The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

The SSPX Wastes no
Time in Responding

September 9, 2006

Well we didn't have to wait long for the Society of St Pius X to fire back. This communiqué at the French (predictably) district website:

La Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint Pie X a pris acte de la signature, ce jour, du décret d’érection de l’Institut du Bon Pasteur par le cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, institut de droit pontifical fondé spécialement pour cinq prêtres et quelques séminaristes ayant appartenu à l’œuvre fondée par Mgr Lefebvre.	The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X has noted the signature, today, of the decree of erection of the Institute of the Good Shepherd, by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, an institute of Pontifical Right especially founded for five priests and several seminarians who belonged to the work founded by Abp Lefebvre.
L’érection de cet institut n’est pas une surprise. Elle se situe dans la suite logique des démarches entreprises par quelques-uns de ces prêtres, depuis plusieurs mois, auprès de la Commission Ecclesia Dei en vue d’une régularisation canonique : signature de la « formule d’adhésion », obtention d’un « celebret » et recherche d’une incardination.	The erection of this Institute is not a surprise. It belongs to the logical sequence of steps taken by some of these priests, for several months, at the Ecclesia Dei Commission for a canonical regularization: the signature of the "formula of adhesion", the obtaining of a "celebret", and the search for incardination.
Cet institut lui-même ne constitue pas une nouveauté canonique. La Commission Ecclesia Dei a favorisé, depuis sa création en 1988, des fondations similaires : Fraternité Saint Pierre, Fraternité Saint Jean-Marie Vianney de Campos (Brésil)… En l’occurrence, l’Institut du Bon Pasteur est à rapprocher plus particulièrement de l’Institut Saint Philippe Néri de Berlin, fondé en 2003, lui aussi de droit pontifical, pour un prêtre et quatre séminaristes. Fondation aujourd’hui très précaire... L’avenir dira ce qui distingue le nouvel institut des initiatives précédentes.	This institute itself does not constitute a canonical innovation. The Ecclesia Dei Commission has supported, since its creation in 1988, similar foundations: the Fraternity of Saint Peter, the Fraternity of Saint John Marie Vianney of Campos (Brazil)... In reality, the Institute of the Good Shepherd more closely resembles the Saint Philip Neri Institute of Berlin, founded in 2003, and also of Pontifical right, for a priest and four seminarians. A foundation which today is very precarious... The future will tell what distinguishes the new institute from the preceding initiatives.
La Fraternité Saint Pie X rappelle, à cette occasion, qu’elle ne peut faire sienne une solution communautariste où la messe tridentine serait confinée dans un statut particulier. La messe de la Tradition bimillénaire doit jouir dans l’Eglise d’un droit de cité plein et entier : elle n’est pas un privilège réservé à quelques-uns, elle est un droit pour tous les prêtres et tous les fidèles de l’Eglise universelle.	The Society of Saint Pius X recalls, on this occasion, that it cannot accept a communitarian solution, in which the Tridentine Mass would be confined to a particular statute. The Mass of a 2,000 year Tradition must enjoy in the Church full and complete right of citizenship. It is not a privilege reserved for some, it is a right for all the priests and all the faithful of the universal Church.
C’est pourquoi la Fraternité Saint Pie X invite prêtres et fidèles à s’associer à sa campagne de prières qui a pour but de présenter, en octobre prochain, au pape Benoît XVI un million de chapelets pour la libération totale de la messe traditionnelle.	This is why the Society of Saint Pius X invites priests and faithful to join its campaign of prayers which has as its goal to present, October next, Pope Benedict XVI with a million rosaries for the complete liberation of the Traditional Mass.
Menzingen, en la fête de la Nativité de Notre Dame, 8 septembre 2006	Menzingen, on the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, September 8, 2006

First, let us recall that the Society itself is responsible for the events that have taken place. It drove these men from its own bosom and now the Society tries to haul them over the coals for doing the logical thing ?

Second, this is an attempt to shut the barn door after the horse has bolted. You had your chance to keep these priests within the fold but you let them go.

Third, the specter of failure has to be presented before the SSPX faithful since this reconciliation of some former major players in the Society could cause big problems for an already ailing district. A lot of lay-faithful in the SSPX are not happy with the leadership's handling of the Laguérie affair.

Fourth, the "Rosary Crusade - we mustn't lose sight of the goal - the Old Mass for all". How many people are there in the Church who are remotely interested in the Tridentine Mass ? Best estimates put the number of Trads of all kinds at about 1 million worldwide - a drop in the ocean when we consider the New Rite Catholics. Is there really that much to be gained by pushing the envelope ? It's the Church that needs to be reformed and you can't help Her by being "on the outs" with Her. Vatican II introduced a crisis of disobedience. Do we help the Church by continually flouting legitimate authority ?

+TF