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Cardinal Medina Estevez on the SSPX Negotiations

October 7, 2005

A recent interview (September 26, 2005) was granted by the former prefect of the Congregation for Worship Jorge Arturo Cardinal Median Estevez on his thoughts about the meeting of Bishop Fellay and Pope Benedict XVI and other developments surrounding the Latin Mass. The interview was posted in French on the DICI (SSPX) website. I have not found a translation so I offer my own. It has some surprising contents (my comments interspersed as usual):

Question: What is your view of the meeting last August 29 between Benedict XVI and Bishop Fellay the superior general of the Society of St Pius X ? Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez: Many other contacts preceded this visit of Bishop Fellay to the Holy Father. Contacts notably with Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, and other persons, like myself. Bishop Fellay paid me a visit and I went to see him when he was hospitalized in Rome, several years ago. Thus we cannot say that this meeting with the Holy Father was unexpected, since we have contacts, and Bishop Fellay knows that the Pope is concerned with full communion for all Catholics, all Christians and especially with this group which stands for the decisions and positions of Archbishop Lefebvre. In a recent telephone conversation with a lay-woman from Michigan this passage was cited as proof positive that the dealings between the Society and Rome had been going on for a considerable period of time.  Actually I think the contacts have been less formal than she suggested. The "many other contacts" in question were the on-going informal contacts that the Society has always maintained with various clerics in high places in Rome. Question: What solutions in the future can Rome find in order to advance a rapprochement with the Society of St Pius X ? Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez:  The situation is complex, with on one side the liturgical problem and on the other the doctrinal questions. I think that before all else it will be necessary to draw up a list of doctrinal difficulties in order ro be able to discuss them and find solutions, explanations, nuances which allow us to overcome them. It would be useful to organize a kind of work group for that. But even inside the Society there are different currents. Some have a position that is unsubtle, inflexible. Others are better disposed as regards dialogue. Without make unfortunate accusations, it must be recalled that it has been said that the missal of Paul VI was "heretical" or further that even this rite could be judged as "invalid". In this case we find ourselves in an extremely difficult situation. Nevertheless, I believe there is a way we can reach an agreement on doctrine. Perhaps there have been false interpretations, perhaps one might explain certain points... but there must be agreement on the acceptance of Vatican Council II. The heart of the matter at long last !!! Regular readers of this column will know that I have been advocating the dual approach to the problem of Tradition and modernism along the lines of liturgy and theology with the heavy accent on theology. In other words we must solve the theological issues before the liturgical questions can be addressed. Now we have a senior Cardinal saying the very same thing ! Personally I think this is Rome's unofficial response to Father Schmidberger's interview of a couple of weeks ago where he suggested the following: "We must have this liberty. We must be able to criticize the council. … It's for the welfare of the church. There are profound wounds coming forth from this, and those wounds must be healed." Another thing the Cardinal makes clear (despite the SSPX's attempt to put a spin on this point) is that there are different groups of thought within the Society and some of the members reject the missal of Paul VI. The "extremely difficult situation" would of course mean a total impasse would occur (which I suspect the extremists within the SSPX would clearly favor).

Question: Contrary to yourself, Bishop Fellay has placed  that of the liturgical problem and the authorization of celebrating the Tridentine Mass for all before the resolution of doctrinal questions. Is that a good solution ? 

Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez:  If the Holy Father wills it, he could take a decision concerning the liturgical problems, I don't see any difficulty with it. On the other hand, if we don't reach agreement on the doctrinal problems posed by certain members of the Society, we will obtain useful and pleasant decisions but without arriving at the full communion which is so much desired. The authorization for all priests to celebrate according to the ancient form of the Roman Rite will not solve the deep problem which exists with the Society of St Pius X. If these members say, for example, "we reject the Second Vatican council", then we would find ourselves in a situation that would be difficult to resolve. We can deal with the practical liturgical questions next. This second aspect is much easier since it consists in a canonical, juridical and liturgical problem that doesn't involve, in my opinion, doctrinal questions.

Question:  According to you, Benedict XVI could, therefore, liberalize from one day to the next the celebration of the Tridentine Mass ? 

Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez: The Holy Father could, if he willed it, establish greater or lesser authorizations for the use of the ancient form of the Roman Rite inside the Catholic Church. For example, several years ago, after the publication of the new rite of exorcisms, the Congregation for Divine Worship granted bishops the possibility of using the previous rite. A certain number of bishops asked for it. That creates a precedent. In this way, I expect, little by little the possibility of celebrating the ancient form of the Roman Rite will be opened up. With good will we can get there. I only see a few difficulties in the practical order. For example, we would have to make the two liturgical calendars compatible. We can also find a solution to the problem of the lectionary. In a diocese, of course, that might pose a problem of homogeneity. These aren't capital problems, we can resolve them without major difficulties. That isn't the case with the dogmatic questions.

Question:  Was the rite of St Pius V really abolished after the Council ? 

Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez: I have examined the question. There really are arguments to support (the theory) that the 1962 rite was never juridically abolished. But there are also arguments to support the contrary. Since there is a doubt, one should not draw cut and dried conclusions saying that it was forbidden. Thus one cannot exclude or blame the Tridentine Rite, which has been that of the Roman Church for four centuries. But, I repeat again, I believe that we will have to try to find in the first place solutions to the doctrinal questions. I belong to the Ecclesia Dei commission and, every time that I am asked to celebrate in the old rite, I do so without asking anybody for permission, neither in Rome nor the local bishop. The Missal of St Pius V and that of Paul VI are both perfectly orthodox. They are tonalities that respond to different sensibilities, to different theological accents. I find, for example, that the offertory formulae in the missal of St Pius V are very good for teaching and highlighting the sacrificial character of the Mass, an essential aspect of the Eucharistic celebration.

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