The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Rumors Swirling chez la Fraternité

December 17, 2006

Throwing down the gauntlet ?

In a message posted on Le Forum Catholique (a French forum usually, but this message is in Spanish) Bishop Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, is due to give a major speech (in an Argentine Church in Bishop Williamson's presence) on why the SSPX cannot do a deal with Rome even if the Tridentine Mass is restored. This was one of the two "pre-conditions" placed by the Society before talks could begin. Why the hold-out now ?

According to the rest of the message Bishop Williamson has apparently given Fellay an ultimatum: "Do a deal with Rome and I'm out !" If this message is true, it concludes that Williamson would be prepared to found a more traditional group. If you made it through the mammoth speech in Warsaw, Poland, that I linked to at the end of last month, you would have heard the memorable line: "If the Society is ever fooled by Rome into a deal, Tradition will just have to start all over again." Ah yes, a threat if ever I heard one.

A very far cry from the same bishop who once told me privately, that if ever Rome asked him to lay aside his pectoral cross and crosier he would do so willingly.

+TF