Following the anonymous statement issued from the CCCB on the "schismatic" Society of St. Pius X, an excellent post by Fr. Brendan McGrath discusses the statement in some depth. There is no doubt that the present trajectory of the SSPX would seem to indicate a future schism (that is, a declaration from Rome on the bishops and priests of the Society being in such a state) barring corrective action by Bishop Fellay and a formal agreement with Rome.
The full article can be read here.
Update: Bishop Fellay's latest comments made during an ordination ceremony are not happy reading. I ask: how can one keep the Faith yet believe that unity with Peter "is something trivial"?
We are living in an age in which this faith is abused, attacked, slashed, everywhere, outside the Church and inside as well. It will be one of your duties, after the Mass, to impart this faith, to communicate it to souls, so as to lift them above human realities and to lead them toward the reality of God. And this faith will also have to be defended.
Update: Bishop Fellay's latest comments made during an ordination ceremony are not happy reading. I ask: how can one keep the Faith yet believe that unity with Peter "is something trivial"?
We are living in an age in which this faith is abused, attacked, slashed, everywhere, outside the Church and inside as well. It will be one of your duties, after the Mass, to impart this faith, to communicate it to souls, so as to lift them above human realities and to lead them toward the reality of God. And this faith will also have to be defended.
This is our history, the story of the Society, and of our founder. And this history, my dear brothers, continues. I would even say that, in comparison with this sublime reality, talking about whether or not to reach an agreement with Rome is something trivial. To defend the faith, to keep the faith, to die in the faith, this is the essential thing! We get the impression that the Roman authorities do not understand us, because they have not understood that we are ready to lose everything in order to keep this Catholic faith. We absolutely do not want to let this faith go. Now unfortunately (and this is a fact that we can observe every day), with the Council, through the Council, and in the Council, some poisons were introduced that are harmful to the faith; they lead souls into error and no longer defend them, no longer defend them in their faith. We denounce this fact, and this is why they condemn us. Even today, the condition that they want to impose on us in order to recognize us with the title “Catholic” is to accept those very same things that demolish the faith. But we cannot, and that is all, quite simply. In no case do we agree to diminish what is absolutely essential in order to go to Heaven: the faith, with all its consequences. That is why this combat is necessary, an everyday combat.
The CCCB and now the Diocese of Hamilton are not being accurate in their statements. The priests are "suspended" therefore, how can they be in "schism." You cannot be both at the same time, it is one o rhte other. Until the Pope says that the SSPX is schismatic, they are not, no matter what the Canadian Bishops' Conference states. The Pope declares a schism, nobody else, period!
ReplyDeleteThis is a time for prayer and reflection not antagonism towards those in the Society.
This all being said, Bishop Fellay's words at New Hamburg and now do not give one cause for optimism. While one can be hopeful, I agree with the Cardinal Prefect, Rome will not wait forever.
Both the CCCB and the Diocese of Hamilton are in error when they state that the SSPX is in schism. However the fact remains that they are suspended a divinis. According to Fr. McGrath, because they have no canonical status any exercise of their priestly faculties is illicit. Anything that also requires ordinary jurisdiction is also invalid. The faithful should not attend such an illicit mass. Railing on about liturgical abuses, many of which can render a mass illicit while turning a blind eye to another situation which renders the mass equally illicit is contradictory. It seems to say that some illegal activities are acceptable while others are not, depending on whether you like the liturgy.
ReplyDeleteBishop Fellay seems to have fallen into the trap that Frey is warning about. An analogy: us someone is ill,you do not wait for them to be cured before supporting, visiting them. If the Church is suffering (and the SSPX claims She is) the best thing to do would be to support the Church, rather than wringing one's hands and awaiting the "perfect" (Donatist?) day when all will be well.
ReplyDeleteVox is dead on here as well. To cast "schism" at the SSPX is unwise and counterproductive. It also involves the CCCB attempting to claim an authority they do not have. I suggest the CCCB deal with problems such as the ongoing Winnipeg Eucharistic Heresy.
1) I really don't care what the CCCB or the Hamilton Diocese says about the SSPX or anything else for that matter. Anyone who looks to that source for guidance on matters religious, social, political, or liturgical is a fool.
ReplyDelete2) Those of us who care about liturgical abuses in the Novus Ordo context are not primarily concerned about illicitness. Rather the concern is the very real possibility of irregularity spilling over into invalidity. SSPX Masses may be illicit, and thus should be approached with caution, but they will never be invalid.
3)The ultimate status of the SSPX is really non of my concern. Eventually Rome will make some sort of statement declaring them to be in schism or maybe the situation will continue as is and nothing will be resolved. The situation in the Church Today is in such a mess, it is foolish to expect any of this to be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. So why should any of us obsess about things no one can do anything about.
4) As for me I have more important things to worry about. Like working out my own salvation.