Inaccuracy (surprise!) in reporting of SSPX "reconciliation"

DICI.org ^ | 10/16/06 | Editor

[Slugworth]

In its October 16 edition, Le Figaro published an article by Sophie de Ravinel entitled: “The Lefebvrites: Rome about to lift the sanctions”. This article, which claims that Bishop Fellay is sending a letter to the pope asking that the excommunications be lifted, contains two errors which lead to an untrue statement:

Sophie de Ravinel mistook the two preconditions formulated by Bishop Fellay at the beginning of 2001 (freedom for the Traditional Mass and withdrawal of the decree of excommunication) and the spiritual bouquet of one million rosaries which he will offer to the pope at the end of the month of October to ask for freedom for the Tridentine Mass.

Secondly, she mistook this spiritual bouquet addressed to the pope and the answer Bishop Fellay has to give to a letter from Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos. In this letter dated from June of this year – and which in due course could be made public – there is no mention of “the Latin Mass soon being restored to honor”, nor any request for a letter asking for “the re-establishment of full communion with the see of Peter”.

With these distinctions in mind, it is false to affirm, as Sophie de Ravinel did, that “the Superior of this Society founded by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1970 has indeed told Le Figaro of his intention to send a letter to Benedict XVI with this request (the lifting of the sanctions) as well as a plea for the freedom of the Mass according to the Tridentine rite… and this “in answer to a letter sent by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos some four months ago.”

The article in Le Figaro makes extensive use of the conditional: Bishop Fellay might be about to…, this letter might be an answer…, a letter in which Cardinal Castrillon might have assured… We would like fewer suppositions and more facts. The end result is that the article gives a seriously biased view of the state of the relations between Rome and the SSPX.

Rather than putting words which he never said into the Superior General’s mouth, we prefer to give you a transcription of the key points of his hour-long conference in Villepreux (near Paris) on October 14. During this talk, he gives precise information concerning the relations between Rome and Ecône. You will see for yourself the very clear terms Bishop Fellay uses when he speaks of the “withdrawal of the decree of excommunication” which he clearly distinguished from the “lifting of the sanctions.”

GOD BESS YOU, BISHOP FELAY!!!