The attitude of the Society of Saint Pius X in the recent discussions with Rome

Excerpts taken from Cor Unum No. 68

We are grateful to Bishop Fellay who gave us a special authorization to publish parts of the Cor Unum

The attitude of Rome

(...) One must consider a more objective point of view, facts. What direction has Rome followed the last thirty years? Can we see any change to this direction? Does the solution offered to us by Rome follow this same direction? Does it satisfy our expectations? Does it permit us to simply survive? Because there is no doubt that we do not want to change anything as regard to Tradition, to the Holy Mass, and to Holy Doctrine. As for the general pattern, we do not see any act or document which could reveal a change in direction on the part of Rome. On the contrary, the year of the Jubilee did see the fulfillment of the whole program that had been announced and prepared by Pope John Paul II more than six years ago. We did see the implementation of an unbridled ecumenism whose acts we have deplored and denounced. The asking of forgiveness, the special day of the “witnesses of the faith”, the beatification of John XXIII are only the most conspicuous manifestations of it. (...) The Vatican II Council and its spirit remain the essential reference by which the Vatican justifies its actions and declarations. In these times close to the end of a pontificate, there are many people discontent in the Roman Curia (the Cardinals), and amongst them, a certain number are so for good reason, but men of genuinely good will seem to be of very feeble weight in comparison to the immense evil present.

It is true, for example, that the document of Cardinal Ratzinger Dominus Jesus, recalls a good number of traditional truths in an unusually strong way, nevertheless the same document contains also all the novelties of Vatican II regarding the relations with other religions, Christian or not.

Moreover, the various actions taken these two last years against the Fraternity of Saint Peter and the other Ecclesia Dei movements, show very clearly that the intention of Rome is to have all the subjects of the Ecclesia Dei Commission adopt the teaching of Vatican II as well as its new liturgy. (...) In a letter to Michael Davies, President of Una Voce International, Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos writes that, among the conditions mentioned in the decree of the Indult Mass in 1984 (document Quattuor abhinc annos), the only one that the Ecclesia Dei Commission still considers binding is the “nullam partem”: the permission to celebrate the old mass will be given only to those who have nothing to do with those who question the orthodoxy and legitimacy of the new mass.

In several interviews, Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos declared that it is his intention to make the traditionnal faithful understand the continuity between Vatican II and Tradition.

In these circumstances, how should we then interpret the move made by Rome towards the Society of Saint Pius X at the end of the XXth Century? It clearly appears like a trap. This is why we mentioned in our “communique” that our reaction was “extremely suspicious”.

However the situation becomes somewhat more complicated in reality, by the fact that as this pontificate nears to the end, a sort of anarchy seems to be growing stronger and stronger around the Pope: everyone is seeking to obtain what corresponds to their interests from a Pope who does not seem to control affairs anymore. So it is that, even if it appears to be contradictory, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Pope and/or Cardinal Castrillon would really want a viable solution for us. We are not in a rational world any more.

The attitude of the Society of St Pius X

In front of the situation created by the Vatican, our attitude is simple and it did not change: it is so obvious that our position is essentially correct that it would be an error to change or to make a concession on any essential point.

So the first principle which guides our action is aimed first of all at the conservation of all that is good i.e. the doctrinal, liturgical and disciplinary Traditions of the Church. By the permission and the help of God, we are the depositary of the greatest treasures of Holy Mother Church: this is not the time to dishonour them, but to keep them at the expense of our blood.

A second principle follows the consideration of the indefectibility of the Church. Consequently, we have an “a priori” favorable attitude, not to any discussion, but to the possibility of an unexpected grace of conversion, which of course one must verify before going ahead.

Because the Roman situation has not yet changed essentially, even if the signs of the weakening and the crumbling of the authority are more and more obvious, our attitude is dominated by suspicion.

In any case, because Rome tries to get closer to us, let us try to draw from it the most good for the Church.

(...) Let us not be shaken by things that pass. As for us, with determination, we do not want to push one way or the other. More than ever, we insist in following the rule of Archbishop Lefebvre who always said that he did not want to precede Divine Providence. It will manifest itself in proprer time. We don’t have any right to rule out “a priori” an intervention of Divine Providence in a matter which concerns the Church so closely. But our duty is to discern well. The day will come... Let us remain confident, keeping a very great serenity concerning these events.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, February 28^th 2001