Communiqué from the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

DICI ^ | 19th April 2005 | His Excellency Bishop Bertnard Fellay

[Tantumergo]

In the name of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, His Excellency Bishop Fellay, Superior General, welcomes the accession of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the Sovereign Pontificate. He sees there a gleam of hope that we may find a way out of the profound crisis which is shaking the Catholic Church, of which some aspects have been spoken of by the former Head for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and quite recently so in his preaching on the occasion of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

His Excellency Bishop Fellay implores Our Lord Jesus Christ, Head of the Mystical Body, that the two-thousand-year-old Tradition of the Church, forgotten and mistreated during the last forty years, may regain its place during this Pontificate, and that the Traditional Holy Mass may be re-established in all its rights, without restrictions.

Finally, the Superior General assures the Successor of Peter, Benedict XVI, of his prayers and those of all the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X for the considerable task which awaits him in order to restore all things in Christ.

April 19, 2005

+Bernard Fellay

Superior General

[Dominick]

You equate changing the form of the Mass as destroying the faith? What happened when the Mass changed from the Divine Liturgy to the Latin form? Was there an SSPI?

If comes down to Christ giving the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter, if you believe Christ, then you have to agree the Pope can change the form of the Rites of the Church.

Like I said, this isn't about the Mass anymore, it is about retaining power.

[Rutles4Ever]

Dear Bishop Fellay,

Don't call us, we'll call you.


Sincerely,
The Catholic Church

[donbosco74]

Your words are reminding me of Jerry Brown. They called him "Governor Moonbeam."

[te lucis]

Dear Bishop Fellay, Don't call us, we'll call you. Sincerely, The Catholic Church

How very un-ecumenical. Saint John Paul The Great labored unceasingly for the unification of all Christians. You disgrace his memory.

[Mershon]

I really have no idea of what you are speaking. You obviously have not followed closely the public conversations between Ratzinger, Hoyos and Fellay & Co. Hoyos, after meeting with three of the four bishops, pronounced that he detected no heresy nor schismatic attitudes among them. Bet you haven't read that?

Also, being that Ratzinger demanded NOTHING from Lefebvre other than accepting Lumen Gentium 25, which is a repetition of Vatican I's papal infallibility, including the bishops, to what can you possibly be referring.

There are two Roman rites currently. The classical Roman rite, as Pope Benedict XVI calls it, will most likely be freed. Then, the fun will begin...

This is the least that can be done in light of all of the ecumenical gestures to every other Christian denomination and the inter-religious dialogue to every other religion, including animists. This reconciliation will also pave the way to better relations with the Orthodox, as many of them have been watching closely how Rome has treated the SSPX situation.

Be in denial if you want, but don't get washed out by the riptide that is about to hit you and many friends of mine similar to you. The positivist pontificates and the positivist councils are over. Stability and tradition are the buzzwords. Get used to it-- in all charity of course.

[Dominick]

Your words are reminding me of Jerry Brown. They called him "Governor Moonbeam."

Incomprehensible. Is this your response to authentic Catholicism?

[Mershon]

"Dear Bishop Fellay,

Don't call us, we'll call you."

The NeoCons who don't have a real clue about true ecumenism or our new Pope Benedict XVI. This reeling we are seeing here will even happen with many so-called "conservative" priests.

This will become extremely interesting...

[Rutles4Ever]

I believe in ecumenism. I believe Pope Benedict will build a bridge, but you're going to have to cross it to get to him. John Paull II labored unceasingly, but after thirty years, the SSPX did what in response? Sounds like you want all the heavy-lifting and compromising to come from the Vatican. Not gonna happen.

The well-wishes of SSPX are conditional, not absolute. Come back into full communion with Rome as she is, not as you want her to be.

[Rutles4Ever]

Mershon -

If Rome declares the "normativa missa" of two kinds instead of one, I'll continue to obey the Magisterium.

I would love to see the Latin Mass restored as long as it's by decree of Rome.

Obedience to the Holy Father, above all.

[Dominick]

Hoyos, after meeting with three of the four bishops, pronounced that he detected no heresy nor schismatic attitudes among them. Bet you haven't read that?

I have, however, when asked by interested parties, the Vatican reply refers to the original statement of Ratzinger who used the words, "schismatic mentality", This has not and I don't suppose it would be withdrawn without a change in the SSPX. There are two Roman rites currently.

There are many Rites, there is one Latin rite of the Mass, if the Local Ordinary permits it, a second rite of the Mass, the Tridentine rite may be used, as stated in the Indult. These two orders of the Mass may not be mixed.

This is the least that can be done in light of all of the ecumenical gestures to every other Christian denomination and the inter-religious dialogue to every other religion, including animists.

I don't see where you get this, except to pepper the discussion. There have been no gestures currently underway. In fact the interfaith dialogs were not attended by Ratzinger, he was said to oppose them. No reaching out to animists was ever done, as it were to the Orthodox. Animism is not Sui Juris.

Be in denial if you want, but don't get washed out by the riptide that is about to hit you and many friends of mine similar to you.

I am not in denial at all. If Pope Benedict asks us to return to the 1562 missal, my response is no different. I want to follow Christ, and take a bite out of his Body. I show my obedience to God, by my obedience to the Vicar of Christ. For the sake of Christ, who gave him the authority over the Church, I will obey. Have you read "Imitation of Christ" lately?

