No doctrinal obstacles to SSPX reconciliation

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Following up with this, I found an absolutely wonderful editorial from an SSPX priest of 35 years, Fr. Michel Simoulin, who says that not only are there no doctrinal obstances to the reconciliation, but there never have been. His editorial can be found here.

Father Simoulin is extremely supportive of Pope Benedict XVI and makes such statements as these:

I believe that I know a little our Society – of which I have been member for 35 years – and thus to have the right to remind all that our “fundamentals” are engraved in golden letters in our statutes:

the goal of the Society is the priesthood and all that refers to it and only what relates to it, i.e., such as Our Lord Jesus-Christ wanted it when He said: Do this in memory of Me.

Such is the heritage of our founder, such are our “fundamentals”; we do not have any others, and we do not want to have others. The Society is not an army raised up against Rome, but an army formed for the Church.​

and this

We are no longer in 1975 with Paul VI nor in 1988 with John Paul II, but in 2012 with Benedict XVI. You can tell me as much as you want that the state of the Church is still very alarming, that our Pope has a sometimes strange theology, etc… we have said it enough, it seems to me, but you cannot tell me that the state of things is the same as in 1988 or even worse. To do so would be contrary to reality and to the truth, and can only be the effect of a more or less secret refusal of any reconciliation with Rome, perhaps even of a lack of faith in the holiness of the Church, composed of poor sinners but always governed by her head, Jesus-Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The SSPX is not the Church and it can “respect the heritage of its founder” only by preserving his spirit, his love for the Church and his desire to serve her as a loving son, in fidelity to the founding blessings.

Father defends Pope Benedict XVI by saying he is the one who lifted all restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, lifted the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops and has been in open dialogue with the SSPX for 12 years.

He concludes his editorial with this paragraph:

No one knows yet the conclusion that Benedict XVI will want to give to these twelve years of slow work, of searching for a better understanding, and to the prayers and rosaries accumulated. The time is now for prayer, as we were asked by Bishop Fellay, and for trust in the Church. The Immaculate Virgin, who we will particularly honor during this month of May, will obtain for us all the necessary graces, if we want nothing other than the victory of Her Son and of the Church.

This editorial, coming from an SSPX priest, is the most hopeful sign to me yet that both sides very much want this reconciliation.
 
Brooklyn said:
The Immaculate Virgin, who we will particularly honor during this month of May, will obtain for us all the necessary graces, if we want nothing other than the victory of Her Son and of the Church.
Click to expand...
Amen.

-Tim-
 
Reports of reconciliation started around Divine Mercy Sunday. Now, we’re getting encouraging signs like this in the month of our Lady.

None of this are coincidences.
 
Brooklyn said:
Following up with this, I found an absolutely wonderful editorial from an SSPX priest of 35 years, Fr. Michel Simoulin, who says that not only are there no doctrinal obstances to the reconciliation, but there never have been. His editorial can be found here.

Father Simoulin is extremely supportive of Pope Benedict XVI and makes such statements as these:

I believe that I know a little our Society – of which I have been member for 35 years – and thus to have the right to remind all that our “fundamentals” are engraved in golden letters in our statutes:

the goal of the Society is the priesthood and all that refers to it and only what relates to it, i.e., such as Our Lord Jesus-Christ wanted it when He said: Do this in memory of Me.

Such is the heritage of our founder, such are our “fundamentals”; we do not have any others, and we do not want to have others. The Society is not an army raised up against Rome, but an army formed for the Church.​

and this

We are no longer in 1975 with Paul VI nor in 1988 with John Paul II, but in 2012 with Benedict XVI. You can tell me as much as you want that the state of the Church is still very alarming, that our Pope has a sometimes strange theology, etc… we have said it enough, it seems to me, but you cannot tell me that the state of things is the same as in 1988 or even worse. To do so would be contrary to reality and to the truth, and can only be the effect of a more or less secret refusal of any reconciliation with Rome, perhaps even of a lack of faith in the holiness of the Church, composed of poor sinners but always governed by her head, Jesus-Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The SSPX is not the Church and it can “respect the heritage of its founder” only by preserving his spirit, his love for the Church and his desire to serve her as a loving son, in fidelity to the founding blessings.

