Traditionalists rewarded for bad behavior
Friday, January 23, 2009
By Bryan Cones
Comments (11)
Pope Benedict XVI has decided to reward the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) by lifting the excommunications of four of its bishops, according to the UK Times. The four were ordained by Lefebvre without permission in 1988, after which Pope John Paul II excommunicated the four, along with Lefebvre. To top it all off, one of the rehabilitated, Englishman Richard Williamson, is a Holocaust-denier, indicating as recently as last weekend that "there were no gas chambers." Brilliant! I'm sure this will go a long in toward improving Catholicism's newly-weakened ties with Judaism. (See my post and column on the possible beatification of Piux XII.)
I've always been astonished at how freely "liberal" Catholics--those who favor, say, married and female clergy--are denounced as "cafeteria Catholics" while right-wingers like the SSPX get coddled, despite the fact that they entered schism and condemned the Second Vatican Council, including and especially its teaching on religious freedom. Pope John Paul II forbid women's ordination from even being discussed, while the current pope has liberalized the use of the Tridentine Latin liturgy (which was already permitted anyway), as well as paved the road in gold for the SSPX's return (150,000 members) in the name of "Christian unity." This while our conversations with the Orthodox and the churches of the Reformation (hundreds of millions of members between the two) flounders.
Not my idea of the way to spend the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18 through 25).
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Give me a break
By David Phillips (not verified) on Wednesday, February 11, 2009Why always such a dislike for Catholic traditionalists and especially for the Traditional Latin Mass? Could it be because the traditional Roman Liturgy expresses the Faith of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding the ordained priesthood, so clearly?
These four bishops never had any intention of breaking with the Catholic Church. Archbishop Lefebvre's actions were never intended to start a schismatic church. Clearly, they (Lefebvre and the four, and the Society of St Pius X) believed their actions were justified and necessary. They made their case, whether we agree with it or not. As I have maintained all along, the bishops and the priests of the Society, let alone the faithful who attend their chapels, are CATHOLICS, not schismatics, as some love to call them...it being an irregular situation, and Bishop Williamson's controversial views aside.
At the end of the day, it is time to realize that the modernist revolution in the Church is in its dying days. The Catholic Faith in all its splendor and Catholic tradition- including the pre-Vatican II liturgy- are being restored. Deo Gratias!
Restoration of SSPX
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, January 29, 2009In all the hysteria it should be noted that the "restored" bishops are still suspended from ordained ministry.
Traditionalists rewarded for bad behavior
By Fr Nick Punch (not verified) on Tuesday, January 27, 2009Thanks for the comment, they were my thoughts as well when I heard this latest news.
It is sad that we are asked to accept the gentleness of the church's compassion towards these men,while also allowing ourselves to be whipped for entertaining "liberal" ideas!
I for one lose respect for a leadership that is not equally compassionate to all.
Liberal ideas
By Timothy (not verified) on Tuesday, January 27, 2009Greetings,
Yes, but Father, the men in question were, indeed, excommunicated by the Church. The Church has yet to do anything about formalizing the many automatic excommunications about which She is aware. The formal excommunications regarding those who practice those many “liberal ideas” about which you write.
Timothy+
Traditionalists rewarded for by behavior
By claire (not verified) on Saturday, January 24, 2009Thank you for your column, Bryan.
My hope is that the current pope is going to turn off Catholics the way George W. Bush turned off the Americans. Then, we'll have change and renewal in the Roman Catholic Church and the breath of fresh air that only the Holy Spirit can bring.
Finally, I do not find Benedict represents the Holy One any more than the sensus fidelium, He just represents his sclerosed minimalist mind, God bless him.
Very charming
By Timothy (not verified) on Saturday, January 24, 2009Greetings,
Very charming, Miss. But the sense of the faithful cannot act in persona Christi and forgive someone his sins, and it was the Holy Spirit that chose our Holy Father. There are no term limits, and his mind is as supple as the same Sprit permits him to be.
Timothy+
Who can judge otherwise?
By Timothy (not verified) on Friday, January 23, 2009Greetings,
Your analogies are not valid. Anything for which the excommunicated (the excommunicant) has been excommunicated must be, among other things, reconciled in the confessional. If the excommunicant has repented that for which he was excommunicated, no bishop can help but reward the excommunicant with forgiveness by, in part, lifting his excommunication.
The various members of the Society of Saint Pius X who were excommunicated were, indeed, excommunicated.
The Church is just as coddling or indulgent with those who incur automatic (and eventual formal) excommunication because of being involved, formally or materially, with women ordination or married priests (women or men). If they repent, they’re in. An excommunication is a compelling motivator to repentance, I should think.
Finally, I am no holocaust denier. But apparently believing in gas chambers is not a requirement for the lifting of an excommunication, as not believing in gas chambers would apparently never be a reason for the Church to excommunicate someone in the first place.
We must now trust in God, as His authorized Representative on earth has forgiven these men in His Holy Name.
Who can judge otherwise?
Timothy+
P.S. The Tridentine Latin liturgy does not exist. It is referred to as the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite. However, I was happy to see that you deleted the rite from the Tridentine.
also
By Timothy (not verified) on Saturday, January 24, 2009Greetings,
Rewarded for bad behavior. I just can't seem to let that go.
It is not a concession to the SSPX by the Church to offer what was already there by your own omission: the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite.
SSPX’s sins were not even liturgical. They all have been forgiven, anyway.
Alleluia, 150, 000 souls possibly taken back into the Church is a celebratory occasion! Period. You seem to want them to perish because those that you would have in the Church’s bosom are not given enough attention.
You don’t even believe that the Catholic Church is required for salvation so I do not understand why you would be so anxious of any person in a different religion joining our Church. If you were, indeed, so desirous of others joining our Church, that would be tantamount to you claiming that their religion is not equal to ours. However, you can’t claim that.
And, yes, you do seem to want the Church to allow female priests because She expanded the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite even though the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite has never been abolished and women priests are never to be ordained, anyway.
Ordaining women priests is an automatic excommunication for all cooperating and the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite in itself is not material for excommunication in anyway imaginable. Invalid analogy, and not even relevant to the excommunications of the men in question, anyway.
I have always felt that your organization cooperates materially in facilitating others to think not like the Church does.
We should never put a stumbling block in front of those whose road has been paved right into Holy Mother Church, even if its only 150, 000 of them.
Ironically, according to your sentiments, the Church has been very generous and lenient with MANY of Her Flock in America and Europe, as regards to open defiance of both faith and morals.
It will be a sad day to see what She will do if the so-called left does not relent, Bryan. I sincerely pray that you do.
Timothy+
Rewarded for bad behavior
By claire (not verified) on Monday, January 26, 2009Timothy+ and -,
I sense you are part of this vocal conservative minority in the Catholic Church who relishes Benedict's minimalism. The Vatican is not the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit did not choose Josef Ratzinger. Josef Ratzinger made sure he was chosen. How did he do it? I am not sure.
When the Holy Spirit comes back swinging, then we will see whether you like Her decisions as much as you seem to do now.
Be sure that we pray for you as well. We all are in need of prayers.
In Christ's name.
Does the Holy Spirit help with the selection of any pope?
By Jerry (not verified) on Wednesday, February 11, 2009Are all the prayers in selecting a Pope a waste of time? If not, how do you determine which Pope was selected by the Holy Spirit? If you have a list of the changes you want from the Church versus the positions of all the pope, I suppose the Holy Spirit is batting zero in meeting your standards.
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