Eleison Comments 4 August 2012-A Chapter
As many of you know, a certain bishop was excluded from the General Chapter, or meeting of heads of the Society of St Pius X, held last month in Econe, Switzerland. To confirm the exclusion, use was apparently made of the adaptation by “Eleison Comments” (#257, June 16) of St Paul’s seemingly murderous wish that the corruptors of the Catholic Faith be “cut off” (Galatians V, 12). Actually Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Chrysostom all think that the wish, in context (Gal.V, 1-12), is aimed at the Judaisers’ manhood rather than at their very lives, and Chrysostom thinks it is a jest.
However, when I heard what serious use was being made of the jest at the Chapter, I must admit that I had a naughty vision: I imagined my noble colleagues in SSPX headquarters looking out of the windows at night to see if there might not be a lanky episcopal Englishman, heavily disguised as Jack the Ripper, prowling around in the bushes with a long carving-knife gleaming in the moonlight, seeking someone to carve to pieces. Dear colleagues, sleep easy - I have no murderous ambitions. Honestly !
But the Chapter was serious business. What did it produce ? Above all, a Declaration, made public a few days later, and six conditions for any future Rome-SSPX agreement, leaked on the Internet soon after that (given how many souls are presently entrusting their faith and their salvation to the guidance of the SSPX, I find such a leak not unreasonable). Now all honour to the good men at the Chapter who by all accounts did their best to limit the damage, but if the Declaration and conditions give us the present mind of the Society’s leaders as a whole, then there has to be cause for concern.
As for the Declaration of 2012, it is enough to compare it for a few moments with Archbishop Lefebvre’s Declaration of 1974, to wonder what has happened to his Society. Whereas the Archbishop explicitly and repeatedly denounces the reformation wrought by Vatican II (“born of Liberalism and Modernism, poisoned through and through, deriving from heresy and ending in heresy”), in words that brought down upon him the wrath of the Conciliar Popes, on the contrary the Declaration of 2012 refers only once to the Council with its “novelties” merely “stained with errors”, in terms that one can easily imagine Benedict XVI underwriting from beginning to end. Does the SSPX now think that the Conciliar Popes represent no serious problem ?
As for the six conditions for any future Rome-SSPX agreement, they deserve a detailed examination, but suffice it to say here and now that the demand made by the SSPX’s 2006 General Chapter for a doctrinal agreement prior to any practical agreement seems to have gone completely by the board. Is it now the mind of the SSPX that the doctrine of the Romans to whom they would submit is no longer so important ? Or is the SSPX itself succumbing to the charms of Liberalism ?
For a contrarian point of view, may I venture to recommend a collection of “Sermons and Doctrinal Conferences” of His Excellency Jack the Ripper from between 1994 and 2009, now available on seven CD’s from http://truerestorationpress.com/node/52, with special incentives to purchase expiring at the end of this month ? Not every word in these 30 hours of recordings may be golden, some words are no doubt too temperamental, but at least the effort is made to disembowel the enemies and not the friends of our Catholic Faith.
Kyrie eleison.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Marie on
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Yes, that is what he wants.
What a shame.
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Permalink Reply by Cathleen on
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I hope that isn't true, as they need him (whether they realize it or not) as much as we do, especially his wonderful humor.
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Unfortunately it is all too true. He is here in the US right now. It would seem he is meeting with the some priests to discuss the how's and whatnots of leaving.
He's been talking about it for some time.It's very unfortunate that he would abandon the ship of Archbishop Lefebvre but imho I think he thinks he's saving Tradition.
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Many prayers. Dear Lord have mercy on Thy people.
"Let Thy Face shine upon us, Dear Lord, and we shall be saved." Especially today, the Feast Day of Our Dear Lord's Transfiguration. Please enlighten our minds and hearts to Thy Truth.
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ok I agreed with Addy's post so the comment by Anastasia was deleted. Not to mention I re-read it and realized there was definite detraction there in the post from IA.
Sorry, momentary lapse of judgment on my part.
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Permalink Reply by Copacabana on
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I'm sure, I'll need to have that collection of "Sermons and Doctrinal Conferences"!!!
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Permalink Reply by Peter Baxter on
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I'm confused again: What are we to do now? These poor Priests that spoke out trying to help us are we to abandon them? What is the right thing to do? Mother Mary help us
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Abandon them, of course not! But I do not support the idea that they should go out on their own either. They need to stay and continue teaching, preaching and saving souls.
The Society needs these men! That includes Bishop Williamson!!!
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I'm not so sure about that. I believe it can be worked out.
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"(...) a person truly devoted to our Blessed Lady is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid." His Lordship Bp. Williamson is truly devoted to our Blessed Lady, (we have seen that). Therefore, His Lordship is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid. What a moral courage!!! Thanks to God!!!
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I truly hope so. We should leave everything in the hands of Our Blessed Mother. +HE Fellay did call for the Rosary Crusades, and all of the bishops are devoted to Our Lady. She can solve any problem, esp. through the prayers and power of Her Rosary.
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Peter, you are asking: What is the right thing to do? When a person recognises the real purpose of his life (to save one’s soul for love of God) then the virtue of prudence takes its full meaning. The motive for being prudent is indeed the desire to make a decision consistent with the action one takes to achieve that purpose. This entails among other things to weigh the positive or negative consequences for one or others before making a choice. This virtue, mother of all virtues, grasp the essence of a situation and then leads, so to speak, the person’s free will and action. Certainly, the choices that one makes have enormous consequences…
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