NEWS ROUND UP AND COMMENTARY

A great number events have occured on the ecclesiastical scene in the last week most significant were:

• lifting of the excommunications on the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) bishops.
• the holocaust denial of Bishop Williamson.
• the secular media attempt to connect the Pope's lifting of excommunications with bishop Williamson's comments.
• the condemnation of Bishop Williamson's remarks by Cardinal Kasper and others.
• the condemnation of the same remarks by Bishop Fellay, head of the SSPX.
• the condemnation of Bishop Williamson's remarks by Fr Schmidtburger of the German district of the SSPX.
• the statments of certain episcopal conferences supporting the Holy Father's action re SSPX, but in some cases adding conditions narrower than the popes i.e. French episcopal conference - Vatican II is not negotiable.
• the election of Kirill as Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias.

Bishop Williamson of the SSPX, has certainly isolated himself with his holocaust denial, strangely though, he was considered the most fractious of the four and a possible obstacle to the aim of full ecclesial union. Perhaps his comments were after all, timely, since he has now been silenced by his own people - will his views now have any credibility even amongst the SSPX in the negotiations with the Holy See ? Probably not.

Not without interest is the fact that the secular media's attempt to discredit the Pope's lifting of the excommunication by turning it into a Catholic-Jewish issue, may have served ultimatley to help the situation within the SSPX.

Perhaps the most revealing thing about the statement of the Permanent Council of Bishops of France is that they felt it necessary to make the statement "Vatican II is not negotiable." Perhaps they fear what was always inevitable, a revisiting of the "Council" and it's inerperatation in the light of Tradition. In summary then Vatican II is not negotiable but it's interperatation most certainly is! Perhaps this is really what is as stake?

The Second Vatican Council has come to represent in the minds of many liberals a change of direction in the Church which was never intended by the Council. Nevertheless it has become a sacred cow and must be defended since it provides the rational for so many misguided policies and attitudes which are by now deeply entrenched in many countries. Perhaps the SSPX will provide the impetus for an honest examination of the Council's real intention and a reapraisal of the manner in which it has been interperated hitherto. Perhaps the really divisive issue has been the selective interperatation and implementation of Vatican II at the expense of church unity. The inablity of the Catholic Church to resolve this crisis is a serious obstacle to any consideration of union with Eastern Churches. The new Patriarch of Moscow, will no doubt be following these events with keen interest as indeed will all the East.

Superior General of the SSPX:Bishop Williamson forbidden to speakon political or historical matters

Communiqué of the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X,
Bishop Bernard Fellay

It has come to our attention that Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of our Society, granted an interview to a Swedish network. In this interview, he also commented on historical issues, especially on the genocide of Jews by the National-Socialist regime. It is obvious that a bishop speaks with religious authority solely on matters of faith and morals. Our Society claims no authority over historical or other secular matters.

The mission of the Society is the offering and restoration of authentic Catholic teaching, as handed down in the dogmas. We are known, accepted, and appreciated worldwide for this.

We view this matter with great concern, as this exorbitance has caused severe damage to our religious mission. We apologize to the Holy Father and to all people of good will for the trouble it has caused.

It must remain clear that those comments do not reflect in any way the attitude of our community. That is why I have forbidden Bishop Williamson to issue any public opinion on any political or historical matter until further notice.
The constant accusations against the Society have also apparently served the purpose of discrediting our mission. We will not allow this, but will continue to preach Catholic doctrine and to offer the Sacraments in the ancient rite.

Menzingen, January 27, 2009
+ Bishop Bernard Fellay
Superior General

Decree Lifting Excommunications of SSPX Bishops

Decree of the Congregation for Bishops

CONGREGATIO PRO EPISCOPIS

By way of a letter of December 15, 2008 addressed to His Eminence Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Mons. Bernard Fellay, also in the name of the other three Bishops consecrated on June 30, 1988, requested anew the removal of the latae sententiae excommunication formally declared with the Decree of the Prefect of this Congregation on July 1, 1988. In the aforementioned letter, Mons. Fellay affirms, among other things: "We are always firmly determined in our will to remain Catholic and to place all our efforts at the service of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church.

We accept its teachings with filial disposition. We believe firmly in the Primacy of Peter and in its prerogatives, and for this the current situation makes us suffer so much."His Holiness Benedict XVI - paternally sensitive to the spiritual unease manifested by the interested party due to the sanction of excommunication and trusting in the effort expressed by them in the aforementioned letter of not sparing any effort to deepen the necessary discussions with the Authority of the Holy See in the still open matters, so as to achieve shortly a full and satisfactory solution of the problem posed in the origin - decided to reconsider the canonical situation of Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta, arisen with their episcopal consecration.

With this act, it is desired to consolidate the reciprocal relations of confidence and to intensify and grant stability to the relationship of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X with this Apostolic See. This gift of peace, at the end of the Christmas celebrations, is also intended to be a sign to promote unity in the charity of the universal Church and to try to vanquish the scandal of division.

It is hoped that this step be followed by the prompt accomplishment of full communion with the Church of the entire Fraternity of Saint Pius X, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope with the proof of visible unity.

Based on the faculties expressly granted to me by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, in virtue of the present Decree, I remit from Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta the censure of latae sententiae excommunication declared by this Congregation on July 1, 1988, while I declare deprived of any juridical effect, from the present date, the Decree emanated at that time.

Rome, from the Congregation for Bishops, January 21, 2009.
Card. Giovanni Battista Re

Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Sources:

1.Available Vatican publication (in Italian)

2.Text of the 1988 Decree (in English)

Ex-communications of SSPX to be lifted by Pope

Vatican expert: Pope Benedict XVI to lift excommunication of Lefebvrists this week
Vatican City, January 22 (CNA).-

Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican expert of the Italian daily "Il Giornale" announced today that Pope Benedict XVI has decided to revoke the decree of excommunication of the four bishops consecrated by French Bishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988, creating a schism in the Catholic Church.

The suspension of the excommunication of the Lefebvrist bishops has been making the rounds of several conservative blogs, mostly in Spanish, since Monday.

Although the announcement of the declaration was expected for Wednesday or Thursday, a Vatican source confirmed to CNA that it will be made public on Friday via the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, headed by Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio.

This decree will mean, Tornielli explains, that "the superior of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, Bernard Fellay, and the other three bishops, Alfonso de Gallareta, Tissier de Mallerais and Richard Williamson will no longer be excommunicated."

According to Tornielli, who first suggested the move on his blog on Wednesday, the decision "has been maturing in the recent months," after Fellay sent a letter requesting Pope Benedict to revoke the act taken by Pope John Paul II following Lefebvre's decision to ordain the bishops.

"It was then a schismatic act, since those consecrations were not legitimized by the Pontiff, justified by Lefebvre as a necessity for the survival of his Traditionalist community. A community that had accepted neither the post conciliar liturgical reform nor some decrees of the Second Vatican Council, all of them signed by Lefebvre himself, including the one on religious liberty," Tornielli writes.

On January 20, the Traditionalists completed 1.7 million Rosaries as part of a campaign initiated by the four Lefebvrist bishops during a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Lourdes on the occasion of the feast of Christ the King. The campaign was launched to "obtain from Our Lady the lifting of the decree of excommunication of 1988."

The two consecrating bishops--Marcel Lefebvre and the Brazilian Antonio de Castro Mayer--and the four bishops of the Fraternity of St. Pius X were all excommunicated by Pope John Paul II. Both Lefebvre and Castro Mayer are deceased.