Vatican Summons Traditionalists To Rome

By Alessandro Speciale
Religion News Service

(RNS) The Vatican has summoned the head of a traditionalist group to Rome to assess the results of a two-year doctrinal dialogue between the schismatic group and the Holy See.

Monsignor Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), will meet on Sept. 14 with top officials who are trying to normalize relations, including American Cardinal William Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In June, Fellay said the church is "full of heresies," and the group ordained its own set of bishops in the United States, Switzerland and Germany without Vatican approval.

Talks between the two sides began in 2009 after Pope Benedict XVI lifted the 1988 excommunications of four SSPX bishops, including Bishop Richard Williamson, who has denied that the Holocaust killed 6 million Jews.

The talks focused on the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which SSPX opposes. Pope Benedict XVI maintains that Vatican II must be interpreted in "continuity" with church tradition.

According to Vatican Insider, a religion website of the Italian newspaper La Stampa, the Vatican intends to offer SSPX an special structure similar to the "ordinariate" created for Anglicans who want to join the Catholic Church. The deal would require SSPX to give "full recognition" to Vatican II reforms.

Like the structure created for the Anglicans, a special SSPX ordinariate would allow the group to keep some of its own traditions.

Comments

[BassguyGG]

10:26 AM on 08/25/2011

Truthfully, the church would like to go back to its pre-Vatican II state but understands that it can't.

[Larkin31]

08:27 AM on 08/25/2011

Catholics fascinate me. Truly, I love hearing their various explanations and rationales for their Catechism. I am even married to one. What a wild and weird organization!

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

02:17 PM on 08/24/2011

"For this reason we hold firmly to all that has been believed and practiced by the Church of all time, in her faith, morals, worship, catechetical instruction, priestly formation and her institutions and codified in the books which appeared before the Modernist influence of the late Council. Meanwhile, we wait for the true light of Tradition to dispel the darkness which obscures the sky of eternal Rome." http://whoislikeuntogod.com/2010/04/29/declaration-of-archbishop-marcel-lefebvre/\

the neo-traditionalists like lefebrve cling to the myth of an eternal unchanging "truth" of hyper-orthodoxy based upon a false creed that the roman church sprung like athena full clad from the head of peter. that it always has been thus. sic semper. that lie ignores history, much as the revisionistic tbaggers laying claim to the true thought of the founding fathers.

it is a shame that the retrogrades run backwards as if to stop change by calling it evil. humanity will always be at war with those who teach hate and conformity and suppression of freedom. unfortunately, benny16 is one of those sad figures of history who turns his back on progress and wishes for the bad old days of priestly corruption and denial of equality to women and gay men.

[marind]

01:26 PM on 08/24/2011

So now even the Vatican is supporting Cafeteria Catholics. But apparently only if they are anti-semitic, misogynistic, right wing crazies.

But a nun that agrees that a 27 year old mother of 4 needs an abortion so she won't die gets excommunicated.

Nice church you got there, Bennie.

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

02:19 PM on 08/24/2011

so when was the last time you trusted a guy in a dress wearing red silk slippers?

[alterego55]

09:13 PM on 08/24/2011

Maybe they can get together with the guys in red leotards wearing three cornered hats with tea bags hanging from them?

[Cranmer1549]

10:17 AM on 08/24/2011

"The talks focused on the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which SSPX opposes."

How funny. Since Ratzinger also opposes Vatican II reforms, then what's the big holdup?

[downunder237]

11:14 AM on 08/24/2011

The Holy Father embraces Vatican II.

The Holy Father opposes the bastardization of Vatican II by Catholics who want the Church to no longer be Catholic. Those Catholics who want a wishy-washy and lovey-dovey ecumenism that bends to every modern whim that makes them feel good vis-à-vis the modern world.

[SocratesFan]

11:58 AM on 08/24/2011

"My side is saintly, your side is demonic!"

Why don't you pat yourself on the back a little more?

By the way, I was being sarcastic.

[Stokes]

12:31 PM on 08/24/2011

There is only one Holy Father and He is our Heavenly Father.

[dpavsek]

09:48 AM on 08/24/2011

Amazing that the Vatican will welcome these traditionalists with open arms. They have denied the teachings of the church and yet the Vatican wants them back. Not only do they want them back, the Vatican will back peddle the teachings of Vatican II in order to get them back. Yet the Vatican has no trouble defrocking and excommunicating Roy Bourgeois for simply voicing his belief that women should be ordained. Roy didn't start a new church; he didn't ordain bishopos without Vatican approval; he simply questioned why discrimination exists in the church. You have to be a right wing tranditionalist to get respect from Rome. It is very sad.

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

01:11 PM on 08/24/2011

benny 16 is a reactinary, there should be no surprise here.

[marind]

01:34 PM on 08/24/2011

Pope Maladictus was instrumental is trying to destroy liberation theology in Central and South America.

Some pigs are more equal than others.

[johnnybic]

09:38 AM on 08/24/2011

Once again the Pope shows his true colors. He was a sore loser after the Council, where his theological "side" lost most of the arguments. The Vatican II document on Ecumenism especially sticks in his craw. Advising JPII and now as pope, he has done his utmost to destroy not only the spirit, but the letter of the Council's (and Paul VI's) instructions. The man's hubris knows no bounds. He will not dialogue with liberation theologians or advocates for justice for women and gay people, but the schismatics who led thousands of people astray and whose pronouncements against Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council are the height of calumny and contumely? They are "accommodated" and welcomed back with open arms. What a crock!

