Tuesday, February 14
SSPX-o-Rama
Whispers in the Loggia *** The New Liturgical Movement *** Catholic World News *** More Catholic World News.
I honestly have no idea what's really going on. I am somewhat cautiously optimistic. What is interesting is that some (including my Lord Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos) have been making a comparison between these plans to raise the excommunication and Paul VI's raising of the excommunication on the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, the mutual de-anathamization was about events so far in the past as to be largely a gesture (a significant one, yes, but still a gesture) and that makes me wonder, canonically, what the raising of this excommunication would really mean. Presumably it would only accompany an agreement to return to full communion with Rome.
My main concern is that the Vatican will offer a great deal and the SSPX will not take it. I think a lot of this depends on how secondary are the other issues (Vatican II, ecumenism, etc.) that have since come up since the break in 1988 in relation to the Mass. I was talking to a friend yesterday and he thought, based on his contact with SSPX literature that many of their doctrinal criticisms of their reading of Vatican II would drop away if they were just given the Tridentine Mass and an assurance of autonomy. I'm not so sure based on Bernard Fellay's belligerent statements, though I would be very happy to be proven otherwise. Or how will their laity react in comparison with their priests and bishops? Thoughts, anyone?
(And please keep it clean!)
I honestly have no idea what's really going on. I am somewhat cautiously optimistic. What is interesting is that some (including my Lord Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos) have been making a comparison between these plans to raise the excommunication and Paul VI's raising of the excommunication on the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, the mutual de-anathamization was about events so far in the past as to be largely a gesture (a significant one, yes, but still a gesture) and that makes me wonder, canonically, what the raising of this excommunication would really mean. Presumably it would only accompany an agreement to return to full communion with Rome.
My main concern is that the Vatican will offer a great deal and the SSPX will not take it. I think a lot of this depends on how secondary are the other issues (Vatican II, ecumenism, etc.) that have since come up since the break in 1988 in relation to the Mass. I was talking to a friend yesterday and he thought, based on his contact with SSPX literature that many of their doctrinal criticisms of their reading of Vatican II would drop away if they were just given the Tridentine Mass and an assurance of autonomy. I'm not so sure based on Bernard Fellay's belligerent statements, though I would be very happy to be proven otherwise. Or how will their laity react in comparison with their priests and bishops? Thoughts, anyone?
(And please keep it clean!)
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
