Bernard Fellay: "At a Pivotal Point"

Interview with Bishop Bernard Fellay – Nouvelles de Chrétienté, Sept.-Oct. 2010

The Society of St. Pius X is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Is this the end of the wandering in the desert, as it was for the Hebrews in the time of Moses?

It seems to me that what we are experiencing resembles instead one of those expeditions of the scouts who catch a glimpse of the Promised Land, although circumstances do not allow the people to enter it. In order to avoid any misinterpretation of the image just used, I hasten to add that we declare just as firmly as ever that we are Catholics and that, with God’s help, we intend to remain that way. However for the Church as a whole this crisis does resemble a wandering in the desert, with one difference: the manna is quite difficult to find. There are encouraging signs, especially on the part of Rome; unfortunately they are quite mixed up in other very troubling matters. A few blades of grass in the desert….

Read further...

Bishop Fellay: Rome is Divided: Some Love, Many Hate the Society's Work

In fact the Society of St. Pius says there are two parties in Rome: "One always has to ask, who will have the last word" -- explained the Society's Head in an Exclusive interview.

[kreuz.net] Today Bishop Bernard Fellay -- the General Superior of the Priestly Society of St. Piux X -- on the occasion of the Fortieth Anniversary Jubilee of his Society.

He did this in the context of an exclusive interview with French Pius-Portal 'La Porte Latine'.

The Society of Pius X was recognized in 1970, November 1, by the then Bishop of Freiburg in Switzerland, Msgr Francois Charriere (+1976).


A little stream of light in the darkness

In terms of Church history, the last forty years has been a "painful epoch of decadence".

In this time the Church has lost its influence on the temporal world and of Nations.

The "Small work" of the Society was a "stream of light in the midst of darkness, an oasis in the wilderness a small life boat in a great shipwreck."

Msgr Fellay explained that the expansion of the Society " because of the absence of priests" is not frantic.

In more recent time the Society has received various requests from Africa: "but it is difficult for us to respond because we do not have enough workers for the vineyard."

The General Superior also expanded upon this by saying that the Society, if it had more priests, would also expand a great deal in Asia.

As in War

Msgr Fellay was also approached by some, who in the course of the years were turned away.

He compares this experience with a war -- "as when men fall under fire to the left and the right."

For himself he has no other choice than to continue the fight: "War has an unbelievably hard side -- our time is for those who have fallen without grace."

The Bishop insists that the pain is great -- "as well for those who leave us as for us, who see them go, without the possibility of holding them back."


Many Contacts

On the other side there has been, by the information from Bishops, numerous contacts between the brotherhood and other areas of the Church:

"No moment passes that some seminarian, priest or religious doesn't come knocking."

It also happens -- even if more seldom -- even already Bishops and entire Religious orders have written, "who give us their sympathy and even still other manifestations."


The Episcopal Wall

The majority of Ecumenism-Bishops against the Society has hardly gone on unaltered this year:

"The Society has been vilified by the great majority of the Bishops and treasured by a small herd of souls who have remained true."

For Msgr Fellay it is a "beautiful illustration of the degree of the past crisis."

Rome Divided

In Rome states Bishop Fellay, "there is a certain change" in the disposition to the Society -- "which still does not have a great effect."

"It seems to me that our work is valued by some, while the others hate it."

This divided disposition to the Society makes the relationship difficult: "One always wonders who will have the last word."

The Roman Mind
\
The Bishop is asked about the danger that the Society is beginning to return to its original situation:

"There is without a doubt a danger that becomes enclosed in a practical autonomy," -- answered the Bishop.

"So we work to broaden our field of view and to widen the care of the faithful, to whom we speak of the Roman Church."

For Msgr Fellay it is very important to retain the Roman mind: "Our independence on Rome must not only be symbolic, rather it must become concrete."


Cautious Optimism

As far as the negotiations with Rome and the Society Msgr Fellay explains with a view on its progress that they probably not be led to a surprising break to a solution to the immediate problem:

"There are two mentalities, but the will, to enter into a discussion on theological novelty, is there."

"Even when the development is long, the fruits of it could be promising."

Msgr Fellay sees in Rome a "seemingly clear will", to correct the past situation.

As well as in doctrine, as in Morals and Discipline, there are numerous agreements in the evaluation of the past difficult crisis.

Condemnation of the Pastoral Council is put off for later

In Rome, according to Msgr Fellay's mind, there is a tendency to downplay the guilt for the past calamity on the Vatican Council.

For that reason Msgr Fellay proposed to concentrate on the unalterable teachings of the Church and to delay a direct condemnation of the Second Vatican Council for a later time.

His particular mission to priests and faithful on the even of the Fortieth Jubilee of the Society is: "Truth!"

