Recent Activity Between Rome and Society Saint Pius X (SSPX)

Diocese Report blog ^

[Polycarp]

I truly hope JPII's Vatican bureaucracy can heal the only schism of his pontificate, the Lefevre schism, before JPII passes from the scene.

[Mike Fieschko]

The Pope has just appointed a coadjutor bishop for the new apostolic administration in Campos, Brazil. This according to the Vatican Information Service.

Campos was the see of Bp Castro Mayer, who assisted at the consecrations in 1988 by Lefebvre.

The Campos priests now have their own structure and a bishop to succeed Bp Rangel.

[sinkspur]

Williamson is the fly in the ointment. He doesn't want any reunion and has sabotaged everything Fellay has tried.

Don't get your hopes up.

[redhead]

"I truly hope JPII's Vatican bureaucracy can heal the only schism of his pontificate, the Lefevre schism, before JPII passes from the scene."

Amen. Let it be, Lord.

[FBDinNJ]

That's true, but we can always hope. I pray that Pope JPII can end this schism. The sticking point currently seems to be that the SSPX won't accept Rome's offers to come fully back into the church until the Pope grants all Priests the right to say the Tridentine Mass, whenever they want to, and I don't think this is currently a posibility. The best bet would be for the SSPX to accept the Pope's offer of an Apostolic Administration, and for some reason they currently don't want to do this.

Here's some recent pictures of Bishop Williamson and Bishop Fellay where they ordained a few men to the Priesthood up at their Seminary in Minnesota.

Bishop Fellay

Bishop Williamson

[american colleen]

The sticking point currently seems to be that the SSPX won't accept Rome's offers to come fully back into the church until the Pope grants all Priests the right to say the Tridentine Mass, whenever they want to, and I don't think this is currently a posibility.

How come? What would be the big deal with a priest saying the Mass in Latin if he wants to do so? I don't understand.

[Salvation]

The Campos priests now have their own structure and a bishop to succeed Bp Rangel.

What is happening here? Splitting from Rome and ordaining their own bishops?

I guess I am uninformed on all of this.

[Mike Fieschko]

Bp Rangel was consecrated in 1991 by Bernard Williamson, one of the men Lefebvre consecrated in 1988. Bp Rangel is now completely 'regularized' with the Pope.

Rangel is a bishop in full communion, for some months now.

I don't know how old Bp Rangel is, but one concern that the Campos priests and laity had, was that Bp Rangel would die and the Vatican would then appoint a man whose views, etc., would be 'inconsistent' (can't think of a better word) with Castro Mayer and with Rangel.

The Brazilian Portugese page of the Society of St John Vianney has information about the events. The Bishop of Campos attended at the Mass and I believe the nuncio to Brazil was also in attendance.

The Pope has now appointed a coadjutor bishop (I assume with right of succession), so the concern has been addressed.

[FBDinNJ]

No the Campos priests were in a state of schism, just like the SSPX, but a deal was worked out with them late last year where they have their own Apostolic Administration. The Apostolic Administration allows the Campos Priests (the Society of Saint John Vianney) to answer to the Pope and not to their local Bishop in Brazil. This allows the SSJV to setup parishes and ordain priests without having to go through Ecclesia Dei, which would require them to get the approval of their local Bishop to say their Latin mass or to ordain their own Priests.

[FBDinNJ]

Its all church politics. As Ecclesia Dei (the Papal Encyclical which allows the Latin Mass, according to the 1962 missal) currently works is that if a Parish priest wants to have a Latin mass said in his Parish he has to get an indult from his Bishop. The problem with this is that if you are a priest in a very liberal Diocese the Bishop often rejects any requests to allow a Latin mass to be said. What the SSPX wants in effect is a system which would allow regular Diocesan priests to say the Latin Mass, according to the 1962 Missal, without having to get the approval of their local Bishop.

[tiki]

I think it would be wonderful. One of my best friends is SSPX and I would love for this to come together. I can understand , to a degree, why they did what they did, they wanted to keep the faith pure. They couldn't bring up their children in churches which were being taught to accept so many things that they think are wrong. The liberals who hid the Tabernacle and turned Mass into a focus on the worshipers instead of Jesus. I also think that they should have stayed and worked from within to restore true Catholicism. It's easy to take your marbles and go home, it takes courage to stay and fight for what is right.

[FBDinNJ]

Here's some pictures of the ceremony where the Priests of Campos ended their schism.

That's Cardinal Hoyos on the Left and Bishop Rangel on the right. Bishop Rangel is in charge (I guess its now officially co-in charge) of the SSJV.

[sspxsteph]

I am no Theologin of the SSPX, so I can not speak on behalf of the Society of Saint PiusX. I do know that they do not reconize themselves as a schism. I know that they are in contact with the Pope and have always looked to him as the head of the Church. I think that one thing that is clear, they do not want to deal with any liberals because they know what they try to do. They just want to try to live on what the church has been. Many of my friends say, "Why change something that was so good." SSPX does not want to leave out any tradition like the importance of the Brown Scapular, concecration a family to the Most Sacred Heart, and the daily reciting of the Rosery.
I think that it would be realy awesome if the Pope would heal this schism. I have not seen the SSPX trying to do harm to souls, but try to make us live a more devout life, and reverence for the Body Blood Soul Divinity of Jesus Christ. That is one reason that I love the society so much. I also think it would be great if more churches would do the indult mass, so that others can experience
the Latin Mass.
Always pray for the spirital petitions of the Pope.
Dominus Vobiscum Et Cum Spiritu tuo

[Dajjal]

I truly hope JPII's Vatican bureaucracy can heal the only schism of his pontificate, the Lefevre schism, before JPII passes from the scene.

I pray this may come to pass.

[narses]

Have you spoken with either Bp. Fellay or Bp. Williamson?

[narses]

And they clearly have good cause for suspicion, look at the treatment of their parallel order, the FSSP, in the last year. Promised full Communion with Rome, their own Superior and eventually Bishop and freedom from the New Mass, they lost all of that (except Rome) with the replacement of Fr. Bissick and the order that all may concelebrate the New Mass without let. Moreover, the 1962 Missal is being taken away, Communion in the hand is being pushed and they are in disarray due to the betrayal from Rome that happened during the very negotiations with the SSPX to return.

[american colleen]

Thank you for your clarification on the indult Mass. It is breathtaking how the Bishops defy the Pope and the Magisterium - I am under the impression that JPII told the Bishops to make the Latin Mass available to all.

Cardinal Law (my Bishop) is supposed to be an orthodox Bishop, but we have only one Indult Mass here in Massachusetts.

[american colleen]

Can you elaborate on the FSSP story? I had not heard any of this. What happened?

[narses]

A small number of modernists in France within the FSSP started concelebrating the Novus Ordo Mass. The SG ordered them to stop. They appealed to the Vatican, they were upheld and the SG removed.