Pope meeting with SSPX

[Perun]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=4695

Meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Lefebvrists could initiate path towards reconciliation

Vatican City, Aug. 23, 2005 (CNA) - The schismatic branch created by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre might begin path to return to the heart of the Catholic Church during next encounter that will be held by Pope Benedict XV, with the current schismatic leader, Bernard Fellay.

No precise date has been confirmed for the meeting, but it will take place at the papal residence in Caster Gandolfo before the end of this summer.

Fellay, general superior of the “Saint Pius X society”-the official name of the group of four bishops, priests and lay faithful schismatic-was scheduled to meet with the Pontiff, without any form of publicity, but the news “filtered” for the indiscretion of one the bishops ordained by Lefebvre without the Pope’s approval in 1988.

The schismatic bishop Richard Williamson send a “confidential” letter to his faithful informing them that the Pope had acceded to a demand of meeting requested by Fellay.

The Pope will receive Fellay, along with Father Arnaud Sélégny, general secretary of the society on August 29th, although the date hasn’t been confirmed by the Holy See.

According to sources close to the Society, Fellay will present two demands to Pope Benedict in order to return to full communion with the Church: the withdrawal of the excommunication and the possibility to celebrate the Saint Pius V mass in Latin in any part of the world without having to ask for permission of local ecclesiastical authorities, as it is currently required by Church norms.

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Perun

According to sources close to the Society, Fellay will present two demands to Pope Benedict in order to return to full communion with the Church: the withdrawal of the excommunication and the possibility to celebrate the Saint Pius V mass in Latin in any part of the world without having to ask for permission of local ecclesiastical authorities, as it is currently required by Church norms.

It's ridiculous that special permission is required to celebrate the Mass of St Pius V when he himself gave a perpetual indult to celebrate it in Quo Primum Tempore

[Ederico]

I believe the Pope is trying to increase ties with would be considered right-wing thoughtstreams within Catholicism in a political sense. He recently had a private meeting with controversial Italian writer and author Orianna Fallaci who is known for her Anti-Islamic writings and her criticism of Pope John Paul II for not taking it in due consideration.

Relevant English Language Article
Articolo In Lingua Italiana

[Milesian]

The Campos priests were a Traditionalist community in Brazil who ended up being brought back into Communion with the current Church hierarchy.
At the time, a few years back, the SSPX were saying it was basically a trap and that the Campos priests had compromised because in order to be back in communion with Rome, they had to accept the Novus Ordo and Vatican II as valid.

It will be interesting to see what conditions will be put on the SSPX and whether they will aquiesce.

It's a tough one. Heresy on one side, Schism on the other.

[Faísca]

Perhaps Benedict XVI is a better Pope than what I've been thinking of, after all.

As some of you know, the SSPX was recently in Fátima, obviously I was there, and much to my surprise I had the chance to talk to Monsignor Bernard Fellay, he is an outstanding man, I'm hoping he will manage to do something worthy near the Pope.

[Silas]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4195680.stm


Vatican moves to end Church rift

Pope Benedict has met the head of an ultra-conservative Catholic group expelled by the Church 17 years ago.
The Pope and Bishop Bernard Fellay, leader of the Society of Saint Pius X, have agreed to try to end the rift.
It was his consecration as bishop with three others in 1988, without Rome's permission, which led the fraternity being condemned as schismatic.
The society has criticised the Vatican for becoming too liberal and continues to celebrate Mass in Latin.
Excommunicated
Pope Benedict and Bishop Fellay reached the agreement after meeting at the Pope's summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Vals said both men spoke of "their common will to proceed in stages and within reasonable delays" to achieve the return of the society into the Catholic fold.
The Society of Saint Pius X was set up in opposition to liberalising changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, which included allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages, instead of Latin.
Its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was excommunicated in 1988 by Pope John Paul II for consecrating the four bishops without Rome's permission.
Bishop Fellay succeeded Archbishop Lefebvre, who died in 1991, as superior general of the fraternity based in Econe, Switzerland. He said Benedict's election to succeed John Paul II had brought about a "glimmer of hope" to find a way out of the "profound crisis" inside the Catholic Church. The new pope, who has promised to reach out to Christians separated from Rome, is known to be sympathetic to those Catholics who regret the abandoning of the Latin Mass four decades ago, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

[Ederico]

Originally Posted by Milesian

It's a tough one. Heresy on one side, Schism on the other.

Though one indeed, the question is which one is eventually worse. I would definitely prefer communion rather than schism, tradition and doctrinal correctness rather than liberal modernism and heresy.

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Kvasir

an ultra-conservative Catholic group expelled by the Church 17 years ago

Quite telling. Before the 1960's. it was liberals and heretics which were outcast. Today, it is those who hold too strongly to Catholic tradition who are outcast.

The Society of Saint Pius X was set up in opposition to liberalising changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, which included allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages, instead of Latin.

That's over-simplifying somewhat.
It's far more than an issue over use of the vernacular.

[Phlegethon]

Let's not forget that Benedict XVI. was one of the leading ideologists of Vaticanum II. And he is also continuing the ecumenical nonsense of his predecessor as well as this hedonist Love Parade disguised as World Youth Meeting.

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Phlegethon

Let's not forget that Benedict XVI. was one of the leading ideologists of Vaticanum II. And he is also continuing the ecumenical nonsense of his predecessor as well as this hedonist Love Parade disguised as World Youth Meeting.

Very true.
Yesterday's liberals are today's conservatives.

I read about some nun at World Youth Day who was censured by her Mother Superior for "dirty dancing".

That's not forgetting some of the other atrocious activities that went on in past WYD's (people going to Communion eating ice cream cones, Eucharists being trampled into the ground, etc)

Nice to see all the reverence and piety of old....

[Ederico]

Originally Posted by Milesian

I read about some nun at World Youth Day who was censured by her Mother Superior for "dirty dancing".

Incriminating picture:

[Milesian]

More to the point, who would be desperate enough to "dirty dance" with that?

[Phlegethon]

Mad Nun Disease.

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Phlegethon

Mad Nun Disease.

You Germans and your Nunsploitation films.
This was bound to happen

[Phlegethon]

Nun on the run!