And now for your Friday SSPX news!

The SSPX leadership has been meeting to elect officers and make decisions about their future direction.

Recently, they elected as their Superior an Italian priest, Fr. David Pagliarani.  If stories be true, he has some game.  There is an anecdote about him. It seems that, as the story goes, when he was a small boy, some clerics, including bishops, stopped at the inn which his family ran. He heard them joking about and denying transubstantiation. This boy then confronted them, saying, ”Jesus is truly present and I believe it. God is going to punish you for saying this!!” This was Fr. Pagliarani.

The SSPX determined that they wanted this priest to be their Superior General. And to indicate an new/old direction, they elected as his Aaron and Hur, SSPX Bp. Alfonso de Galarreta and Fr Christian Bouchacourt. Hence, some concluded that the SSPX would now take a harder line.

However, an SSPX communique tersely says that two more assistants have been added, Bp. Bernard Fellay, who has led them for years, and Fr. Franz Schmidberger, who was their first Superior from 1988.

So, additional depth – along with continuity – has been added to the leadership bench of the SSPX.

We shall see what we shall see!

UPDATE:

It was pointed out to me that there is a significant difference between English and the French Press Releases.

The English has an additional piece of information.

As the Society has grown over the years, the Chapter saw it fit to add two councillors who will serve as advisors to the new Superior General.

That point about their growth is significant.

This may suggest that there isn’t such a strong shift in direction.  Perhaps they needed additional central advisers because they are so much larger now than they were in 1988 when it was originally set up.  Their expansion requires more personnel, and they have provided for continuity.

Also, keep in mind that it was Archbp. Lefevbre’s intention that a priest, not a bishop, lead the Priestly Fraternity.   Again, a priest is their Superior.

UPDATE: 21 July

The final address of the Chapter was released. HERE

A l’issue de son Chapitre général, la Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pie X rappelle l’importance et l’actualité de la déclaration de son fondateur Mgr Marcel Lefebvre du 21 novembre 1974, – plus de 50 ans « d’autodémolition de l’Eglise » permettent d’en apprécier toute la justesse. Aussi la Fraternité la fait-elle sienne dans son intégralité. « Nous adhérons de tout cœur, de toute notre âme à la Rome catholique, gardienne de la foi catholique et des traditions nécessaires au maintien de cette foi, à la Rome éternelle, maîtresse de sagesse et de vérité. (…) Aucune autorité même la plus élevée dans la hiérarchie ne peut nous contraindre à abandonner ou à diminuer notre foi catholique clairement exprimée et professée par le magistère de l’Eglise depuis vingt siècles. (…) C’est pourquoi nous nous en tenons fermement à tout ce qui a été cru et pratiqué dans la foi et les mœurs, le culte, l’enseignement du catéchisme, la formation du prêtre, l’institution de l’Eglise par l’Eglise de toujours et codifié dans les livres parus avant l’influence moderniste du Concile, en attendant que la vraie lumière de la tradition dissipe les ténèbres qui obscurcissent le ciel de la Rome éternelle ». At the close of its General Chapter, the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X calls to mind the importance and timeliness of the declaration made by its founder, Marcel Lefebvre, on November 21, 1974.  More than fifty years of the Church’s “self-destruction” allow one fully to appreciate the soundness of that declaration, which the Society embraces in its entirety:

“We hold fast, with all our heart and with all our soul, to Catholic Rome, Guardian of the Catholic Faith and of the traditions necessary to preserve this faith, to Eternal Rome, Mistress of wisdom and truth. (…)

No authority, not even the highest in the hierarchy, can force us to abandon or diminish our Catholic Faith, so clearly expressed and professed by the Church’s Magisterium for twenty centuries. (…)

That is why we hold fast to all that has been believed and practiced in the faith, morals, liturgy, teaching of the catechism, formation of the priest and institution of the Church, by the Church of all time; to all these things as codified in those books published before the Modernist influence of the Council. This we shall do until such time that the true light of Tradition dissipates the darkness obscuring the sky of Eternal Rome.”

