Last week we reported on the decision of Bishop Alain Planet of the French diocese of Carcassonne to give full privileges to priests of the SSPX to celebrate marriages within that diocese. This week we received similar news from the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon. There is nothing surprising about this as the diocese is shepherded by Bishop Dominique Rey who has shown himself to be a strong supporter of tradition. His Excellency welcomes men into his seminary who prefer to offer the traditional rite of Mass and he regularly ordains those men according to that rite.
Below is His Excellency’s decree:
Considering the letter dated 27 March 2017 concerning the permissions for marriages of faithful celebrated by the priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei addressed to the Ordinaries of the Bishops' Conferences concerned;
Considering the terms of canon 1111 § 2;
It is hereby decreed:
Article 1 - We confirm to Our Chancellor the full delegation in matrimonial matter that We have granted to him since June 13, 2013. He will be Our referent on this particular matrimonial question.
Article 2 - Each priest member of the SSPX will have, from the date of signature of this decree, in the territory of Our diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, the delegation necessary to validly receive the exchange of consents between the spouses who appeal to the priests of the SSPX for their marriage.
Article 3 - This delegation is granted according to the following protocol:
§ 1 - If the marriage is celebrated in a church or an oratory of the SSPX, the priest member of the SSPX will inform by mail our Chancellor. The latter will give him a form of the document attesting the celebration of the marriage by a priest of the SSPX in the territory of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon (specimen annexed to this decree). The marriage will be recorded in the SSPX registers. A copy of these registers will be sent annually to the chancellery of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.
§ 2 - If the marriage is celebrated in a parish church of the diocese, the priest member of the SSPX will agree with the parish priest about the day and the time of the celebration and will inform beforehand by postal mail Our Chancellor. The latter will give him a form of the Document attesting the celebration of the marriage by a priest of the SSPX in the territory of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon. For the distribution of the casual and the quest one will proceed in the following way: the casual will return to the SSPX and the quest to the welcoming parish. The marriage will be recorded in the parish register.
Article 4 - The execution of this decree is entrusted to the chancellor, to the parish priests of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon and to the local superior of the SSPX; The decree will be published in our official monthly magazine, Église de Fréjus-Toulon.
Notwithstanding all things contrary .
Given at Toulon, on May 4, 2017, Under Our Seal and Our Signature and the Countess of Our Chancellor.
+Dominique REY, Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon
Abbot Alexis CAMPO, Chancellor
(Tip and source: Diocèse de Fréjus-Toulon)
