Cardinal Ricard, the Archbishop of Bordeaux and President of the French Episcopal Conference (CEF) is in Naples for the interreligious meeting promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio. He spoke to Italian papal news website Petrus on future prospects regarding the dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX):
Are there contacts between French Bishops or the Vatican with the followers of Lefebvre?
"In France, there are not official 'negotiations'," Ricard explains, "even if there may be contacts. There is something with Rome, but it is, in any case, discreet."
"I believe that Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos and, certainly, also the Pope desired to advance as far as possible in an eventual reconciliation with the Fraternity of Saint Pius X. But the Pope - Ricard details - knows that there are non-negotiable points. He is certainly in favor of dialogue and exchange [of ideas], but he wishes, despite the disagreement on specific points, to erase the caricatures and distortions and to discern the true difficulties, if any exist."
