For some time now we have been planning to give some coverage to the very illuminating "Letter to the Friends and Benefactors" of February 2006, written by the SSPX Superior to Ireland, Father Ramón Anglés. In homage to Saint Patrick, today seems to be a most perfect day. In his letter, Father Anglés gives us a glimpse of the what the nature of the Society is:
But Father Anglés does a little more than that, he goes on to say what the Society wishes for, at least in the short term:
But this is all wishful thinking, right? Maybe not? The answer, again, seems to come from accross the pond, again, from a SSPX superior, but this time from England.In his March 2006 letter, Father Paul Morgan gives an inside look at a letter written by Bishop Fellay himself to the Superiors of the Society, which, among other interesting details, gives us a look of what might actually happen in the short term:
(...)First of all, the Society of St. Pius X is a priestly work. A priestly institution of the Catholic Church. It is not an independent church, a religious movement, an ecclesiastical club, or a confused alliance of otherwise well-intentioned faithful and priests united in combat against common enemies. It is a canonically established society of common life without vows, formed by priests, clerics, religious brothers, and oblates, whose purpose is the sanctification of the priesthood, and whose distinctive spirituality is oriented towards the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, placing itself under the double patronage of Our Lord Jesus Christ Eternal Priest and Mary Mother of Priests. Its goal, as indicated in our constitutions, "is the priesthood and everything that relates to it. (...)
(...) We are therefore a living, thriving part of the Roman Catholic Church, and the apparent anomaly of our canonical situation is an unwanted consequence of our fidelity to the mission for which we were founded by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1970, with the approval and blessing of the bishop of Lausanne-Genève-Fribourg, and with the further recognition and praise by local ordinaries and by the Holy See (...)
But Father Anglés does a little more than that, he goes on to say what the Society wishes for, at least in the short term:
(...) Pope Benedict has not "freed the Mass" or addressed the invalid sanctions. He may do it, and if and when he or a future pope does it, the historical wrong perpetrated against Archbishop Lefebvre and his priestly Society will be amended by the official recognition of our work. The precise juridical figure of this recognition will be for the experts to determine: a personal prelature, an apostolic administration, a new canonical circumscription for our particular work, it is immaterial as long as it allows us to continue exactly as we are. The Society's houses throughout the world would thus enjoy official Vatican recognition, but would remain under the jurisdiction of the general superior rather than the diocesan bishops. Then there would certainly be a considerable influx of bishops, priests, and faithful into the Society, and a widespread return to Tradition could begin. All this only if God wishes, whenever God wishes, and in the manner God wishes. We cannot precede the designs of Divine Providence. (...)
But this is all wishful thinking, right? Maybe not? The answer, again, seems to come from accross the pond, again, from a SSPX superior, but this time from England.In his March 2006 letter, Father Paul Morgan gives an inside look at a letter written by Bishop Fellay himself to the Superiors of the Society, which, among other interesting details, gives us a look of what might actually happen in the short term:
Commenting upon this meeting Bishop Fellay makes the point that for the first time Rome now gives the impression of adopting the conditions we had asked for in 2001 prior to any formal negotiations, namely the lifting of the alleged excommunications and the freedom for any priest to unconditionally celebrate the Traditional Mass.
This would place the Society in an intermediary situation without there being any commitments on our part.(...)
It is clear that such an intermediary situation, which would not change anything in our attitude or in our way of doing things, would nevertheless present a new situation, itself susceptible of creating more confusion than we have known to date." Hence the importance of the priests and the faithful understanding well what we are about and what we are doing.(...)
Interesting texts which should be carefully read.