 

La Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pie X entend poursuivre son but principal qui est le sacerdoce tel que Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ l’a voulu, et à l’orienter toujours vers ce qui est essentiellement sa raison d’être : le saint Sacrifice de la Messe. Elle est animée des mêmes sentiments que saint Pie X, son saint patron :

 

« Nous affirmons en toute vérité que Nous ne voulons être et que, avec le secours divin, Nous ne serons rien d’autre, au milieu des sociétés humaines, que le ministre de Dieu qui nous a revêtu de son autorité. Ses intérêts sont Nos intérêts ; leur consacrer Nos forces et Notre vie, telle est Notre résolution inébranlable. C’est pourquoi si l’on nous demande une devise traduisant le fond même de Notre âme, Nous ne donnerons jamais que celle-ci : Restaurer toutes choses dans le Christ. » (E supremi apostolatus, 4 octobre 1903)

The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X intends to pursue its principal purpose, which is the priesthood as Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted it, and always to keep the priesthood focused on its very reason for existing: the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The Society is enlivened by the same sentiments as Saint Pius X, its patron saint:

“To eliminate all vain delusions for such, We say to them with emphasis that We do not wish to be, and with the Divine assistance never shall be aught before human society but the Minister of God, of whose authority We are the depositary. The interests of God shall be Our interest, and for these We are resolved to spend all Our strength and Our very life. Hence, should anyone ask Us for a symbol as the expression of Our will, We will give this and no other: “To renew all things in Christ.'” (E supremi apostolatus, October 4, 1903.)

 

Forte de la même foi et de la même espérance que ce saint pape, la Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pie X, par sa prédication et par ses œuvres, revendique pour Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ la plénitude de son domaine sur tous les hommes et sur toutes les nations, de sorte que ses droits et son autorité soient reconnus par tous avec vénération. C’est pourquoi elle continue d’œuvrer pour le triomphe du Christ-Roi et invite toutes les âmes de bonne volonté à se joindre à elle dans cette entreprise surnaturelle exaltante. With the same faith and the same hope as this holy pope, the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, through its preaching and apostolate, proclaims Our Lord Jesus Christ’s dominion over all men and all nations, such that his rights and authority be acknowledged and venerated by all. For this reason the Society continues to work for the triumph of Christ the King and invites all souls of good will to join in this stirring supernatural endeavor.
Cœur douloureux et immaculé de Marie, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous. Sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Ecône, le 21 juillet 2018 Ecône July 21, 2018

 

 

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11 Comments

  1. Kathleen10 says:

    A camel is a horse designed by committee.
    Didn’t you say that, Fr. Z.?

  2. Dimitri_Cavalli says:

    A long time ago, I contributed some of the short, anonymous “While We’re at It” articles that appeared in First Things.

    This is one of my personal favorites:

    “Single Catholic girl, 25, from good family. Looking for suitable, traditional Catholic mate. Likes: chapel veils, the Latin Mass, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the writings of Joe Sobran, Father Feeney, celices, long walks on the beach, and Mel Gibson films. Dislikes: the heresies of Vatican II, the New Mass of Paul VI, receiving the Holy Eucharist in the hand, French New Wave films, Freemasons, ecumenism, feminist nuns, liberation theology, and neo-cons (Jewish and Catholic). Please respond with recent photo.”

    “If this sounds like a personal ad taken out by a member of the Society of Saint Pius X, it could be. In fact, there’s a dating website, SSPXSingles, where Catholics who reject the reforms of Vatican II can find like-closeminded mates.”

    Anyone ever try the site and have luck?

  3. Eric says:

    Seems like a prudent move to me. The Society gathering the former Superiors as deposits of wisdom and experience.

  4. HvonBlumenthal says:

    It is said that Bp Fellay would have signed the last deal which the Vatican offered, but Bp Gallareta opposed and Bp Fellay wanted unanimity between the SSPX bishops.

    The recent election was a victory for those in the SSPX who believe that their fraternity is fine just as it is, as opposed to those who actively hope for canonical recognition from Rome.

    My observation is that the resistance minded members are never satisfied and it is hard to avoid viewing them as sectarian or schismatic. This is not true of Bp Fellay and his supporters who are deeply demoralized by the election.

    The latest appointments may be an attempt to pour balm on the wound.

