Hoped for Healing with SSPX Slows in Pace

SSPX Bishop Bernard Fellay wrote a letter saying "the time for an agreement has not yet come."

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - At the end of a week long apostolic visit to the United States by Pope Benedict XVI, word has sadly emerged that the Society of Saint Pius X (the SSPX),the traditionalist followers of deceased Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, have decided not to pursue full communion with the Catholic Church.

At least not now.

Pope Benedict's apostolic letter earlier this year which expanded the use of the celebration of what was the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, the Mass of Blessed John XXIII, was received favorably by many, including the Society. They celebrate that form of the Holy Mass exclusively. It is often referred to as the "Tridentine Mass".

Since the full availability of that Rite was one of the conditions of the ongoing dialogue toward reconciliation, many observers had hoped that there would be a healing of the division occasioned by the deceased Archbishop.

Since the issuance of the letter, many former participants in the SSPX have returned to the full communion of the Catholic Church. In fact, new religious communities, using the older Liturgy as their norm of celebration, have been formed and are flourishing, in full communion with Rome and with the approbation of the Holy See.

The deceased Archbishop Lefebvre was an early participant in the Second Vatican Council. His disagreements with the Magisterium came concerning his perception of much of its application.

He particularly objected to the opening of the Church to ecumenism and to his perception of the application of the "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World", the seminal document on mission, as it pertained to the Church and its relationship to culture.

Archbishop Lefebvre ordained four bishops against Rome's directives in 1988. The rift has deepened since.

Some of the group's leaders had indicated that they were pleased with the direction of discussions being held with representatives of the Holy See. They welcomed the wide opening to the use of the older rite Latin Mass.

However, these recent indications from the leadership indicate that there are teachings of the Council which the group simply will not accept.

SSPX Bishop Bernard Fellay wrote a letter published this weekend by the SSPX information service DICI in which he stated: "The time for an agreement has not yet come."

He further announced his opinion that opening to the older form of the Latin Mass was "not accompanied by logically co-related measures in the other areas of the life of the Church."

Finally he declared that "...nothing has changed in Rome's determination to follow the council's orientation, despite 40 years of crisis, despite the deserted convents, abandoned rectories and empty churches."

The Society is headquartered in Switzerland and claims 1 million supporters.

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