, the Pope has removed from the conciliar doctrine “its non-negotiable” character and its exclusivity.
“It is not any longer the alpha and the omega of the life of the Church,” Prévigny wrote on the Rorate Caeli. “That life is now once again refocused on its object: faith.”
Yet others remain cautious. The SSPX’s already fragile unity could be threatened, particularly by those members (the so-called “Richard Williamson faction”) who would like the SSPX to be able to appoint its own bishops.
Worse, should the document be accepted, it could result in a severe backlash against the Pope. Noting that Benedict XVI, probably out of sensitivity, has yet to publicly celebrate the Mass in the extraordinary form, McCaffrey wondered “how tumultuous the ensuing weeks will be when the SSPX is given x hundred chapels, schools, seminaries and convents.”
He believes the Holy Father takes a “highly pragmatic” view of the SSPX, seeing its members as part of any effort to re-Christianize Europe. But he fears that Benedict’s own deep desire to have the Catholic Church perceived as a reasonable element of society ready to help, especially in the West, “will be portrayed as something else entirely by a malevolent Western elite.”
The consequences of the Vatican initiative will be known when Bishop Fellay makes a decision on the document after consulting with his confrères. Father Lombardi said that could happen “in a few months.” Others believe it could happen sooner, possibly within a month.
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
Comments
Post a Comment
This was a reasonably balanced article on a highly charged subject - it is time for the SSPX to come back into into the Church and in unity with Rome. There is a whole generation of young people that have no idea what full Unity with Rome means.
The fight is not between conservative or modernist - its the age old fight between God and Satan and we see this being played out everyday all over the world.
Thankfully we have been gifted a Pope at the exact time needed who realizes the severity of the coming fight and who has taken and gone to great pains to prepare the Church for such a fight. This Pope realizes that the SSPX could well be a powerful column of strength for the entire Church but it is one column of many that will be needed in the future.
We should all hope and pray that such a reconciliation with Rome and the SSPX occurs quickly in an environment for the betterment of the Church as a whole .
The SSPX has NEVER left the Church, it is celebrating the traditional Catholic Mass whereas the Vatican 2 church has left tradition and has introduced new Rites of this that and the next thing, and the novelties,introduced Communion in the hand, etc.
I would much rather stay with the SSPX and keep my faith than join the NO church and become protestant again.
Funny, F Morant’s response is nearly identical to the language of the PROTESTANT revolters of the 16th century. The NO Church? How about the 20+ Eastern Rite sui iuris Churches which are in communion with the Pope/Rome/“Novus Ordo” Church? I admit: I’m a Traddie who doesn’t understand non-traditional traditionalists.
Bishop Fellay has asked that the Rosary Crusade launched by the SSPX now include the intention of prayers that their decision is the right one. A laudable request.
I think it is pathetic, and verging on the diabolic that anyone (Cardinals, bishops, priests, nuns) would launch a backlash against the Pope for welcoming the SSPX back into the life of the Church.
What has been the fruit of the “reforms” of Vatican II and the agenda personified by those against this Pope and his initiatives? The Novus Ordo has triggered a massive exodus from the Catholic Faith, a Mass attendance as low as 4% in nations such as France, and not much higher than 18% in the USA to 60% in places like Poland, liberal reforms that have emptied thousands of seminaries, convents, monasteries, schools, and tens of thousands of parishes.
On the otherhand, the SSPX chapels have a Mass attendance of about 75-85% as it was in most Catholic parishes in the USA prior to Vatican II, seminaries that are filled, monasteries that are true centers of Catholic faith and flourishing with vocations, a true Catholic missionary spirt in Latin America and Africa (and not the Vatican II notion of endless “dialogue” and accomodation, flourishing religious Orders, and 3 out of 4 bishops who are truely Catholic Bishops (Williamson is problematic).
The Catholic Church will do nothing but gain enourmously especially in Europe, if the SSPX signs the accord and is given hundreds of empty monasteries, churches, convents and seminaries with which to expand. You will see a tremendous flowering of the Catholic Faith, and the actions of the Pope will be vindicated.
The loud but few embittered, aged radical liberal Bishops and priests, dissident femminist layclothes nuns, and like minded aged laity will be enraged and feel threatened…but by now their model of the Catholic Church is so dead, and their agenda is so dead and gone that what they think and feel will hardly matter to the Catholic Church at all.
The Catholic Church model they represent is going the way of the dinosaurs. Let them and their model go in peace!
@Kenjiro M. Shoda
> “I think it is pathetic, and verging on the diabolic that anyone [...] would launch a backlash against the Pope for welcoming the SSPX back”
Pathetic or not, it will happen, and it will hurt. When the SSPX (hopefully) returns to full communion to Christ’s Church, the media will create a huge storm. The media hates pope Benedict and hates the SSPX even more. I can predict the headlines:
“The Nazi Pope brings back anti-semitism to the Church”
“The Pope who was the head of the Sacred Congregation for the doctrine of Faith, formerly known as the Inquisition, is bringing the Catholic Church back to medieval times”
“The Catholic Church completes its divorce from society and welcomes bigotry, homophobia and anti-semitism”
“The Catholic Church returns to the Dark Ages. Will they revive the Inquisition?”
