There are other unreconciled Catholic groups besides the SSPX that have remained unreconciled for a long time. For example, a splinter group that formed in the 19th century after the Pope made Papal Infallibility an official dogma of the Church. So, there’s really nothing that says the SSPX won’t remain non-canonical until the sun explodes. In fact, you can guarantee with virtually 100% certainty that this will be the case. Do you think that if the SSPX Bishops and Rome are reconciled, that every SSPX priest is going to jump on board in compliance? More and more priests of the SSPX weren’t even ordained when the excommunication occurred, and have operated with fictional sacraments and illicit Masses during the entirety of their office. Some priests will be reconciled, others will not be.
Even if, in the optimistic scenario that Bishop Fellay does submit to Rome (personally I think that’s wishful thinking, but I’m not a seer, so I entrust this hope to God) the hardship of reconciling the SSPX chapels has only just begun. The priests of the SSPX have been giving people fictional sacraments in disobedience to Rome. These priests need Confession, badly, but even if a reconciliation occurred, I doubt they’re going to see a need for it. They’re going to be just in their own eyes. The catechisis of SSPX chapels (many of which I’m assuming would become diocesan parishes) is going to of course need to be in conformity with Magisterial teaching. The de facto parishioners themselves aren’t going to mystically change their views if there is a reconciliation with Rome. So these problems will remain. Then again, it’s not as though disobedience weren’t already common within the canonical Church, so clergy & laymen will simply labor through it as best as they are able just like with any other parish. The SSPX just happen to be loaded with those that have heterodox views in a conservative sense, rather than a liberal one.
There is absolutely no chance Pope Francis would ever simply let the SSPX in if they are going to remain doctrinally apart. These dialogues with Rome need to continue and bear fruit if a reconciliation is ever to occur. The Catholic Church - like Christ - desires unity, not make-believe unity. If you sign a document that says “we’re reconciled” and yet there is doctrinal discord, then the document is a piece of paper with ink on it that means absolutely nothing, except that you now have a wayward Society that is canonical versus a wayward Society that is non-canonical. If I have never touched the inside of a car in my life, and I print out a certificate that says “Mechanic”, it doesn’t mean that I am a mechanic. It means I have a piece of paper that says I’m a mechanic. If it was just a matter of making the SSPX canonical, St JPII could have done it in a heartbeat. He just could have said, “The bishop ordained other bishops without approval. Oh well.” and immediately lifted their excommunications and granted them canonical status. He obviously wouldn’t do that, and neither will any other Pope.
