The Society and Rome on Verge of Agreement

Edit: some people will remember that we predicted this long ago. It remains to be seen how this will work itself out. Some, who are not as good-willed, think this agreement will mean an end to the Society's significance in the media. Seeing as the Society is one of the most healthy societies in the Church today, I can't imagine seeing it shrink in importance, I can only imagine it growing stronger as its seminaries grow and it continues to build new schools, while unhealthy societies continue to retreat and dwindle into insignificance.


This is Rorate's translation of the usual article from Liberal Le Figaro:



Rome and Écône on the verge of reaching an agreement


by Jean-Marie Guénois


The signing of a document establishing the relations between the Holy See and the disciples of Abp. Lefebvre is a matter of days.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Officially, the Vatican awaits the response of Bp. Bernard Fellay, the chief of the Lefebvrists. As soon as it is received in Rome - "it is a matter of days, and no longer of weeks", - it will be immediately examined. If it conforms to expectations, the Holy See will very quickly announce a historic agreement with this group of faithful, known under the name of "integrists".

But unofficially, and with the greatest discretion, emissaries have worked, from both sides, to "reach an agreement". In the past few weeks, the final adjustments have been concluded between Rome and Écône in order to better respond to the demands of "clarifications" asked for by the Vatican last March 16.

Link to Rorate...

This Victory of The Society of Saint Pius X is Not a Roman Defeat

Edit: here's a summary of Messa in Latino's analysis of the Preamble by kreuz.net.

"I would like to say that the relativization of the Council, which allows this Preamble, represents an actual victory for the Society."

Bishop Fellay © Piusbruderschaft, dici.org

(kreuz.net) "I can tell you that I personally would have no problem with signing this preamble."

Enrico -- a contributor to the Traditional website 'blog.messainlatino.it' -- affirmed this yesterday.

He refers to the "Dogmatic Preamble", which the Vatican presented to the Priestly Society of St. Pius X for signing.

The Blog Recognizes the Text

The Society General Superior, Msgr Bernard Fellay, is awaiting a canonical proposal since Wednesday.

Enrico commented: "I would like to say that the relativization of the Council, which this Preamble allows, is actually representative of a victory for the Society."

This doesn't constitute a defeat of Rome for him.

Because: "The destruction of the Conciliar "Superdogmas" are put in a win-win situation, from which both can profit."

Enrico summarized the Preamble into two points:

- The Society must respect the Relevance of the Teaching Office.

- The Society must conduct themselves, as they have said, "very respectfully" and collaborate amicably with other parts of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Tremendous Novelty

Enrico addressed the concern that the Preamble's expressed requirement for a "religious submission of the understanding and the intellect' for texts of the ordinary Magisterium, could prohibit criticism of the Pastoral Council.

Actually, Enrico pointed to this as a "tremendous novelty".

Because the Preamble allows "the study and the theological clarification of various expressions and ambiguities in the documents of the Second Vatican council and legitimate discussion of the corresponding teaching office."

The Blog informs that this "legitimate discussion" is not only the interpretation of these documents, rather also allows the expression of them: "This clearly goes beyond a mere hermeneutic."

More than mere Hermeneutic

The article recalled the discussion of the former Prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, to the Chilean Bishops on 13. Juli 1988:

"The truth is that this particular Council defined no dogma and deliberately preferred, to remain as a mere pastoral Council on a humble level.

But many use it as if it were transformed into a kind of Suerpdogma, that robs all other meaning."

And: "It it not tolerated that the Councils decisions may be criticized. While at the same time, if ancient rules or even the principle reality of the Faith -- like the corporal virginity of Mary, the bodily Resurrection of Jesus or the immortality of the soul, there is no criticism or it is protested with great reluctance."

Link to original...