Rorate Caeli

Fellay in Argentina: "already signed"


From the lecture given by Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior-General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX/SSPX) in Martínez, in the Province of Buenos Aires, on December 16, 2006 (WAV file in the website of the South American District of the FSSPX).

We present the main snippet below, as we gather some more information. The Bishop's somewhat broken Spanish (the main words should read, "el documento ya ESTÁ firmado") is kept as faithfully as possible in the following translation:

"What is interesting is that Cardinal Ricard told the Assembly of French Bishops, that was in early November, that 'the motu proprio is not signed', and that now is the time to make notes, to define what is thought, what should be corrected.

"[01:38:30]Well, the document is already signed [emphatic] and the Cardinal who spoke to the French Bishops knows it. There are curious things. And, also, after the signing, the matter is once again discussed, on December 12. That is why I say that the [motu] proprio is not really 'proprio' [play with words, the Pope's 'own' document, is not really his 'own']

"Well, there are very curious things. We know, from someone high up, that the publication was predicted for November 11. However, the Pope fears the bishops’s reaction, and... (sic) that is why ... (sic) it takes long... (sic) -- and, now, don’t ask me when ... (sic) the day of this motu proprio [the date in which it will be published]. I don’t know. What I can say is that, last year, a secretary of the Synod of the Eucharist, a week before the end of the Synod, was absolutely certain of the publication of the permission for the Mass by the end of the Synod. This was over one year ago. [emphatic]"

...

"...it seems like that in this text, motu proprio, there isn’t only the Mass, there’s something else, there’s another thing, and this other thing is for the Society of Saint Pius X. But, I don’t know what. I ask myself if it’s the matter of the excommunications, if it’s the question of the juridical structure. I don’t know. They haven’t told me ! (laughter) and, then… (sic) but what I see is that, it’s like an expectation by Rome that, if they give us the Mass, they think that we are going to change and end the battle. And that, you can be certain, it’s not true. Not for anything!"


*"Lo que es interesante es que el Cardenal Ricard dijo a la asamblea de los obispos, fue al inicio de noviembre, que 'el motu proprio no está firmado' y que ahora es el tiempo para hacer notas, para definir lo que piensa, lo que hay que corregir... (sic) [01:38:30] Bueno, el documento ya es [emphasis] firmado y el Cardenal que ha hablado con los obispos franceses lo sabe. Hay cosas curiosas. Y también, después de la firma, el 12 de diciembre, se ha tratado de nuevo del tema. Es por eso que digo que 'proprio' no es tan 'proprio' ... (sic).

"Bueno, hay cosas muy curiosas. Sabemos de muy alto que era previsto (sic) la publicación en el 11 de noviembre. Pero el papa teme la reacción de los obispos y ... (sic) es por eso que es... (sic) es demorado ... (sic) y ahora no me preguntan (sic) cuando ... (sic) el día de este motu proprio. No lo sé. Lo que puedo decir es que el año pasado un secretario del sínodo sur (sic) la Eucaristía, una semana antes de, de la fin, del fin del sínodo, era absolutamente cierto de la publicación de la permisión de la misa al fin de este sínodo. Hace más de un año. [emphasis]"

...

"...parece que en este texto, motu proprio, no hay solamente la misa, hay otro, hay otra cosa, y otra cosa que es para la Fraternidad San Pío Décimo. Pero no sé qué. Me pregunto si es la cuestión de las excomunicaciones, si es la cuestión de una estructura jurídica. No sé. No me (sic) han dicho! (laughter) Y entonces...(sic) pero lo que veo es que, es como una espera de parte de Roma que se van a dar a nosotros la misa y entienden que nosotros vamos a movernos y terminar la batalla. Y eso, pueden ser (sic) ciertos que no es verdad. Por nada!"