I keep repeating myself, this isn't about the Mass. How about if Fellay was ordered to conduct a Mass in the Novus Ordo, as Lefebvre had done? Even if he did, I imagine Fellay will lose the pointy hat, for that reason, Fellay may never rejoin the Church. Would you be in denial of the Vicar of Christ's authority?

I accused the SSPX in particular of being comprised of cafeteria Catholics. I also had said in particular, it was suffering from modernism, where it thinks that each member can follow Fellay as he picks and chooses what part of Catholicism he can take into the SSPX.

[te lucis]

Sounds like you want all the heavy-lifting and compromising to come from the Vatican.

Freeing something that has never been abrogated hardly seems like a compromise to me, but yes. Rome screwed it all up, they should be the first to offer to fix it.

Not gonna happen.

Not holding my breath.

Come back into full communion with Rome as she is, not as you want her to be.

I am in full communion with Rome, as she's supposed to be.

[Mershon]

"Obedience to the Holy Father, above all."

When the Holy Father is obedient to Tradition and immemorial custom. With Benedict XVI, I am quite certain there will be little problem with that.

Pope Benedict XVI has even written that no Pope has the authority to radically change the Sacred Liturgy. He is bound to hand on what he is given. This is his chief duty as Pope. Extremes from the previous pontificate will be rectified.

[Mershon]

"there is one Latin rite of the Mass, if the Local Ordinary permits it, a second rite of the Mass"

Now that makes a lot of sense. Keep saying it over and over and over again... What?

"No reaching out to animists was ever done, as it were to the Orthodox. Animism is not Sui Juris."

The Great Thumb, by invitation of Pope John Paul II, was worshipped and prayed to by its adherents at both of the Assisi gatherings.

"Have you read "Imitation of Christ" lately?"

If you have a specific charge of heresy or schism against me, I would be grateful for you to point it out. However, I have a regular confessor and regular spiritual reading. Yes, I have read this book and many others. Don't beat around the bush with a subtle accusation against humility or whatever you seem to be implying. Please be direct.

"I accused the SSPX in particular of being comprised of cafeteria Catholics. I also had said in particular, it was suffering from modernism, where it thinks that each member can follow Fellay as he picks and chooses what part of Catholicism he can take into the SSPX."

Does this go for the entirety of all the priests, bishops and laity who attend their chapels? The Church has never made such a bold, nor erroneous pronouncement. It seems you are going farther in judging 1 million people than the Church has done. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your opinion and re-align it with the Church.

[donbosco74]

Well I went back and read it again and to be honest, I don't have the time or energy to take each sentence in order. I think we should wait until tomorrow and look at it again, if that's okay with you?

[Dominick]

The Great Thumb, by invitation of Pope John Paul II, was worshipped and prayed to by its adherents at both of the Assisi gatherings.

No proof was ever given, no article, no writing from someone who was there, but you and others have made the charge liberally. The second Assisi gathering was attended by Ratzinger, and as I understand from FIRSTHAND reports, no prayer was entered there. In any case, they worshipped the great thumb from a thousand miles away?

If you have a specific charge of heresy or schism against me, I would be grateful for you to point it out.

We were not discussing you, I was saying, that one thing that sticks to me is how obedience to God is expressed by self immolation of our own will to his, and by extension to his Church and his Vicar. Christ did not say I give you the Keys to the Kingdom with caveats, he gave them to him, and he has passed them down through generations; today to Pope Benedict.

[donbosco74]

One late, scholarly cleric said that it is not liturgies but dogma that is the real bone of contention.

We could argue until the cows come home all around liturgy, and get nowhere.

But start at the beginning with dogma, and address concerns over particular points of same, and much profit is in the offing.

The problem is to get the right people to sit down and have an honest discussion of dogma that has been under attack lately. This is the key issue. It's not liturgy, it's dogma. Pope Benedict XVI is aware of this problem. He might not go so far as to open the door to such a discussion, but I think he might give the impression that he is considering the possibility.

If he takes this step, we can expect nothing but great fruits. I would put no limits on the benefits thereof.

[Dominick]

You want to consider if I resemble Jerry Brown? Take a cheap shot and leave?

[murphE]

The classical Roman rite, as Pope Benedict XVI calls it, will most likely be freed.

I don't even want to say it out loud lest it not be true.

[gbcdoj]

The Great Thumb, by invitation of Pope John Paul II, was worshipped and prayed to by its adherents at both of the Assisi gatherings.

I think that the "Great Thumb" is actually an honorific title for the animist Supreme God, according to this site: These prayers for peace were offered in Assisi, Italy on the Day of Prayer for World Peace during the U.N. International Year of Peace in 1986.

A NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot, the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees, the all-seeing Lord on high who sees even the foot prints of an antelope on a rock mass here on Earth, you are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.

That's an interesting site; there don't actually seem to have been any prayers directed to a being who is not conceived of as eternal, supreme, omnipotent, etc. However, there are some "prayers" which don't seem to be prayers at all, e.g. the Buddhist one, the Baha'i one...

[murphE]

I think that the "Great Thumb" is actually an honorific title for the animist Supreme God,

Oh, so that makes it OK. Not. Aw, c'mon, just when I was beginning to like you. ;-)