I would think they probably didn’t spend the last two years hammering these things out just to issue some ham-handed, iron-fisted declaration that Fellay would never sign. There may be a few items that are tough for him to swallow – or even a few things he’ll want to get further clarification on.
Based on my experience in dealing with the Church from the inside, if I’m reading what is not being said in the Vatican’s bulletin that was released today, there will be no more clarifications. It’s a situation now where the SSPX has to discern and decide. Which actually makes sense, because if you bring something to a conclusion and then you stop to clarify the conclusion, you never put closure on a situation. At some point, both sides have to say, “It is what it is.” From there, they decide what to do with what it.
I am more optimistic. If there is an agreement between Cardenal Levada and Mgr. Fellay, undoubtedly some in the SSPX will not like it. However, Mgr. is very highly respected in the Fraternity, and if he goes with it, I´m sure a large majority of SSPX priests and laity will also.
Sadly, for those who refuse (all this is in the hypothetical case that an agreement is reached), there will be an almost 0% chance of every normalizing their relations with Rome.
I think you’re right. Those who choose not to participate in the agreement will be in the same situation as many other Catholic groups that exist on the margins of the Church. They’re Catholics with only the basic rights.
We must agree on the basics, and of course what is infallibly defined. All else is up to debate. If the SSPX is guaranteed this freedom of expression within the Church; ie. freedom to criticise ecumenism, the beatification of John Paul II, etc., I see no reason why we should not accept an agreement.
That’s not quite it either. Everything is not up for debate. You don’t need infallibility to command assent. What Fr. Z is saying and the little that has been released to the public is that there is always room for discussion on how something is interpreted and applied. However, that does not mean that everything is open to discussion. For example, the beatification is not open for discussion. That’s the right of the Pontiff and no one has the right to challenge it. The Pontiff can actually tell his critics to be quiet on this matter. The same about any other matter. We still don’t know what the Cardinal Levada has agreed can be discussed.
Then there are rules of engagement. Even when certain points are open to discussion, there are rules as to how you discuss them, with whom and how far you can go. This is not just for the SSPX. This is for the universal Church. If I go to the press and bash my bishop I will be on the carpet before morning. If I ask my bishop for the opportunity to speak at the diocesan synod and express my position, people may disagree, but I cannot be penalized, because I was given permission to present a dissenting opinion or ask a question.
Because there aren’t enough loose canons in ‘good standing’ with the Holy See as it is,
cough American bishops 1960’s-90’s, cake masses, clown masses etc… galore and don’t think they don’t still happen
cough
I think it’s time we stopped this. It’s getting old. This is being said as if this was our daily bread at every parish every Sunday. In my 61 years on this earth, I have never seen a clown mass, cake mass or other. I have seen nonsense. I have also seen many more masses celebrated according to the GIRM. The extravagant “creativity” to use Pope Benedict’s word, is not the norm.
The SSPX will not accept any offer that prevents them from speaking out against “the errors of Vatican II” so, assuming that an offer is made and accepted, it will be very interesting to see what the reaction is to a regularized SSPX prelature/ordinariate that continues to publicly trash the “reforms of the council”.
My guess is that this will be one of the conditions in the preamble. They will have to limit their discussions to circle circles such as synods, conferences, study sessions, and other formal settings for this purpose, even the classroom would probably be allowed. But the pulpit and the press will not be allowed. The reason I say this is that it’s not allowed for anyone else. Those who take the Church to task in front of the media or from the pulpit, from left or right, are not within the rights to do so. The Church has never given any priest or religious that right.
I think that we have to wait, pray and try not to get into people’s heads, especially not Cardinal Levada’s and Bishop Fellay’s. That’s an invasion. I sometimes feel that there are many laymen that wish they could be hierarchs, not because they have a vocation to serve the Church in that capacity, but because they enjoy the drama and the conflict. That’s kind of goofy.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
