Vatican Does Not Expect a Capitulation from the SSPX

Commission "Ecclesia Dei" -Secretary Pozzo: There is "no doubt" that the teachings of Vatican II have a different binding, depending on the nature of the document. SSPX could expect to return with personal prelature

Vatican (kath.net/RV/red) Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei' has said in an interview with the French magazine 'Famille Chrétienne' that the Vatican will require no capitulation from the controversial SSPX Pius X. This was reported by "Vatican Radio". "The Holy See invites the SSPX to take its side into the framework of doctrinal issues, insofar as they are essential for a permanent attachment to the faith and to Catholic teaching and tradition," said Pozzo. Currently, there are obviously continuing talks with the SSPX. The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission then stressed: "The reservations of the SSPX over some aspects and formulations of the Second Vatican Council and to some of the reforms carried out that do not concern non-negotiable dogmatic and doctrinal issues may be simultaneously further studied and developed."

With that Pozzo signaled that the SSPX could retain some peculiarities when they have been inserted back into the large frame of the Catholic Church. There is "no doubt" that the teachings of Vatican II have different bindingness, depending on the nature of the document. "The Constitutions of the Church on Revelation, Lumen Gentium and Dei Verbum, have the character of doctrinal pronouncements; the explanations of religious freedom and non-Christian religions as well as the ecumenical decree, on the other hand, have less authority and less bindingness."

The CDF has presented the SSPX in 2011, with a "Doctrinal Statement."; this they should sign if they want a full return to the Catholic Church. Pozzo let them know in case of a reconciliation with Rome the SSPX could expect the status of a personal prelature. He also confirmed that the Vatican - as during the pontificate of Benedict XVI. - insists on unchanged clarity on the part of the SSPX. The conversation between the Prefect of the CDF, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Bishop Bernard Fellay went well according to Pozzo.

Link to Kath.net.. AMGD

Cardinal Brandmüller Complains of "Chaos" in the Catholic Church

Ignorance of Catholic doctrine among bishops and theologians is in the opinion of Cardinal Walter Brandmüller the main reason for the current "chaos" in the Church.

Rome (kath.net / KNA) Ignorance of Catholic doctrine among bishops and theologians is in the opinion of Cardinal Walter Brandmüller (photo), the main reason for the current "chaos" in the Church. Given the internal Church debate on marriage and family the "unadulterated Catholic doctrine" is in danger, said the German cardinal and ecclesiastical historian of the Italian newspaper "Il Foglio" (Thursday).

Under bishops, preachers, catechists and "especially among moral theology professors", there is  often prevails an absence or lack of  clarity about the doctrine, complained Brandmüller. Adding to the resulting confusion are bishops who claim that the Catholic moral teaching is not up to date.

 Brandmüller also identified statements by Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier to a renewal of moral and sexual education. Ackermann might be right if he meant that believers are more motivated to live a life according to Catholic doctrine, and this needed to be better explained. He could, however, be wrong, if he wanted to have said that the Catholic doctrine no longer fits the times, says the cardinal. Ackermann told "Mainzer Allgemeine" early February declaring in an editorial interview with the that he saw the need for a change of morality and sexual ethics of the Church. It is no longer appropriate, to refuse divorced and remarried   admission to the sacraments permanently and consider premarital sex in general as a grave sin. At the same time Ackermann stressed he  is not about making fundamental changes in teaching. 

 The Augsburg Church Historian Brandmüller had been President of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences from 1998 to 2009. He has belonged to the College of Cardinals since September of 2010.  

Link to Katholisches...

New CDF Positive About Reconciliation With SSPX

Edit:It should be pointed out that the press is really eager to torpedo this deal and that certain comments from Archbishop Mueller, with respect to the level of mental agreement the SSPX is meant to have of the Second Vatican Council, have been sorely misquoted, or at least toned down in later statements.

Rome remains eager to hear the SSPX's response.

When Archbishop Mueller says that the Vatican Council is non-negotiable, he's referring to those parts which reaffirm the previous Councils. Being fixated on alleged "ideological" differences, +Mueller concedes, echoing Pope Benedict and Msgr. Nicola Bux that not all of the documents of the Council are of the same weight, and that the Vatican Council is not a "super Dogma".

The following is an excerpt from Louie Verrecchio, writing for Renew America, a very balanced and fair analysis of the situation, particularly in the following.

"There was no need to call a council merely to hold discussions of that nature," he continued. "What is needed at the present time is a new enthusiasm, a new joy and serenity of mind in the unreserved acceptance by all of the entire Christian faith, without forfeiting that accuracy and precision in its presentation which characterized the proceedings of the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council."

This being the case, if one adheres to "the entire Christian faith" as expressed in the doctrinal pronouncements that preceded the Council; then clearly one must be walking on solidly Catholic ground. This, according to my understanding, is precisely where the SSPX stakes its claim.

If this be true, then it's reasonable for us to wonder what the nature of the discord truly is.

Look, no one disputes the fact that confusion surrounds certain aspects of the conciliar text. As the communique from the Vatican Information Service (VIS) stated at the outset of the discussions "[the Holy See] leaves open to legitimate discussion the examination and theological explanation of individual expressions and formulations contained in the documents of Vatican Council II and later Magisterium."