He proceeds: "The truth is the guarantee for the future." Truth in the small is the guarantee for truth in great things.

The faithful should also not let themselves be discouraged, "if the battle must still last longer, as it now appears."

"On the contrary, be stubborn and work continue with the work to renew the Church."

Link to original kreuz.net...

Bishop Fellay: If Bonifatius Had Followed the Spirit of Vatican II, There Would be No Catholics in Germany

Pius Believers are Unfortunately Not Anglicans

The Superior General of the Society of Pius X made the point: If Saint Bonifatius had followed the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, there wouldn't be any Catholics in Germany.

[kreuz.net, Fulda] On the past Sunday 1500 Traditionalists made a Pilgrimage to the grave of St. Bonifatius (+754) in Fulda.

It is the seventh national pilgrimage of the German District of the Society has undertaken to the tomb of the Saint.

The Pontifical Office was celebrated on Sunday by the General Superior of the Society of Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay.

He consecrated the entire German District and the whole Society to the Mother of God.

An article on the website 'Piusbruderschaft.de' complained that the Fulda Cathedral was closed to the Pilgrims.

The courtesy of the Bishops in Germany has failed.


Better Protestant than Catholic

In his sermon Msgr Fellay declared: "We are Catholics, we want to simply remain that way."

Today one makes the Society an object of reproach to show itself as Catholic. Therefore that is the reason why you were refused at the church.

The Old Liberal Bishop of Tarves and Lourdes in Southern France, Msgr Jacques Perrier (73), let Anglicans in the Church, the Society of Pius X, however, not.

For that reason he declared to the Society of Pius X: "You insist that you're Catholic"

Bishop Fellay concluded upon this, that the Society could celebrate in the Church, if they denied they were Catholic:

"A complete confusion. This contradiction is everywhere, the situation not simple. Confusion on all sides".

Critic of the Spirit of the Pastoral Council

The Society lives in the truth of that which the Church has always done -- says Msgr Fellay.

"If St. Bonifatius had followed the Spirit of the Second Vatican Council, there would be no Catholics in Germany."

Currently, they are abolishing the Church. They are dissolving it:

"She disappears in a religiosity without boarders, where one has now expressed, the modern Catholics are more protestantic than the Protestants."

In German, his talk at Fulda:

Bishop Müller of Augsburg Decries SSPX Ordinations, Again

Regensburg's Bishop attempts to stir the pot on the SSPX's upcoming ordinations in Germany this year on June 26 in Zaitzkofen as announced on their website, here. The local ordinary, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, who undoubtedly has bigger fish to fry, wants to make trouble.

Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller speaks of a "provocation". One such demonstration could do possible damage the reconciliation of the Society of Saint Pius with the Catholic Church.

Zaitzkofen/Regensburg (kath.net/KNA) The traditional Society of Saint Pius propose the 26th of June to ordain three deacons to the Priesthood. The General head Bishop Bernard Fellay will confer the Sacrament by a Mass in the courtyard of the Seminary in the Upper-Pfalz town of Zaitzkofen, as explained by the internet site of the Society. The three candidates are a 62 year old from Sweden, a 37 year old from Czechia and a 28 year old from South Tirol.

The Regensburg Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller in whose Diocese Zaitzkofen sits, spoke on Monday of a "provocation". One such demonstration may damage the Society of Saint Pius' re-unification with the Catholic Church. At the same time he encourages the Society to forgo ordination till the status of their orders is clarified. Such events should "only be undertaken with the permission and knowledge of the Pope".

Already in the past year, Müller had criticized the then undertaken ordinations. He renews again his claim that it is an act of schism by the Society to ordain priests without the express authorization of the Pope and without the permission of the local Bishop. Whoever refuses to acknowledge the Second Vatican Council or parts thereof, may not have the full Communion of the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI. had lifted the excommunications of the four Bishops of the Society in January of 2009, including Fellay, in order to initiate a dialogue. Since then there have been talks in the Vatican with the Society to clarify points of contention in Doctrine.

The Society of Saint Pius X, founded in 1969 by Archbishop Lefebvre deny the central Church reforms of the 20th Century. They are not recognized by the Vatican. Unauthorized priestly ordinations by validly ordaiend Bishops are valid according to Catholic Church law even though they lack the permission of the Pope.

Photo: Diocese of Augsburg

Bishop Fellay says, aggrement not possible "humanly" speaking

There is much talk about standing up to the modernist juggernaut, let's pray that these talks produce divine results. Rorate Caeli, here, reports on the recent statement of Bishop Fellay regarding the talks, They are sobering, also comments on ars orandi.

There is more at DICI (English), here.

