Oriens Journal of the Ecclesia Dei Society Summer 2002 - 2003 Volume 8, Number 2 $4.00 Hold your fire! In this edition of Oriens, we report ministers who do violence to the possible, our policy has been neither on an argument over the status of the Eucharist by their celebrations of the publicly to condemn nor to support the Society of St Pius X. The dispute began Mass. Here and there across the globe, late bishop or the movement he founded. in the French-language journal of the among the scattered and sometimes Given that the history of our readers and Priestly Fraternity of St Peter and has fractured communities of Catholic writers have been different, for the most been carried over into the pages of the traditionalists, the contest finds its echo. part, from those who have been drawn to The Latin Mass magazine published in the SSPX, it seemed both unjust to harass One is reminded by these events of the United States. (See our story The our brethren because events had carried the non-stop political warfare waged in SSPX debate - ‘in’ or ‘out’, page 4.) them along a road we did not wish to 19th Century France between the tread, and indifferent to our own This debate has a long history and a Legitimistes and Orleanistes. The folly of aspirations not to seize the sharp edge. Its bitterness is the opportunity presented by result of a split in SSPX ranks Ecclesia Dei to chart our own precipitated by the breakdown course. In the meantime, we of negotiations between Rome Lefebvre winning have looked forward to a final and Archbishop Lefebvre in agreement that would recall May 1988 and his subsequent the argument from from ecclesiastical banishment decision to consecrate bishops the SSPX and all those without papal approval. Thus beyond the grave associated with it. the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter was formed. Sons of The recent explosion, Lefebvre, they were reconciled however, of rigorist hostility to Rome and accepted the Ecclesia Dei their combats provided a marvellous leg- toward the SSPX, at a time when Rome provisions for the renewed celebration of up for the republicans, and did much to is working with real good will toward a the Latin liturgy that had been under a destroy the chances of a monarchist reconciliation, is an act of such 20-year ban. Ever since, the flames of restoration which, at crucial points even foolishness that silence no longer serves. dispute have blazed between the two after the 1848 Revolution, would have camps: about who was right and who met with popular support. SSPX position wrong, about loyalty and betrayal, about In the same way the antagonism The facts of the case seem clear union with the Church and schism. which has sprung up between the SSPX enough. Mons Lefebvre, the Society that Hot discord and the FSSP, and, within each of them, he founded, and those who have between their respective ‘ultras’ and resorted to it, deny no dogma of Catholic In the last few months, the discord has ‘pragmatic tendencies’, is the enemy of faith. They use an authentic form of burned hotter than usual. Somewhere in Catholic tradition and of that authentic Catholic worship. They accept the pope the French countryside, an SSPX priest restoration and renovation for which so of the day as legitimate head of the declares it a "mortal sin" to attend masses many Catholics hope and pray. Church, they pray for him, and wish to celebrated by the Fraternity of St Peter. A remain in communion with him. Here, Oriens has never been drawn into Father de Montjoye of the FSSP then, are Catholics in every sense, so debate about Archbishop Marcel unleashes his own barrage: the SSPX, he where is the schism? Lefebvre and his Society. As far as charges, are schismatical, non-Catholic Some will point to their attitude to continued page 3 Summer 2002 - 2003 1 Oriens This issue Oriens Page 1 Editorial - Hold your fire! Volume 8, Number 2 Summer 2002 - 2003 Archbishop Lefebvre winning the argument from beyond the grave. Published by the Ecclesia Dei Society GPO Box 2021, Canberra ACT 2601 Page 4 www.ozemail.com.au/~oriens The SSPX debate - ‘in’ or ‘out’ Editors Gerard McManus reports on a debate over the Gary Scarrabelotti Hugh Henry canonical status of the Society of St Pius X. Contributing Editors Rev Fr Ephraem Chifley OP Page 6 Gerard McManus Mons Rifan explains Campos move A report of some conversations with Bishop Antonio Layout Areas Rifan. Luna Graphics Page 8 Oriens is the Journal of the Ecclesia Dei Society, a lay Just don’t know ‘how to be’ association of Catholics who foster, nurture and promote Martin Sheehan looks at the cultural meaning of the traditional liturgy. The Society’s name is inspired by the Apostolic Letter Ecclesia Dei of His Holiness Pope September 11 for the West. John Paul II, issued in 1988, in