SSPX bishop rips Pope Benedict
May. 01 (CWNews.com) - A bishop of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has harshly criticized Pope Benedict XVI and the teachings of Vatican II, raising new questions about the prospects for reconciliation between the Vatican and the schismatic traditionalist group.
Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais said that the Pontiff "has professed heresies in the past." While stopping short of calling the Pope a heretic, he added that "he has never retracted the errors."
The blistering charges by the SSPX bishop are likely to cool expectations of any immediate move to retore ties between the traditionalist group and the Holy See. Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the SSPX, has voiced his disagreements with the Vatican in distinctly more diplomatic terms-- although Bishop Fellay, too, has indicated that he does not expect any quick reconciliation.
In an interview with the traditionalist publication The Remnant, the SSPX prelate charged that Introduction to Christianity, a book published by the future Pope in 1968 is "full of heresies." He said that the errors in the book included "the negation of the dogma of the Redemption."
Bishop Tissier de Mallerais said that he was disappointed with the leadership of Pope Benedict. "It has been year now, and he has done nothing!" he told The Remnant.
The bishop indicated his impatience with efforts to persuade traditionalist Catholics that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council should be interpreted in the light of Church tradition. "You cannot read Vatican II as a Catholic work," he insisted.
He also dismissed criticism that the SSPX is guilty of breaking communion within the Church hierarchy. "'Communion' is nothing; it is an invention of the Second Vatican Council," the bishop said. "'Communion' does not mean anything to me-- it is a slogan of the new Church."
It's SSPX which is losing (has already lost) interest in reconcilation with Rome.
Exhibit "A" would be the comments of Bishop Tissier de Mallerais.
Paul Likoudis wrote an article last week in "The Wanderer" in which he said that it appears that the efforts to reconcile SSPX with Rome have stalled. He did not elaborate on whether Rome or SSPX is losing interest. It is pretty clear from what the SSPX bishops have been saying, however, that they are not interested in rejoining the Church unless Rome caves into all of their demands, which is extremely unlikely.
I said it a few months ago, when these rumors began, and I'll say it again: the SSPX is not going to reconcile with the Church. And frankly, the Church is better off without them.
Humility does not appear to be one of the Lefebvrists' virtues. With these folks, you just can't win.
Remember that classic "Saturday Night Live" skit where William Shatner told a group of Trekkies to "get a life"? That is my cordial suggestion to the SSPX, to get a life...within the Barque of Peter.
"In a homily preached to participants in the SSPX pilgrimage, Bishop Fellay illustrated the extent of Lefebvrist disaffection from Rome, saying that the modern Church leadership was engaged in 'suicide' because Catholicism had renounced its missionary spirit."
And then, the SSPX website claims that "[t]he Society of Saint Pius X professes filial devotion and loyalty to Pope Benedict XVI, the Successor of Saint Peter and the Vicar of Christ. The priests of the SSPX pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and the welfare of the local Ordinary at every Mass they celebrate."
Will the real SSPX still stand up?