For us, we must really see this opportunity for the discussions with Rome as truly a disposition of Divine Providence, as truly an amazing grace to be able to present to the highest authorities in the Church what that Church has always said and which, thanks be to God, we have kept; thus, to make it resound at the very top of the Church. To bear witness to the Faith is a great grace. And even at Rome, a certain number [of prelates] are expecting from these discussions—and it’s a direct quote— “very much good for the Church"...

...We cannot say that the pope has only to do this or that. It is every member of the Church who must, once again, at his place, according to his powers, according to the grace of the good Lord, do everything he can for the Church’s restoration. Everybody must contribute his efforts—everybody. So let us make this effort precisely by our prayers, by our sacrifices, by all the means that truly give life to the Church. The means that the good Lord commonly uses to restore and uplift the Church is called holiness.

Bishop Fellay: Truth Isn't Negotiated

Please, let us not use the word 'negotiations', it completely misses the point. This has nothing to do with negotiating, bargaining—nothing at all…. For us, we must really see this opportunity for the discussions with Rome as truly a disposition of Divine Providence, as truly an amazing grace to be able to present to the highest authorities in the Church what that Church has always said and which, thanks be to God, we have kept; thus, to make it resound at the very top of the Church. To bear witness to the Faith is a great grace. And even at Rome, a certain number [of prelates] are expecting from these discussions—and it’s a direct quote— “very much good for the Church.”

…The situation in the Church is truly a nightmare, it’s truly a great tragedy, and so to be able to give utterance to what the Church has always taught at the very top of the Church is really something out of the ordinary, hence extraordinary. It is a great grace, and also a great duty, because, of course, we hear: “What are you going to do in that mess? You are going to get lost…you are going to sell out the Society.” It involves no such thing!

…Humanly speaking, you might say that we are in a bad way! We are in about the same shape as Gideon when he went out to attack 20,000 or 30,000 men of the enemy army with his jars, trumpets, and torches—three hundred men to attack tens of thousands of heavily armed enemy soldiers. They were really in a bad way. It is about the same thing when we go down to Rome with our jars, torches, and trumpets… but we are not counting on our human efforts, we are counting on the good Lord as Gideon counted on the good Lord. We are counting on the promises that our Lord made to His Church, we are counting on this duty… It is the good Lord who has given us the grace of still having the Faith, of not having lost it, of having received the instruments of this Faith, even natural instruments, a sound philosophy. Yes, it is a duty to go and remind them of these truths.

…[These are] extremely delicate theological discussions; [there are] a lot of preconceived ideas [a priori]. We can see very well that we are not at all known… there are all sorts of ideas about us.

…The boat is sinking; humanly speaking, the Church is lost; humanly speaking, the Church is not recovering—notice that I say, humanly speaking, for we know that there are the promises of God, so that she is going to recover. How is she going to recover? We may say that it is in the hands of the good Lord, agreed! But the good Lord asks everyone to act according to his strength and capabilities, in his place, for this recovery. We cannot say that the pope has only to do this or that. It is every member of the Church who must, once again, at his place, according to his powers, according to the grace of the good Lord, do everything he can for the Church’s restoration. Everybody must contribute his efforts—everybody. So let us make this effort precisely by our prayers, by our sacrifices, by all the means that truly give life to the Church. The means that the good Lord commonly uses to restore and uplift the Church is called holiness. It is the life of grace; it is faith. It is absolutely certain that every good action within the Church uplifts the Church. The greater the goodness of the act, the more the Church is uplifted.

…The good Lord doesn’t need numbers, but He does need holiness… He asks us for it, and I should say that this battle, these terrible, horrible difficulties that we have briefly outlined, should be for us a stimulant, a real stimulant towards holiness—let’s dare to use the word, it is a very Catholic word… That will be the best way we can contribute, collaborate, and co-operate in helping to bring about an end to the crisis in the Church.

h/t: pewsitter

Link to stjohnvaldosta....

Bishop Fellay is Positive about Anglican Reunion

Canterbury Tales blog, maintained by a former Anglican priest turned Catholic, reports that Bishop Fellay has said something positive about the Pope's Anglican proposal. It's not shocking to us, but then, we've been following the good Bishop for a long time and always found him to be positive, amiable and thoughtful, anyway:


A glimmer of hope among murky Ecumenism

Regarding the return of traditional Anglicans Bishop Fellay said:

"This is great. This is a big joy. There is only one ship that goes to Heaven, and this is the Catholic Church. When apostates return, it is surely a grand joy."

Bishop Fellay looks at it as a hopeful sign during what presently: "happens to be quite murky circumstances of (Vatican) ecumenism."

And Fr. Hunwicke was so angered by Fr. Scott's criticism of the Anglican Reuninion that he wrote this rejoinder here.