which the Pontiff asked for a “wide and generous application” of the norms governing use of the liturgical books of 1962 to those Pages 10 & 12 faithful of the Latin rite who felt an attachment to the Thesis and Antithesis traditional liturgy, which His Holiness called a “rightful aspiration”. Membership of the Ecclesia Dei Society Michael Duffy and Ephraem Chifley O.P. assess the includes a subscription to Oriens. To join, simply fill in state of the Australian soul. the form below and return to: The Ecclesia Dei Society Page 13 GPO Box 2021 Canberra ACT 2601 Good News from Scotland I hereby apply to join the Ecclesia Dei Society: Report on traditional Mass events. Annual Ordinary Membership $ 20 5 year Supporting Membership $100 Page 14 Junior Membership (under 18s) $ 10 The fabric of Christian life Associate Membership (for non-Catholics) $ 10 Brother Alcuin Reid OSB explains the round of Or Please send me more information. monastic life. Name Address Pages 18 - 21 Reviews Telephone Page 24 Signature Date / / People 2 Summer 2002 - 2003 Oriens Editorial continued from page 1 Vatican II. To be, however, a Catholic in consecration to the episcopacy. Without Society of St John Vianney, Rome granted good standing not one of us is required to them, the SSPX would need to depend what it has denied to the FSSP. Talk accept on faith a single canon of Vatican upon Roman officials and local bishops about bi-ritualism, and the need to II since none were promulgated. The few of whom wished his movement, and concelebrate the Chrism Mass with the Council’s statements on religious liberty, the traditional Mass, other than dead. local diocesan bishop, fell away. Far from ecumenism, and collegiality, which give When the negotiations were done, it calling these people schismatic, Rome has rise to the most adverse reactions within appeared to Lefebvre that in putting his moved toward the Lefebvre position and, SSPX ranks, are at best pastoral initials to May 5 he had accepted an on the way, has confirmed by its actions orientations or new theological invitation to hand over his movement to the case for his defence - that he had been formulations which, by their nature, are its executioners. driven by necessity. contestable and which have been So while technically Lefebvre, his co- contested widely by Catholics whose Vexed history consecrator Antonio de Castro Mayer, communion with their bishops and with If we examine the subsequent history and the men they made bishops, might Rome has never been questioned. of the Ecclesia Dei regime, and the have gone "into touch", their actual Others will point to the chequered story of the Priestly Fraternity relation to the Church is much less clear consecrations of 30 June 1988 carried of St Peter, Lefebvre’s fears have not than the adversarial "touch judges" have out without papal mandate, and to the proved groundless, though neither have flagged so furiously. The ecclesiastical sentence of excommunication they been completely realised. The FSSP position of the bishops, the SSPX, and connected automatically with that has been subject to pressure, with the those who cleave to them, is at worst offence. This surely wraps up the case. help of an insurgent group, to adopt bi- irregular – an irregularity that was not all ritualism and participate in of their own doing, but to which they felt concelebrations using the new missal. A Mercy compelled. Roman protocol has been issued to What the legalist critics rarely allude outlaw disciplinary measures by the to, however, is the wonderful Who is responsible? FSSP to uphold its exclusive attachment mercifulness of canon law. According to to the traditional liturgy. While the If there were errors on Lefebvre’s part, its provisions, no punishment applies integrity of the FSSP has been damaged and on that of his followers, they were where alleged offenders act out of some by these events, the Roman prohibitions chiefly errors of prudential judgement necessity evident to themselves; and there have had no effect on the issue of chief clouded by the fog, and cramped by the is no penalty for schism where there was importance to the Fraternity and to the injuries, of battle. What has yet to be no intention of wishing to separate from traditional Catholics whom it serves – the recognised is the role that Popes and the Church. practical freedom to chose the traditional bishops played, and theirs the more Oriens has never endorsed Archbishop liturgy exclusively. In the meantime, and serious. It was they, seized by the Lefebvre’s decision to renege on the notwithstanding the hostility of many romance of the new and sustained by agreement of May 5, 1988, negotiated bishops and their officials, the traditional papal loyalism, who persecuted Catholics between himself and Cardinal Ratzinger.