SSPX Prepares For Peace

It cannot be ignored – nay, it is altogether striking – that several leading members of the SSPX are intervening to defend the now widely anticipated reconciliation with the Vatican.

When leading SSPX men from Switzerland, Benelux, Germany and the United States intervene to stress in various ways the conformity of Archbishop’s Lefebvre with full canonical status – or I would say: that the SSPX was in nothing less orthodox before the excommunications – it is obvious a coordinated action is taking place to, so to speak, reconcile the members with the reconciliation.

I cannot conceal from you my satisfaction at this development; which, if largely expected, is nevertheless very welcome. It appears clear to me bishop Fellay is not trying to overcome alleged resistance within the SSPX ranks and has not tried to, so to speak, make his own foreign policy; but has acted at all times in agreement with what the other leading members of the organisation think it right for the SSPX and the Church.

It is, in fact, true Archbishop Lefebvre never wanted a situation of conflict to, so to speak, show to the men in the Vatican how wrong they were. Lefebvre would have gladly avoided all the mess. He waited for very long before proceeding to the ordination of the four bishops, and whilst he was always painfully aware of the shortcomings of the Church hierarchy, this never diminished his obedience and identification with the Church as such.

It can be stated with absolute certainty Archbishop Lefebvre did not think it was fitting or expedient for the SSPX to quarrel with the Vatican. He never thought this is something the SSPX must in itself desire, or owes to itself. We know this, because the SSPX spent many years without an open quarrel, and the quarrel was avoided by Lefebvre as long as he could. Whilst the quarrel was a painful symptom of the disease in Rom, it is certainly not true Archbishop Lefebvre sought the quarrel to point out to the disease.

Similarly, I find it ungenerous to attribute to Fellay & Co. less integrity now than that which most members of the SSPX have certainly attributed to them for the last twenty or more years. These are the same men who have led the SSPX for a couple of decades: if they had had ideas of “selling out” to the Vatican, they would have tried to put such ideas in practice many years ago, and if they didn’t have such ideas for so many years I do not see any valid reason why they would have them now.  They also weren’t among those who went away to create the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, clearly showing reconciliation qua reconciliation was never a priority. They are all people who, just a few years ago, would have been called “hardliners” by pretty much everyone.

And they are not only orthodox, the SSPX leaders. They are smart, and show very clearly the reconciliation will not muzzle them in any way. On the contrary, just in the days of the delivery of their answer to the Vatican they robustly attacked the concept of religious liberty (wrongly) entertained by the US Bishops.  I can’t imagine a stronger, or more reassuring signal the SSPX is not trying to silently cave in to the errors of the time, but rather preparing to fight them with the usual necessary.

We do not know, of course, how the “Williamsonite” fraction will react. Already the fact that nothing truly bad was heard – from me, at least – can be taken as an encouraging signal and at this point I dare to hope Bishop Williamson will do the practical thing and accept what has been now offered without asking for immediate and complete reform within the Vatican.

What will – now very, very probably – happen this month will be remembered for decades, and perhaps for century, as the turning of the tide; something so big in its significance that even Summorum Pontificum can be seen as nothing more than a preparation for the main event.

I truly hope the members of the SSPX will understand there’s no particular badge of honour in being considered in “imperfect communion” (whether wrong or rightly), nor is a state of conflict with the Vatican in any way necessary to the SSPX’s work.

I think, rather, the Society will gain a lot from it, as the most prestigious traditionalist shop will now become “mainstream”, encouraging many others to follow them without any fear of canonical sanction, or worse.

By contrast, think of the immense damage for the liberal camp. A SSPX reconciled to the Vatican without any public abiura or admission of error – we’ll have to see, but I’d say it is probably in the cards – would gravely embarrass those who have, for decades, encouraged the theory of the “schism” or “quasi schism”, and would let a lot of people appear rather stupid.

As the Germans say, we must now wait and drink tea.

I think the SSPX will soon serve us an excellent blend.

Mundabor