Father defends Pope Benedict XVI by saying he is the one who lifted all restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, lifted the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops and has been in open dialogue with the SSPX for 12 years.

He concludes his editorial with this paragraph:

No one knows yet the conclusion that Benedict XVI will want to give to these twelve years of slow work, of searching for a better understanding, and to the prayers and rosaries accumulated. The time is now for prayer, as we were asked by Bishop Fellay, and for trust in the Church. The Immaculate Virgin, who we will particularly honor during this month of May, will obtain for us all the necessary graces, if we want nothing other than the victory of Her Son and of the Church.

This editorial, coming from an SSPX priest, is the most hopeful sign to me yet that both sides very much want this reconciliation.
Click to expand...
I spoke with one of the oldest priests in the SSPX this morning. He was ordained by Abp Lefebvre in 1973 (before any of the current bishops) and, along the same lines, he is willing to trust in the Superior General and the Divine Providence of Our Lord.
 
giuseppeTO said:
I spoke with one of the oldest priests in the SSPX this morning. He was ordained by Abp Lefebvre in 1973 (before any of the current bishops) and, along the same lines, he is willing to trust in the Superior General and the Divine Providence of Our Lord.
Click to expand...
We need you back!
 
Brooklyn said:
Following up with this, I found an absolutely wonderful editorial from an SSPX priest of 35 years, Fr. Michel Simoulin, who says that not only are there no doctrinal obstances to the reconciliation, but there never have been. His editorial can be found here.

Father Simoulin is extremely supportive of Pope Benedict XVI and makes such statements as these:

I believe that I know a little our Society – of which I have been member for 35 years – and thus to have the right to remind all that our “fundamentals” are engraved in golden letters in our statutes:

the goal of the Society is the priesthood and all that refers to it and only what relates to it, i.e., such as Our Lord Jesus-Christ wanted it when He said: Do this in memory of Me.

Such is the heritage of our founder, such are our “fundamentals”; we do not have any others, and we do not want to have others. The Society is not an army raised up against Rome, but an army formed for the Church.​

and this

We are no longer in 1975 with Paul VI nor in 1988 with John Paul II, but in 2012 with Benedict XVI. You can tell me as much as you want that the state of the Church is still very alarming, that our Pope has a sometimes strange theology, etc… we have said it enough, it seems to me, but you cannot tell me that the state of things is the same as in 1988 or even worse. To do so would be contrary to reality and to the truth, and can only be the effect of a more or less secret refusal of any reconciliation with Rome, perhaps even of a lack of faith in the holiness of the Church, composed of poor sinners but always governed by her head, Jesus-Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The SSPX is not the Church and it can “respect the heritage of its founder” only by preserving his spirit, his love for the Church and his desire to serve her as a loving son, in fidelity to the founding blessings.

Father defends Pope Benedict XVI by saying he is the one who lifted all restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, lifted the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops and has been in open dialogue with the SSPX for 12 years.

He concludes his editorial with this paragraph:

No one knows yet the conclusion that Benedict XVI will want to give to these twelve years of slow work, of searching for a better understanding, and to the prayers and rosaries accumulated. The time is now for prayer, as we were asked by Bishop Fellay, and for trust in the Church. The Immaculate Virgin, who we will particularly honor during this month of May, will obtain for us all the necessary graces, if we want nothing other than the victory of Her Son and of the Church.

This editorial, coming from an SSPX priest, is the most hopeful sign to me yet that both sides very much want this reconciliation.
Click to expand...
Its sad though that some of the Bishops do not want reconciliation.
 
thistle said:
Its sad though that some of the Bishops do not want reconciliation.
Click to expand...
Why not just concentrate on those who do want reconciliation? I think it’s a pretty safe bet that there were will be those in the SSPX who will split if and when the reconciliation happens. They’re not all walking in lock step, and human nature being what it is, that is to be expected. The members of Catholic Church have always been comprised of good and bad elements. “Tares among the wheat”, remember?
 
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