The Italian daily L'Indipendente publishes today a powerful article (PDF file), written by Tommaso Debenedetti, with extremely important information on the Papal meeting of February 13, the considerably deep rapport between the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and the Pope himself, and the prospects of what may happen at the second Papal-Curial meeting of March 23.These are the most important parts of the article:
1. The heads of the dicasteries [capi dicastero], in fact, were called to evaluate, together with the pope, the fastest and the most legally valid ways to arrive at what Benedict XVI wishes with all his strength: that is, the end of every disagreement with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X (the official name of that organization which assembles the followers of Lefebvre, that is, the four bishops, almost 500 priests and hundreds of thousands of faithful in the five continents). Actually, Ratzinger did not need consultants: he had been put in charge by John Paul II to look after this very delicate question for more than a decade. It is known, in fact, that Wojtila suffered immensely for having to impose the excommunications which signaled the birth of the only schism of contemporary times.
2. Benedict XVI, who, once elected pope, quickly decided to carry the matter forward to solve it in a short time, has chosen instead to assure a broad consensus and the input of legal-technical advice in taking the decision which he had always considered an absolute priority.
3. A document will be drafted to be presented to the Pope in another meeting, scheduled for March 23, which -- according to the news collected by us -- will signal not only the lifting of the excommunications, but the end of the schism
4. "The Holy Father", says one of his collaborators, "is so interested in finding a solution in a very short time that he is ready to find any legal way which pleases him. Naturally without disregarding the fundamental principles of the Church, of her history, and of the dispositions which concern her today."
5. Therefore, a compromise? "In such matters", responds the Pope's collaborator, "there are no compromises, at least not in the current and easily misleading sense of the word, but there are fruitful mediations, especially when both parts have the will to arrive at an objective".
6. Asked if March 23 will be the true date, it is answered: "For us, it will be."
7. Nobody in the Vatican admits it in clear terms, but the often recurrent news according to which Benedict XVI himself has, at least with a certain frequency, direct contacts with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X seems well founded. Repeated (extremely discrete) telephone conversations between Ratzinger and the Lefebvrian bishop Fellay are mentioned, from which has matured a disposition, from the part of Traditionalists, which is quite superior [more positive] than that which is expressed by the official communiqués.
8. Actually, the truly encouraging results of these contacts have induced Ratzinger to call the two meetings of [past] Monday and of March 23 and to bring the news to the outside, which would have been avoided if there had not been a feeling of justified optimism.
Holy See - Rome - SSPX - Fellay - talks - reconciliation
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