Excommunications lifted for SSPX bishops (done deal)

Insight Scoop ^ | January 24, 2009 | Carl Olson

[NYer]

Just received this newsflash from Inside the Vatican magazine:

Extraordinary news came on the afternoon of January 24, with the removal of the excommunications of four bishops from the Society of St. Pius X. In a document signed by the Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops in the Holy See, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re dated January 21, 2009 (see text below).

 

     Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Alfonso de Galaretta and Richard Williamson (two Frenchmen, a Spaniard, an Italian, and an Englishman) were consecrated bishops on June 30, 1988, by the Society's late founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and his co-consecrator, Bishop Antonio Castro de Mayer (also deceased), in a ceremony at the seminary in Econe, Switzerland. The following day it was announced by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, at that time head of the Congregation of Bishops in Rome, that all six men had incurred excommunication latae sententiae (automatic excommunication), the penalty laid down in the revised Code of Canon Law, Canon 1382, for directly participating in an episcopal consecration in the absence of a papal mandate.

     The January 21 document says that Bishop Fellay, the Superior General of the Society (one of the four consecrated bishops, photo left) had written in December to Cardinal Dario Castrillon-Hoyos, Prefect of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, requesting the removal of the excommunications, saying, “We are always firmly determined in our will to remain Catholic and to place all our efforts at the service of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church. We accept its teachings with filial animus. We believe firmly in the Primacy of Peter and in its prerogatives, and for this the current situation makes us suffer so much."

     For his part, Pope Benedict, increasingly impressed by the attitude of the group to open a dialogue about remaining questions, and to respect the legitimate authority of the Holy Father, decided to lift the excommunications.

     The document says this was the Pope's reason: “This gift of peace, at the end of the Christmas celebrations, is also intended to be a sign to promote unity in the charity of the universal Church and to try to vanquish the scandal of division.”

Read the entire story.

Canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters has some initial observations. More to come soon, I'm sure, as more details are made available.

[NYer]

Have not had a chance to visit the links. Perhaps some of you can post those observations to this thread. Thanks!

[PAR35]

Do they retain their office of Bishop?

[RPTMS]

What are you talking about?

[markomalley]

Good news for sure...but don't make too much out of it.

See Fr. Z's comments on it

• here
• here
• here
• here
• here
• and, most especially here: MISCONCEPTIONS: What the “lifting” of the SSPX excom’s means for people

Bottom line, it is a VERY important step, but it is only a step...the destination has not been reached yet!

[Diocletian]

Excellent news, thanks.

[verga]

7 nasty comments removed by Mod.

If this isn't a record it has got to be close.

I am glad to here this news, now I just have two questions.

Are they still Bishops?

Is it now licit to attend SSPX services?

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

yes they are still bishops

the Vatican has stated for years one can attend their masses but it is discouraged because of the fear a person may develop schismatic tendencies, given the irregular situation of the SSPX and some of the rhetoric by some of their priests. The vatican says you may contribute to the collection. The Vatican however does not want you to marry or confess at an SSPX chapel. The lifting of the excomms changes none of the above

Personally I went pretty regularly for 3 years till 1990 or so and I never went schismatic in fact I went NO afterwards, I guess mostly because there was no convenient consistent TLM

[verga]

Thank You

[blu]

What does this mean for the SSPV?
(Good Monday Morning Catholic joke: My mom suggests that I get a punchcard and have Father punch it to prove that I went to Mass! Bulletins will no longer suffice as proof! God, I love that woman!)