Agreement on prelature could be close, SSPX leader confirms [CWN]

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The head of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has denied reports that the group has purchased a headquarters building in Rome, but confirmed a suggestion that the SSPX could become a personal prelature.

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For maybe several years, there have been numerous articles, almost all generated by the SSPX, not the Vatican, suggesting that some kind of reunion or resolution is imminent.

If you read the SSPX site on which this article is based, it has a somewhat different emphasis: “So whether or not we are going to get an upcoming recognition, I do not know, I do not think so, but the pope can make a surprise”. (Bishop Fellay).

The SSPX has focused, I think to extremes, on “recognition”. The current discussion with Bishop Fellay heavily looks at the need for independence from the Catholic Church, in terms of safe distance from local bishops or from Vatican II, and likely, from other things like papal documents. It almost seems to be saying is for SSPX to have an arrangement offering “recognition” while neither the SSPX nor the Catholic Church would be affected in any way. It would be like a bride who gets “married” on paper but nothing but her prenup goes into effect now. No honeymoon, no children, no living together, almost no contact with each other at all, just an Order of Protection, but she gets recognition as a wife.

But if there is no real effect of the reunion, there is no benefit for SSPX clergy and families, who would still be mostly isolated from orthodox activities and Catholic support in their home city - unlike Opus Dei clergy and laity, who are mostly active in their local Catholic communities.

The question is **why ** certain religious media outlets keep recycling this story over and over and over, yet give no coverage to the ongoing gradual reunion, as some priests and attached SSPX families each year “swim the Tiber” when they are ready.
 
This is an interesting statement from Bishop Fellay
However, he cautioned that a significant problem remains unresolved in negotiations with the Vatican: the unwillingness of the SSPX to acknowledge the validity of certain Vatican II teachings. He said that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has shown a new willingness to concede that some conciliar teachings are not definitive.
Which teachings of Vatican II is the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith possibly conceding aren’t definitive?
 
I am looking forward to when they do have a canonical regular. In my opinion, they could operate as the Opus Dei does and have the same position as the IBP (approved by Pope Benedict in 2010) in allowing them to criticize Vatican 2 reforms and still keep the canonical regular status. I can tell you that they are not crypto-sedevacantist since on numerous occasions they have condemned it. The parts of Vatican 2 that they have problems with have been stated by either Bishop Athanasius Schneider or Cardinal Burke to be only non dogmatic matters. I can see them with a personal prelature and a canonical regular status soon.
 
This isn’t really new news.

I pray for this every day.
 
I am just pointing out that some **individuals **(SSPX priests and attached laity) **have **obtained regular canonical status each year, only when they feel ready. Priests have met with their local bishop, and joined a diocese, and possibly a religious order. Laity have joined parishes, and gotten involved in the life of their diocese.

Pope Benedict’s reunion plan, which has some success each year, gets almost no mention, while the media keeps reprinting the same stories year after year about what they say is an imminent hypothetical plan, kind of one-size-fits-all. I am not sure that would be a better fit for families, who have very different needs, very different local situations. Benedict’s plan - come in when **you **are ready - seems better.

Just an observation.
 
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