An Interview of Bishop Fellay with Apcom Agency

On July 31, Bishop Bernard Fellay, General Superior of the Society of St. Pius X, granted an interview to the Italian agency Apcom. You will find below his answers to the questions concerning the doctrinal discussions with Rome.

(…)

Apcom: Bishop Fellay, are you scheduled to go to Rome in the near future? Has the date for the beginning of the discussions already been appointed? Have you already thought about the composition of your commission? How many people?

Bishop Fellay: No date has been appointed as yet for the dialogue, but we may assume that it will take place in the Fall. I will go to Rome at that time, but there is nothing precise so far. The commission is already composed of 3 to 4 people, but we cannot yet give names to prevent any pressure upon them.

(…)

What juridical status do you wish for the Society of St. Pius X? A prelature, a society of apostolic life, or something else?

Obviously, this will depend upon Rome which is the authority that will make the decision for the structure. Their intention is the desire to respect as much as they can the concrete reality that we represent. My hope is that we will be sufficiently protected in the exercise of the apostolate to be able to do good, without being impeded in our actions by juridical reasons. My wish is a prelature, even if I do not have any preference. As for the timetable, I can say nothing, everything depends upon Rome.

For Bishop Williamson, the Second Vatican Council is a “poisoned cake” which must be sent to the trash, for Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, the Council must been “canceled”, and for Bishop Alfonso de Galaretta , “there is not much to be saved” in the Council: is there a division within the SSPX? How do you think you can solve it? The Vatican maintains that there are dissensions within the Society.

I take the liberty of saying that I do not observe any union with the Vatican either. The problem in today’s Church does not come from us. We become a problem only because we say that there is a problem. Besides, even if some may have the impressions that there are opposite or even contradictory statements, there is no internal breach among us. For instance, concerning the Council, we can say that almost all of it must be rejected, yet on the other hand, we can say that we can try to save what can be saved. However, all of us will never be able to say the same thing, because the Council is a mixture: there is good and bad in it. The pope also, when he maintains that we need a hermeneutics of continuity, that there must not be a rupture, rejects the Council interpreted as a rupture.

(…)

Bishop Williamson said that the Council was a “poisoned cake to be sent to the trash.” Does not such a statement seem a little strong to you? Do you agree with it?

It is a polemic phrase, but I do not condemn it. Nowadays, many declarations are made in the polemic mode, it is a provocation to try and have people think. I would express the idea differently, but I do not know whether I do not agree with it. If I were to express it otherwise, I would say that we must overcome the Council to return to what the Church has always taught and with which she cannot part. At a given point, we must go beyond the Council which meant to be pastoral and not doctrinal, which intended to deal with the contingent situation of the Church. Now things change, and many points of the Council are already outdated…

(…)

And concerning the Council, would you accept a compromise with Rome?

We must make no compromise concerning the Council. I have no intention to make any compromise. Truth does not tolerate compromise. We do not want a compromise; we ask the full light upon the Council.

(…)

Do you think that with the present pope, this old story of the Lefebvrites might eventually come to an end?

I believe that there is certainly some good hope. I think that we must pray much, because these are very thorny issues. We have been in this situation for 40 years, and not because of personal questions, but truly for serious reasons concerning the Faith and the future of the Church. We certainly observe in the pope a genuine desire to go to the root of the problem. This we welcome with great satisfaction. We pray and hope that with God’s grace we will obtain something good for the Church and for us.

What is your opinion on Benedict XVI?

He is a perfectly honest man, who is taking the situation and the life of the Church very seriously.