March 2009 Print

With the news of the lifting of the excommunications in January, there has been a flurry of media coverage regarding the Society of St. Pius X. Bishop Fellay, as Superior General, has granted interviews to a variety of publications, secular and religious. We asked Bishop Fellay to answer a few questions which may be on our readers’ minds.

Do you think the lifting of the excommunications was a more difficult “achievement” than the upcoming doctrinal discussions?

No, I do not think so. In the first case, it was only a matter of a juridical act which the Pope has the power to perform. This is what he did, and for this we immediately thanked him. In the second case, it is quite a different matter. As the Pope specified in the Decree of January 21, it is a question of “going further in the necessary discussions with the Authorities of the Holy See concerning the issues still pending.” Fundamental issues, as much for the Faith as for the very life of the Church, cannot be resolved without a profound study, as the document states. And, to use your own word, this is more difficult than signing a juridical act, even if this precise act–as we have already said–must have required of the Holy Father both strength and courage.

What is the goal of these doctrinal discussions? Is it simply to be allowed the freedom to preach about and discuss the doctrinal reservations the Society has?

The goal of these doctrinal discussions is to examine the causes of the present situation so as to be able to bring a remedy which is not applied only to the symptoms.

How long do you anticipate these doctrinal discussions lasting?

As I have hinted above, this will take time; certainly some months, even years if necessary.

What form will these doctrinal discussions take?

We are considering having both working groups to which will be entrusted the task of studying the main themes in greater depth and a commission of theologians of the Society more directly in charge of presenting to Rome the conclusions of the working groups. The bishops will, by right, be involved in these studies.

What kind of a canonical solution is being proposed, if any?

It is still too early to say anything precise. We know that Rome has been working for a long time on this canonical project, and that a proposal will be made to us in due time. Here again, it is not difficult for Rome to find the adequate solution for the Society of Saint Pius X. According to our road map, this should come after the resolution of the major problems to be solved in the discussions.

Is it possible that temporary faculties would be given to the Society while the doctrinal discussions were underway?

Once again, though I may sound like a broken record, I would say that it is still too early to say. We think that some time from now we will receive more specific details on this point. There would certainly be a danger in reducing the problem of the Society to a matter of Canon Law. It is the whole crisis of the Church which explains and justifies what we are doing.

If the Society is “regularized” and a canonical solution adopted, what will happen to the religious orders in the “family of Tradition” that work alongside us, such as the Benedictines, Dominicans, etc.?

There is no question for us of separating our regularization from that of communities friendly to us. It is in this perspective that, on February 5, I met with the superiors of these communities to explain what was presently going on not only for Tradition but also for the Church.

Is it not true that, contrary to some opinions, there is an essential unity inside the Society on these matters?

We can say that, no matter what Rome’s answer had been regarding our request of lifting the decree of excommunications, there would have been discontentment. The priests of the SSPX who, up to now, have voiced any opposition are few in number, and their reaction often comes from a consideration of the situation which is too rash and too univocal. However–and this is comforting–the greatest majority of the priests of the Society and of the friendly communities agree with the general line of conduct of the Society in this new phase of our combat. We are disposed to receive any remark our fellow priests may wish to address to us, but we ask them before all to find strength in a greater union with God, and to trust those whom Divine Providence has chosen to bring these matters to a happy conclusion.

What has changed between the pontificate of John Paul II and Benedict XVI regarding the SSPX?

Even if, since the year 2000, something had changed in our relations with Rome in the wake of the great pilgrimage we organized on the occasion of the Jubilee, relations with Pope John Paul II were practically non-existent since 1988. As we stated in an official press release, after the election of Cardinal Ratzinger on April 19, 2005, we saw in this election a gleam of hope to get out of the deep crisis which is shaking the Catholic Church, a crisis of which some aspects were raised by the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and recently, in his meditations for the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. We added that we particularly hoped for a complete freedom of the Mass (this happened, though imperfectly, with the Motu Proprio of July 7, 2007) and next for the withdrawal of the excommunications pronounced by the Holy See in 1988 (this occurred this past January 21). We owe the fulfillment of these two pre-conditions certainly to the determination of Benedict XVI, but even more to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we had entrusted those two intentions and for which you have offered your prayers.

Today, the great obstacle remains “the understanding of the Second Vatican Council.” Yet, I am optimistic because I think that the Pope is deeply convinced of the necessity of a theological dialogue on difficult issues, and that the critical consideration which the Society can bring in this respect can be a treasure for the Church. Consequently, I can say without any doubt that, for Benedict XVI, doctrine has more importance than it had for John Paul II, and in this respect, something has changed, even though this has begun to be felt especially in the life and discipline of the Church.

Do you think that Pope Benedict sees a decline in the “post-conciliar Church” and that this affected his attitude towards Tradition and the SSPX?

I think that Benedict XVI has a true perception, if not of the decline of the post-conciliar Church, at least of the deep crisis it is undergoing today. It was the future Benedict XVI who said of the Church that it was like “a boat taking in water on every side.” On this point we are in agreement. It remains for us to agree on the cause of the crisis. Rome only considers our secularized, hedonist, consumerist society to be mainly responsible, whereas we affirm that the Second Vatican Council caused principles contrary to the message of the Gospel to enter the very bosom of the Church and to be responsible for the present situation.

For Pope Benedict, is the SSPX the chief promoter of Tradition?

We are convinced–and facts show it daily–that the Society, beyond what it represents in figures, has an essential part to play in the resolution of the crisis. In this sense, I can answer yes to your question.

What value does the Pope give to religious societies such as the Fraternity of St. Peter or the Institute of Christ the King?

Inasmuch as these societies defend a certain order and transmit certain traditions, in the broad sense, to which Benedict XVI is attached, as he often said, wrote, or achieved in facts–indeed, we have been seeing many changes in pontifical ceremonies since 2005–he seems to grant them some value and even to encourage them in a way.

Last fall a Trappist monastery in Germany announced their return to the traditional Mass and traditional monastic discipline. Do you think this might inspire other monasteries or convents to follow the same way?

We are convinced of this. Many are those who, in monasteries and convents, watch what is going on presently with the greatest attention.

Do you expect a number of priests to join the SSPX after the official lifting of the excommunication?

It is not something impossible. Yet we must be prudent. A return to a true celebration of the traditional Mass can only go in hand with a return to the corresponding theological formation. Many such priests who have contacted us are aware of this, and some, even if they are yet few, do not hesitate to come and stay in our seminaries or priories so as to remedy their lack of formation. To help such priests is one of the goals of the Society clearly stated by our founder.

Beyond praying to Our Lady for continued assistance in the crisis, what can faithful Catholics who wish to help the Society do?

Prayer remains essential because it is the means willed by God to give us in time what He meant to give us from all eternity and which He will give us only by this means. Hence we rely more than ever on their prayers for the Holy Father and for all those whom Providence has chosen to achieve, even remotely, this task necessary for the salvation of their souls and of the souls entrusted to them.