Secretary of Ecclesia Dei Positive about Negotiations between SSPX and Catholic Church

By Vatican Inisider
10/6/2011
Vatican Insider, La Stampa (vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/)

Whoever is Catholic body and soul can live fully and well in the Catholic Church

In an interview with Gloria TV, the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei said there was no reason to expect a failure in negotiations.

Now, it is up to the SSPX

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ROME, Italy (Vatican Insider) - "The doctrinal Preamble has been delivered to Monsignor Fellay and to the superiors of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, so that they can examine it and provide a response, which we hope will be a favourable, positive and affirmitive one."

"It is always possible to ask for clarifications which we will be sure to give within a reasonable period of time. I think it is out of place to dwell on the problem of what will happen if the difficulties are judged to be serious."

These were the words of the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Monsignor Guido Pozzo, to whom Benedict XVI entrusted the "negotiations" for the much hoped for reentry of Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre's followers into communion with the Catholic Church.

"Whoever is Catholic body and soul", the prelate explained to Gloria TV microphones, "can live fully and well in the Catholic Church, wherever the Catholic Church exists and grows." This, he clarified, "is not just a statement of principle, it is an existential affirmation that corresponds to the reality of the Catholic Church."

And even though he admits that "some difficulties do exist, partly because of the critical situation in which many Catholics find themselves in this and other countries," Monsignor Pozzo is optimistic about the success of the path of reconciliation with the traditionalists who ran into Lefebvre's schism, a path the Pope wished to begin three years agowith the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum". This liberalises the use of the old Latin missal and allows a pardon to be given, remitting the excommunications of the four bishops whom Lefevre himself had consecrated illicitly.

"I don't believe, the interviewer recalled, that any cases of this kind have ever arisen at any time in history and so the answer is very simple: whoever is truly and completely Catholic, not only has the right to be in the Catholic Church, but lives well in it and is happy being part of it."

The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission of Ecclesia Dei believes the widepread "upset stomachs" that the Pope's decisions have caused, are the result of "a widespread prejudice against the liturgy celebrated according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite."

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Vatican Insider is a project run by the daily newspaper La Stampa, designed to provide a complete information service on the Vatican, the activities of the Pope and the Holy See, the Catholic Church�s presence on the international scene and on religious issues. It is an independent multimedia tool, produced in three languages: Italian, English and Spanish.

Keywords: SSPX, Lefebvrians, Doctrinal preamble, schism, healing, Pope Benedict XVI

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1 - 9 of 9 Comments

Bulbajer
1 year ago
Dan Hunter, ecumenism isn't just about trying to get non-Catholics to join the Catholic Church. It's about dialogue and cooperation. The only way the world's religions can get along peacefully, never mind conversions, is if we talk to each other and work together.
Dan Hunter
1 year ago
"just because the Church believed something for most of its history does not mean that it's necessary to keep that belief."

Mr Bulbajer

Divine Public Revelation ended with the death of St John the Evangelist about the year 115 AD
Therefore nothing new can be added to the Deposit of the Faith in the Teaching Magisterium of the Church.
The Catholic Church would cease to be the Divine Church, the Body of Christ if She did not keep what she always taught for Mans assent of Faith.
Ecumenism, as was always taught by the Church, and therefore the only true meaning of ecumenism,is the call for all non-Catholics to return to the Church which is the only means of salvation.
Read "Mortalium Animos" Papal Encyclical which is always bnding on the faithful.
Bulbajer
1 year ago
Fr. Collins, just because the Church believed something for most of its history does not mean that it's necessary to keep that belief. The idea that the Jews committed deicide was disposed of a Vatican II, even though the Church had held that position (or at least encouraged it) for centuries. We need to have good reasons for what we believe. What do you see that's wrong in ecumenism?
Fr. Shannon Collins
1 year ago
To Bulbajer...name one dogma of Revelation that the SSPX rejects? The society accepts every truly dogmatic statement of the Second Vatican Council. But as for ecumenism, which, by the way, is not a part of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and other newer directions and orientations taken by the episcopacy, the society does have problems. For the love of the good Lord and His Blessed Mother, please pray for this situation and rejoice with the possibilities. Not only will the SSPX being given possibly full canonical status within Holy Church, but this will help all traditional minded Catholics who have been so confused by actions taken by prelates. To treat the SSPX as spiritual "lepers," would not only go against the express desires of the Pope, but would go against all our spiritual ancestors who believed exactly what the SSPX believes today.
Deacon keith Fournier
1 year ago
To Joselyn: This report is taken directly from a European source being republished on our site. They often use term "Monignor" to designate Bishops in many other parts of the world. There was ABSOLUTELY no disrespect. When we re-publish a source, we do not change the unique terminology of the part of the world from which the report comes.Thanks for reading Catholic Online and lets all praying for the Church
Mickey Prosper Nyamacherenga
1 year ago
I love your online i wish to learn more about catholic rosary eg rosary thank you.
Joselyn
1 year ago
"Monsignor" Lefevbre and "Monsignor" Fellay? They are Bishops.
Bulbajer
1 year ago
I thought the Church already allowed Latin masses? The definition of a Traditionalist Catholic (capital T) is one who not only prefers the Latin mass, but rejects Vatican II. Some Traditionalist societies have good relations with the Church, like the FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter). SSPX, while not being one of those crazy sedevacantist or conclavist groups, doesn't have the friendly relations that the Vatican and FSSP have. It'll take more than permitting more Latin masses to reunite with them.
RoseRed
1 year ago
JMJ
The SSPX will not be reentering the Catholic Church, they will be coming into full comunion; they where never fully outside.

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