The SSPX did, however, offer three conditions for reunion in a July 17 letter from its general secretary to the society’s superiors throughout the world. The Vatican has proposed to the society a “doctrinal preamble” as a basis for reunion, but so far no formal response has come from the society. In 2009, as you indicate, Pope Benedict XVI lifted that excommunication in a clear invitation to the society to be reunited with Rome. Relations with the Vatican were further strained in 1988 when Archbishop Lefebvre ordained four bishops despite being warned not to by Pope John Paul II, resulting in the excommunication of those bishops by the Vatican. The SSPX was established in 1970 by the French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to counter what he believed were errors in church teaching and practice stemming from the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). As I write this, the Vatican and the SSPX are involved in a continuing series of high-level discussions in hopes of achieving reconciliation.Ī bit of background might help. I am well aware that my response may be out of date before you even read it. New information seems to come almost weekly from Rome and Switzerland (where the society is headquartered). Of the several questions that you ask or suggest, the “current status” is the hardest one to pin down because it is all so fluid. What is the current status of the society, and does attending one of the society’s Masses fulfill a Catholic’s Sunday obligation? (Sidney, Neb.)Ī. I understand that the Holy Father has lifted the excommunication of the society’s bishops. Their members, it seems, adhere to all the core beliefs of the church but do not agree with some of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. I have seen conflicting reports relative to the Masses celebrated by the clergy of the Society of St.
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