Pope Benedict XVI meets with traditional Catholic leader

A little-known meeting took place in Rome on June 13th, 2012, between Pope Benedict XVI and Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX).

The SSPX was formed in 1970 in response to what was seen as the abandonment by the Catholic Church of Catholic faith, teaching, and worship as a result of the Second Vatican Council. Its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (1905 – 1991), consecrated four bishops in 1988 against the direct appeal of then Pope John Paul II. The Archbishop stated it was necessary in order for the Catholic faith to continue.

Archbishop Lefebvre said: “The situation is such, the work placed in our hands by the good Lord is such, that faced with this darkness in Rome, faced with the Roman authorities’ pertinacity in error, faced with this refusal to return to Truth or Tradition on the part of those who occupy the seats of authority in Rome, faced with all these things, it seems to us that the good Lord is asking for the Church to continue. This is why it is likely that before I give account of my life to the good Lord, I shall have to consecrate some bishops.” (Bishops to Save the Church, June 1987)

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As a result, John Paul II declared the consecration of the four bishops “a schismatic act” and said that those involved were automatically excommunicated. Archbishop Lefebvre countered by stating that “Modernist Rome” had lost the faith, and that his actions were necessary to ensure the continuation of the Catholic Church.

In 1999, Pope Benedict lifted the excommunications of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre. Bishop Fellay, one of those consecrated by the late Archbishop, has been engaged in talks with the Pope since then. Benedict has stated his desire for the Society to be integrated back into the Church, and Bishop Fellay is apparently willing for that to happen. The problem is, the other three bishops consecrated by the late Archbishop Lefebvre are not. They include Bishops Gallareta, Williamson, and Tissier de Mallerais.

Referencing the late Archbishop Lefebvre, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, stated “’reintegration’: the word is false. The Society of Saint Pius X has never left the Church…The irregularity is not ours. It is that of Rome. A Modernist Rome. A Liberal Rome that has renounced Christ the King. A Rome that had been condemned in advance by all Popes up until the eve of the (Second Vatican) Council.”

So, what happened at the meeting between the Pope and the Bishop on the 13th? Bishop Fellay was given a “Doctrinal Preamble” that he had to agree to. The details of the Preamble will not be made public until and only if, Bishop Fellay signs it. One of the conditions of reunion is that the SSPX would come under direct control of the Pope as a “Personal Prelature.”

One can assume from their opposition that for Bishops Gallareta, Williamson, and Tissier de Mallerais, a Personal Prelature would give the Pope everything he wants, and make the SSPX subject to his wishes. They would have to agree to the validity of the New Order of the Mass, said in the vernacular, and which is, according to traditionalists, defective if not invalid. The SSPX website has a section titled: “Why should Catholics have nothing to do with the Novus Ordo Missae?” which concludes by stating that “any Catholic who is aware of its harm, does not have the right to participate.”  

The Personal Prelature would also allow the Pope to decide who will be ordained a bishop, the fate of the SSPX’s property, the Liturgy that they would be allowed to use, to compel their priests to celebrate the New Mass, and a host of other changes. The name would also be dissolved. Again, one can assume that for the dissenting three bishops, those changes would spell the end of the Society’s 42 years of work to maintain the continuity of traditional Catholicism, and simply represents a clever political ploy by the Pope to crush the Society of St. Pius X.

What will happen is not known. Bishop Fellay told the Pope he would respond promptly. That response could take the form of an acceptance of the offer, or it could require another round of negotiations. Many questions remain. If Bishop Fellay agrees, how many members of the Society will follow him? How many clergy will follow him? Since the other three bishops are in disagreement with Bishop Fellay, will they seek to remove him from his post as Superior General as quickly as possible in order to thwart his efforts? What legal battles might ensue if an agreement is signed and the Pope attempts to seize SSPX property from clergy and congregants who are not in favor of the reunion?

Traditionalists aren’t the only ones concerned. Liberal Catholics see this as another gesture by the Pope to make the Church more conservative, by inviting someone who has denounced the Second Vatican Council back into the fold. They believe that it is a signal that Benedict XVI intends to continue to move the Church towards tradition and erase what they see as the positive gains of the Council. One group, the Association of US Catholic Priests, has been formed, among other reasons, to “keep the best of Vatican II alive.“

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single Christian body on earth. Virtually every other denomination owes part of its worship and theology to the Catholic Church. Despite how damaged is has been by the sexual abuse scandal, the Catholic Church and its actions have an effect, to varying degrees, all Christians and other people of faith.