Vatican Confirms Recent Meeting Between Pope and Head of SSPX
I wonder if Pope Francis will give us two forms of the Church this Friday, a real choice, either the progressive Anglican like modern Church or the pre-Vatican II Traditional Church Then His Holiness will be Pope of both and celebrate both Forms of the Church! Just think of the ecumenical ramifications of this for Christian unity! And of course like liberal Protestantism, the progressive Church will be out of business by 2050! A stroke of genius by this savvy Pope!
From Rorate Caeli:
Pope and SSPX superior Fellay met Saturday in Rome
Greg Burke, Vatican Press Office vice-director, announced on Monday that a meeting took place in the Casa Santa Marta on Saturday, April 2, between Pope Francis and the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX / FSSPX).
We have learned that it was a verypositive meeting.
12 comments:
Here is the press release from the Society of Saint Pius X:
http://www.dici.org/en/news/society-of-st-pius-x-pope-francis-received-bishop-fellay-on-friday-1-april-2016/
Pope Francis received Bishop Fellay on Friday, 1 April 2016
Pope Francis received Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, accompanied by the Society’s Second General Assistant, Fr. Alain-Marc Nély, at Domus Sanctae Marthae, at 5 PM on Friday, April 1st, 2016.
Bishop Fellay did not have an opportunity to meet Pope Francis since the Holy Father’s election in March 2013, other than exchanging very brief salutations at Domus Sanctae Marthae, on December 13th, 2013 (see DICI N° 296 of 16/05/14). However, some priests of the Society were previously received by the Supreme Pontiff, regarding certain administrative difficulties in the Society’s District of Argentina (see DICI N° 314 of 04/24/15).
Pope Francis had wanted a private and informal meeting, without the formality of an official audience. It lasted 40 minutes and took place under a cordial atmosphere. After the meeting, it was decided that the current exchanges would continue. The canonical status of the Society was not directly addressed, Pope Francis and Bishop Fellay having determined that these exchanges ought to continue without haste.
The next morning, Saturday, April 2nd, Bishop Fellay met with Archbishop Guido Pozzo, secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, in keeping with the normal relations of the Society with this commission following the 2009-2011 doctrinal discussions and the visits of several prelates in 2015-2016. (See DICI n°307 of 19/12/14 et n°311 of 27/02/16).
(Source: SSPX / MG – DICI 04/04/16)
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Maybe Pope Francis is not as confident as many progressives are about the long-term prognosis for the Novus Ordo Church. In my personal experience I have seen 2 generations of Catholics younger than me, ditch the Church. People who were raised by faithful Catholic parents and grandparents. But when the Mass resembles everyday life, no wonder you wouldn't bother coming. Father McDonald and priests like him are making a very important contribution that the left-wing of the Church doesn't get: re-enchanting the Mass. Make it an other worldly experience and people will come. The group hug approach just isn't working
so....one press thing says that the meeting was April 2nd....another says April 1st....April fool...??
I don't trust this situation AT ALL! Will the Holy Father real in the SSPX just to lower the boom on them? Then we will have 'no port in the storm'. On the other hand, I cannot see the SSPX going along with the 'modernist Church', so ???????
There must be something pretty bad in the apostolic exhortation. One thing I have noticed since Francis has become pope, is that right before he does something scandalous he does some "traditional" gesture. So if he is trying to welcome the SSPX back, then this expectation must be aweful. Hopefully the SSPX actually reads the exhortation before they accept anything
Meh, to me this is the same old politics. Please, with their continual disobedience and mistrust of Holy Mother Church, continuing to think the way they always do with no change, and just putting an appearance here and there (as maybe a safety net so they aren't lumped in with the "Anti-Church" sedevacantists, just to save face and look "co-operative") they will not reconcile under Pope Francis, likely never.
Could it be…just thinking here…that outside of anything we might anticipate, Bishop Fellay might just end up as CARDINAL Fellay and…(gasp)…be elected in the next conclave? Could HE be Peter the Roman?
Julian, your slander against the Society of St. Pius X knows no bounds, eh? "Continual disobedience"? To what?
Have you done anything yet about the fact that on your blog, you declared a public calumny that another blogger and his wife were living in adultery? Have you publicly retracted? Have you issued a personal apology?
My friend, deal with the log in your own eye before you worry about the speck in that of the SSPX.
Julian, sadly this society and its priests are far more Catholic than the majority of the current clergy who are masquerading as Catholic priests.
"Peter the Roman"? Isn't this just more of the silly and un-biblical "end of days" nonsense?
We have been living in the End Times since the crucifixion. There are no "coming" ends times as Scripture teaches and the Church believes.
I would like to think that, if there were to be some sort of agreement with Rome, our priests would mention it at Mass to prepare the people for it. But there has been no mention of this at all. I live about 10 minutes from the SSPX US District House, so in addition to the 5 priests in residence at our SSPX parish, we routinely hear from priests traveling through from the seminary and what not.
Again, we haven't heard a word about any of this from any of them. Considering the advent of "The Resistance" last time a "deal" was in the offing, I suspect we'd get some preparation so that the sheep do not scatter in the event of a "deal."
My thought, then, is that the talks are merely continuing along. I don't know why there is more reporting of it in the last few weeks. Maybe there's some reason. I trust Bp. Fellay to make the right decisions in this.
As of late last year, here was the typical anti-SSPX sentiment that prevailed among many Catholics:
Courtesy of Michael Voris...August 20, 2015 A.D.
Michael Voris said that the SSPX "encourage people to mortal sin. They defy the Pope. They refuse the obedience due him. If that doesn't constitute a schism, pray tell, what does? Even Bp. Robert Morlino of Madison, Wisconsin had to issue a statement last week saying that this group — the SSPX — was to be avoided: "Have nothing to do with them." "
Again, Michael Voris' comments were offered on August 20, 2015 A.D.
Fewer than two weeks later, on September 1, 2015 A.D., His Holiness Pope Francis described Catholics attached to SSPX churches (chapels) as "faithful" Catholics.
Pope Francis noted the SSPX's "good faith and sacramental practice..."
Pope Francis concluded his SSPX-related remarks with the following: "In the meantime, motivated by the need to respond to the good of these faithful, through my own disposition, I establish that those who during the Holy Year of Mercy approach these priests of the Fraternity of St. Pius X to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive the absolution of their sins."
The manner, and the short period of time, in which Pope Francis has reversed the popular vicious anti-SSPX narrative that existed throughout much of the Church is mind-boggling. You talk about revolutionary change!
What Pope Francis has done for the SSPX, and in turn, "Traditional Catholicism", is phenomenal.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
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