We ought to pray hard for the Church to withstand the attack without losing too many souls, because it will be hard.
SSPX is not coming back to Rome. Their whole identity depends of them being separatist. If they come back they won’t feel like they’re anything special…..and they have to feel special
I think the Vatican should give the SSPX near-complete autonomy if a deal is struck except for a couple of things:
1: Keep an eye on SSPX schools worldwide. Some of them have been known to be hotbeds of extremism. I would not be at all surprised if opposition to religious liberty is taught and the New Mass in general condemned as evil by some priests. I read a rule book for an SSPX school in Canada and discovered that students may be suspended or even expelled if they publicly express disagreement with a position of the SSPX, even if that position is not dogmatic.
2: Give the Pope - and only the Pope - the ability to reject a candidate for Superior General or another position if they’ve been elected/appointed and are really extreme.
A little bit of Roman control of the SSPX can’t hurt. In fact, I think it’ll help.
I believe that the SSPX never had any intention of reconciliation, because they know that their expectations can never be met: that of Rome denouncing the Second Vatican Council. Rome will never denounce the Council. And a fraternity of bishops and priests has no right to expect this. I think that Cardinal Levada understands this, too.
I attend a diocesan-approved Latin Mass. The Latin Mass is beautiful, but attending it does not guarantee orthodoxy for the attender. Humility is required by all Catholics, and the SSPX seems to have forgotten this. Also, the SSPX isn’t so much about proper Catholic teaching, as it is about implementing a Third Republic type of Catholicsm. Which isn’t a good thing. However, there are some good priests in the SSPX who just want to work for the salvation of souls, without bashing the pope and magisterium of the Catholic Church. I hope that these priests will soon leave the SSPX, and return to obedience.
We have just returned from a most beautiful Divine Mercy celebration in our Roman Catholic Parish. Yes, my dear SSPX’s..the church you so call modern. There..as often.. I prayed that people in the breakaway societies, for the people in SSPX who really think they are righteous and are taught through `anti-liberation techniques` to think they now are the only perfect church. I have a broken heart that someone dear to me has joined this Society when in a very vulnerable state and then..her son, joined one of these seminaries where he thinks his ordination will be sanctioned by the Vatican. I pray that one day they will leave the SSPX and return where they belong. These followers are not aware what these unfortunate souls ( breakaway bishops ) are doing. Truly..a cult like situation.Unfortunately, most of these followers really think that they are doing the right thing and that their mass is valid. They truly love God and believe they will change the church. I pray they come back to their senses and follow the sanctioned Traditional Mass if they so prefer.It seems to me that Jesus was facing his disciples when he broke bread during the first consecration. I love the fact we can finally see and feel a part of the Mass. Because of Vatican II, we have a total understanding of the Mass. Jesus also wore what the dress of the times were and had HE lived on this earth longer, would most likely have followed the dress of the times. It really does not matter what we wear as long as it`s appropriate for church. It`s all about how we love God. Please…please stop all this anger and hate and love God as HE loves us.HE is all Mercy, Forgiveness and Love. It is commendable that the Pope is doing everything possible to bring these lost souls back to the church. It is also frightening that he might be too lenient in doing so. What a hard position our Pope is in..I, for one, would not want to be in his shoes. We must continue to pray that God will handle this horrible situation and stop these breakaway, misleading, lost leaders. `For the sake of His sorrowful Passion. Have Mercy on us and the whole world`. God bless you and watch over you all.
How can you defend the post-V2 changes in the liturgy which were not even indicated in any of the V2 Council Documents. They were implemented by people who got carried away in their misinterpretations of V2 Documents. Today we see the onslought of these extremists who would “modernize” the church more to the point of destroying it, assuredly a diabolical desire.
As a member of a post V2 parish, in the Arlington, Va. diocese, rife with these sentiments under the cult-like mis-teaching and guidance of priests in the Congregation of St. Francis DeSales (O.S.F.S.), I shudder often while attending Mass at this parish. My intellect rejects this enculteration provided by these Oblates who are at an extreme in promulgating change for the sake of change. We have a meeting “assembly” hall instead of a Catholic temple of worship. I welcome the union of the SSPX with the Chair of St. Peter. Damn the torpedoes and sail ahead! Remember that the Council from its inception was to be a pastoral one, not a dogmatic one. The pastoral outcomes have been, with few exceptions disastrous, for the church. I shudder, with Pope Paul VI, upon realization that diabolically influenced forces were at work within the church. Vatican 2 has tipped the Canoe, and “tyler,” too.
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give The National Catholic Register permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.