  5. Imrahil says:

    As a matter of fact, this looks like “mere” calling-a-spade-a-spade, “officializing”, as it were, the position of Ex-Superior-General, which, in a sense, always existed (though previously there was only Fr Schmidberger to fill the “post” and he was Assistant for quite some time).

  6. fmsb78 says:

    @ HvonBlumenthal

    “This is not true of Bp Fellay and his supporters who are deeply demoralized by the election.”

    I am sorry but this statement is not right at all.

    Monsignor Fellay did NOT seek re-election in the first place, and he held this position even before the chapter kicked off.

    The fact that Msgr. and Fr. Schmidberger were chosen to be part of the council is because the Statutes of the Society specify that only the Superior General can negotiate with Rome and of course, the former Superiors can assist the new one on this subject (among other internal matters).

    As a faithful that attends Holy Mass in the Society chapel for years, I am neither pleased or disappointed with this election. People on the internet rush too soon into drawing a conclusion about a man they barely know, not to say did not know him at all.

    Let’s keep praying for each other and the Holy Father and sure Our Lord and Our Lady will intervene for the good of the whole Church.

    Pax et bonum.

  7. Eric says:

    Wow. I read that statement, then went back and read it again. That is what I call a charter for the future, not just for the Society, but for the whole Church. It truly moved me. The English version, and all the communiques during the Chapter, including interviews with the two new Assistants, can be found here:
    http://fsspx.news/en

  8. James in Perth says:

    I truly appreciate the courage of the young Fr. Pagliarini to speak up to those priests who were joking about transubstantiation. A friend of my own pastor enjoyed saying scandalous things about church teachings and pastoral matters. He did however inspire me to seek a deeper understanding of the Church’s teachings so that I could confront his ignorance with knowledge.

    Unfortunately, he was a bitter and disappointed priest in his later years and died separated from the Church. That said, the bishop offered to preside at his funeral Mass, but the priest did not want any services to mark his passing. Please keep him in your prayers. He did many good things in his younger days.

  9. Gabriel Syme says:

    @ HvonBlumenthal

    It is said that Bp Fellay would have signed the last deal which the Vatican offered, but Bp Gallareta opposed and Bp Fellay wanted unanimity between the SSPX bishops.

    From Bishop Fellay’s own mouth – in a recent interview with a German Newspaper – the SSPX and the CDF had come to an agreement which both parties were happy to sign. However, at the last minute, Cardinal Mueller suddenly revised the text to include more explicit acceptance of Vatican II concepts and the new mass, which meant the SSPX baulked (as was perhaps intended).

    I am sure a similar last minute intervention, attempting to stuff V2 down +Fellay’s throat, was what derailed things in 2012 as well.

    See the interview, including info on the above, here:

    https://fsspx.news/en/news-events/news/bishop-fellay-interview-%E2%80%9Cwe-are-disturbing-factor-church%E2%80%9D-39449

    The interview is interesting, in that we see the newspaper regurgitate the old canards, which have to be denied for the Xth time. E.g. the newspaper asserts the Society says the new mass is invalid in and of itself, which is wrong. The SSPX doesn’t say that, it says the new mass has defects and dangers lurking in it (not to mention in the practices which have sprung up surrounding it).

    I am pleased that +Fellay and Schmidberger are to be advisers. They undoubtedly have much to offer. And while that will be the chief reason for their advisory roles, I can’t help but wonder if their roles also represent a quiet refutation of the notion that the “new men” elected somehow represent a coup or change of direction.

    Btw, what a fantastic picture that is of the SSPX men standing in front of the Statue of Archbishop Lefebvre.

    From left to right:

    Bishop Fellay (Swiss), Bishop de Galaretta (Spanish), Fr Pagliarani (Italian), Fr Bouchacourt (French) and Fr Schmidberger (German).

    The truly international – “Universal” – nature of the Society is undoubtedly part of both its charm and its strength. Of course, this goes far beyond the European nations mentioned. The USA and France might be described as the 2 lungs of the Society.

    And, despite everything, the men in the photo seem to radiate a quiet confidence and self-assurance.

  10. Gabriel Syme says:

    Btw, what a fantastic picture that is of the SSPX men standing in front of the Statue of Archbishop Lefebvre.

    Argh, I think the statue is actually of Pius X! My bad! D’oh!

  11. Without obedience, Faith is dead.

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