Traditionalist SSPX calls Vatican offer 'clearly unacceptable'

[Dawn Marie]

Traditionalist SSPX calls Vatican offer 'clearly unacceptable'

 

Jun. 26, 2012

By Alessandro Speciale, Religion News Service

A breakaway traditionalist Catholic group on Monday slammed as "clearly unacceptable" a Vatican doctrinal document that was supposed to lay the foundation for the group's reconciliation with Rome.

The move comes after three years of complex negotiations between the Vatican and the Society of St. Pius X and was revealed just as Pope Benedict XVI appointed a high-profile American archbishop to a key post to oversee relations with traditionalists.

A letter by Fr. Christian Thouvenot, secretary general of the SSPX, to SSPX bishops and regional leaders was leaked on the Internet on Tuesday. Thouvenot later confirmed its authenticity.

The letter says the SSPX superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay, told the head of the Vatican doctrinal office, American Cardinal William J. Levada, that "he couldn't sign" the Vatican's doctrinal offer during a meeting June 13.

Benedict has actively sought reconciliation with the group since his election to the papacy in 2005. In 2009, he lifted the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops and started doctrinal talks in the hope of healing a decades-old rift within the Catholic church.

The negotiations led to a Vatican proposal that was delivered to Fellay in September. The "Doctrinal Preamble" was aimed at overcoming the doctrinal differences between the Vatican and the group, which rejects the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), including church acceptance of ecumenism and religious freedom, and its rejection of anti-Semitism.

In his letter, Thouvenot writes that Fellay proposed his own version of the Preamble last April which, "according to several agreeing sources," seemed to "satisfy the Supreme Pontiff." But he added that cardinals in Levada's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "amended" the text and it "now reintroduces, substantially, the propositions of September 2011."

During his June 13 meeting with Levada, Fellay "immediately informed him that he could not sign this new document," which he deemed "clearly unacceptable." The SSPX will hold its general assembly in early July to discuss the issue.

Thouvenot also writes that Richard Williamson, the SSPX bishop who embarrassed the Vatican after he came out as a vocal denier of the Holocaust, will not be allowed to participate to the assembly on account of his "rebellion" and "disobedience."

In recent weeks, there have been signs of a growing split within the SSPX, and the group's other three bishops wrote to Fellay that they were opposed to an agreement with Rome.

The Vatican would not comment on Thouvenot's letter. Even so, Benedict signaled the importance he devotes to reconciliation with the SSPX by appointing American Archbishop Augustine Di Noia to the newly created position of vice president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," which is tasked with overseeing relations with traditionalist groups.

Di Noia, a native New Yorker, will work directly with Levada, and has worked with Benedict before and after his 2005 election, most recently as the No. 2 official in the Vatican's liturgy office.

A statement by the Vatican doctrinal office stresses that the "broad respect" that Di Noia enjoys in the Jewish community should help alleviate Jewish fears that the SSPX would not have to accept the Vatican II document that rejected anti-Semitism as part of a reunion with Rome.

 

source

[Iona]

So it's anti-semitic for Christians to go and preach the Gospel to the whole world? ALL men are in need of Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ's gift of salvation through His cross. That should be perfectly clear to anyone who calls themselves Christian. How can they deny Christ's cross? I'm glad Di Noia enjoys such "broad respect", he better enjoy every minute of it now, because there will be a final reckoning. Lord have mercy! 

[Peter Baxter]

If I wasn't confused before well I am now. If Bishop Fellay is not going to sign well why not try to heal the split, ordain the Priests, talk to the other three Bishops etc.etc.  Surely after three years of on and off talks and no agreement, another round of decussions seem pointless will also fail.

[Dawn Marie]

Someone asked that on IA the other day.

It would make sense for him to heal not brutalize but while he may not be accepting what Levada/Pope offered there is a kindled hope in the deluded souls seeks an accord with Rome that this Di Noia can get the job done.

So it would seem in order for +Fellay to lay the groundwork for reconciliation we must be as small as possible.

The smaller the easier to control.  (smaller by getting away from or rid of all anti-accordistas).

[Dawn Marie]

[Dawn Marie]

It's getting more and more ridiculous in Menzingen.

Someone I spoke to recently who knows Bishop Fellay said that he (+F) is the type of man that once he sets his mind on a decision no matter how obvious it may become that his initial decision was incorrect, or what he stands to lose in the process by continuing forward, he simply will never go back and change the decision accordingly because that would be admitting he was wrong which he simply will not do.

Instead he plows through no matter what the consequences and no matter how obvious the fact that he was initially wrong and should revert his course back.

PRAY hard for him and us that Heaven intercede.

[Dawn Marie]

Oh and I should add, this is not AQ.  That means this is not a site based on a tyrannical leadership who thinks their opinion on the matter is the only one that counts!

I can be as confused as the next guy since things change on a dime and from minute to minute.  So my opinion is the same as the rest....an opinion or thought in order to work out just what the heck we are looking at here.

All respectful thoughts and opinions in this crisis are welcome and should neither be attacked disrespectfully or injuriously but spoken about in a sound virtuous Catholic manner.  Something which thank God we have maintained here thus far.

[Iona]

I have no intention of ever being rebellious or any of these negative connotations that are spoken of in the recent article about we "Lefebvrists". But I do know that we are to stand up boldly for the truth at all times, that what made the saints. We have to confront error where ever we find it lurking. I will follow the Good Shepherd always and I pray God that I will not be deceived into following another. As the Archbishop said has Rome turned away from it's errors? I am not about to fall into the counciliar (sp) church. I've got one right around the block from my house, barely a 2 minute walk, but I'll travel about an hour no problem, it is a joy because since I discovered the true faith at 49 years of age (born protestant, looked at at he Catholic Church as a teen, parents forbade me , thank God otherwise I would have grown up in novus ordo, did not significantly attend any sort of church except for my marriage and children's baptism, when I moved to my present location I made inquiry with the local catholic priest, nothing I heard from him (he gave me a book by someone called O'Brien? Mc bride? nothing really Catholic  could be found in it, at least not anything resembling my reading as a teen. I had read all those old dusty books to be found in the library and what I found at old book sales-definitely all pre 1950, some 1880. Anyway I said thanks but no thanks to the priest and went home, got on the computer and to God be the Glory, I typed traditional catholicism, what I found took me about 3 years to sort out, FSSP(a few visits just to see what this Latin Mass looked like), CMRI, SSPV, SSPX, home- aloners, pope michael, palmira (sp), popes, popes, Cardinal Siri, apostles of latter times, etc, I looked at everything to be found trying to figure out want happened to the Catholic Church. At last after much prayer it came to the SSPX (a short side route through CMRI, inquiry only) and there was a chapel that I could attend, I was there the next Sundaytook instruction and was conditionally baptized, unfortunately I'm the only Catholic in the family but there's nothing that prayer won't solve in time) I am holding on to it tight, it really is the pearl of great price, there is nothing as precious as our faith and I am so thankful to Our Blessed Lord for having waited so patiently for me to come and finally find Him in His Dear Bride. I love this Catholic faith that we all share in the Church militant, expectant and triumphant. No one will take it away from me, I pray God and His Blessed Mother.