[Stokes]

09:36 AM on 08/24/2011

There is no comparison to the church that Peter helped to establish and the denominati­onal churches of the present. There was a fellowship of believers in the words of Christ led by His Holy Spirit. These believers were scattered all over with each group voting for elders and deacons, not to be governed by one man , but to be guided by the divine leadership of the Holy Spirit whom Christ promised to send after His resurrecti­on. Bring back the New Testament Church and let God the Father through Christ Jesus Emmanuel and through the Holy Spirit rule, so that the order of the Heavenly Father's design could fall into place. How can anyone say that their's is the true church, when there is so much sin and chaos in the world? If we were truly following the will of our Heavenly Father, there would be His love and peace throughout the whole earth. Peace. A former Catholic who cares deeply about her fellow Catholics.”

[Stokes]

08:43 AM on 08/24/2011

(Inspired to write on 4-27-1969)
"Tell the weary about the storm of proximity that is about to come upon them. Behold, a wanton creature to be establishe­d within the Universal Church. He has made the weak succumb to the teachings which are discordant in the manual exhibited amongst the climbers. He largely embraces the enticing wickedness that spewed forth from a weak segment of so- called Christiani­ty. He purposes to do away with the concordant relationsh­ip to Christ."”

[gingersaff]

08:06 AM on 08/24/2011

It's sad to see the world's institutions crawling back into the filthy caves where orthodoxy and conservatism thrive, turning their backs on enlightenment and tolerance. Oh wait, were we talking about the catholic church? In that case it's expected.

[rjhuntington]

07:52 AM on 08/24/2011

All of which illustrates how non-catholic, meaning how not universal, the RCC is.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

06:35 AM on 08/24/2011

J K Rowling could not write a more fantastic plot, complete with wizened old characters and fanciful costumes and ornate old stone buildings and obscure terminology.....................is the Pope Dumbledore, or Voldemort??

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

01:13 PM on 08/24/2011

his evil runs deeper than that. one needs to think sauron or morgoth,

[marind]

01:35 PM on 08/24/2011

Come on - you know the answer to that one! (Hint: Starts with a "V" - as in vicious.)

[montanadan]

02:44 PM on 08/24/2011

(Seriously, I have GOT to start reading the Harry Potter books! Maybe next summer, and this time I definitely MEAN it!)

[Hysterian68]

02:44 AM on 08/24/2011

The Anglican Ordinariate is made up of a nutty fringe group who think of themselves as Anglicans, but are really uber Romanists who don't want women priests, are conservative politically, and are more Roman than Rome. No half-way decent Anglican will have anything to do with these kooks.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

06:28 AM on 08/24/2011

We don't.  They left the Anglican church; others may join them.  We wish them well, but we are glad they have left.  I wonder how Catholic priests react to the fact these Ordinariates are paid much better??

[Hysterian68]

11:14 PM on 08/24/2011

Many RC priests bishops are very upset at the generous terms Benny 16 extended to Anglican clergy converting to this Ordinariate. Seminarians are permitted to marry in some cases and will have a large measure of power independent from the local RC bishop. Some Anglo Catholic clergy are holding out to get the best deal they can as part of this bargain from Uncle Joe Ratzinger . I think he's prepared to give in to many of their demands too.

[Cranmer1549]

10:24 AM on 08/24/2011

Apparently, the term "ordinariate" will be attached to any group of kooks that are even too conservative for Ratzinger. The Anglican Ordinariate are not only kooks, but also dolts. They think they can still receive their CofE pension and use CofE funds for anti-Anglican activities. Good luck to them in the Roman Church.

[peter010908]

02:22 AM on 08/24/2011

Blah, blah, blah who cares

[marind]

01:36 PM on 08/24/2011

Unfortunately these kooks are politically active in the US. (By kooks I mean the RCC.)

[montanadan]

02:47 PM on 08/24/2011

These kooks are also very much involved in the recent financial attacks on Planned Parenthood in several state legislatures, on adoption rights in Illinois, and on GLBT rights. I wish it was as easy as blah, blah, blah.

[Hysterian68]

02:19 AM on 08/24/2011

Bishops Fellay and Williamson of the SSPX are fronts for a growing neo Nazism in Europe dedicated to the destruction of the Second Vatican Council and its effort to take the Catholic Church into the 21st century. Such a structure, if established, will be itself an heretical act.

Benedict will have shown his true colors if this "structure" is approved. He would be trying to sprinkle perfume on the stench of not onl yheresy, but he would be legitimizing schism. Why not do the same for other independent Catholic bodies such as Old Roman Catholics, Utrecht Old Catholics, Polish National Catholics and countless other splinter groups?

Lutherans, Anglicans, and mainline Protestants should be approached as well). What's worse, he is supporting anti-Semitism of the most virulent form in Europe and America today. These bishops and the SSPX / Sedevacantists , as Benedict is doing himself, are embracing a movement to return Catholicism to the 16th century. To being an even stronger bulwark of anti-rationalist and illiberal thought. A total rejection of the Enlightenment and everything it represents.

The universal college of bishops need to force Benedict into resignation, or take their dioceses out of communion with Rome asap.

Either Benedict must resign the papacy, or a Great Council must be called to depose him for leading the Church into error if this structure goes into effect.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

06:30 AM on 08/24/2011

Isn't the Catholic Church complex?  Why would a seeker choose this earthly confusion to seek God?

[OuterBanx North12]

08:38 AM on 08/24/2011

don't worry, the Catholic Church itself is not trying to get to the 21st century; they're still in the 13th.