Tuesday, December 7, 2010

"The Smallest of Our Deeds Engender Completely Disproportionate Reactions": Bishop Fellay on Rome and Society

The General Superior of the SSPX: "It is still seemingly difficult to talk about the relations of the Society with Rome."
Bishop Fellay Celebrates the Office of the German District Pilgrimage to Fulda

(kreuz.net) Forty years ago --on 1. November 1970-- the Society of Pius X was errected by the former Bishop of Freiburg, Genf und Lausanne, François Charrière († 1976).

 With that the General Superior of the Society of Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, at the end of a letter to friends and benefactors.

"Who would have ever suspected that we would have covered such a distance as we have?" -- he began.

Conflict and Tests are Not Bad

 Msgr Fellay recalled the words of Cardinal Silvio Oddi  († 2001).  This one explained the foundation for the situation of the Society of Pius X then, that those founders, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre († 1991) had done with "too great a love for the Church".

The General Superior explained that the Faithful of the Society carry the principles, which are dearest to the Church, deep in their hearts:

"They hesitate to contradict, to rebel, the revolution and never the less they appear, from the beginning to end, as rebels".

The Society will, "Exactly because of our obedience" be punished, "especially because of our dependence on the truth, which was always defended by the Church and because of our resistance to the errors, for which we will be condemned."

The General Superior continued: "The smallest of our deeds engender completely disproportionate reactions".

And: "could one conceive of greater preparations, if it were required, to protect himself from the Devil?"

At the same time the Bishop was joyful that his Society could tkae part in the sufferings of Christ.

He recalled then, that the Church on earth is a militant Church.

For all times the spiritual masters saw the test as a good sign -- as well as a sign of divine approval.

At that time you didn't belong to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

Msgr Fellay suggested in his letter that the past forty years described by Archbishop Lefebvre have been affirmed.

What he said then, is also valid for today: "if one followed his instructions, then the Church would surely recover."

Actually: "If one sees what happens in the Church -- even when here and there there are small shafts of light --- one must hold fast that the ship has progressed on its entire course, which has gone with the Second Vatican Council -- given, being slowed by Benedict XVI."

Msgr Fellay compares the ecclesiastical decline with a "free fall,  which has been slowed by a parachute."


The Cult of Man from the Council Bears no Fruit

Msgr Fellay recalled the teaching of the Social Reign of Christ, which lay especially close to the heart of Archbishop Fellay.

The civil society must be interpenetrated with the Christian rights, with which the soul can most easily find eternal blessedness.

The General Superior regreted that the Conciliar Church had confused the Kingdom of God with a cult of man.

He insisted that the successes of the last years show a certain regression: "It is till now still easy, but for all that very true."

No one doubts that the Society could deliver an important lecture:

"But it is still seemingly difficult,  to give something concrete in answer to questions about relations of the Society with Rome"


Read further... original... kreuz.net...

Here's the Superior's Letter in English: here.

2 comments:

  1. I am a supporter of the SSPX but, really, Bishop Fellay needs to get on with it and reach an accord.
    He has built himself something of a reputation for non intervention, on many issues. This is not good and I hope that he appreciates that fact. Mgr Lefebre would be more active and more charitable methinks.

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  2. He really hasn't been terribly "fair" to Bishop Williamson is about all that seems capable of being said right now.

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