Holy See offers ‘dialogue’ if SSPX doesn’t ordain bishops

The dialogue would set out to establish the minimum requirements for communion with the Catholic Church for the group.

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), held a “cordial and sincere meeting” with SSPX superior general Fr Davide Pagliarani on February 12, according to a DDF statement. The meeting was held with the Pope’s approval.

The DDF statement said Cardinal Fernández proposed “a path of specifically theological dialogue, with a very precise methodology, regarding topics that have still not received sufficient clarification”.

This referred to past SSPX correspondence with the Holy See on “the question of the divine will regarding the plurality of religions”. The society, founded in 1970, rejects several teachings of the Second Vatican Council, including the promotion of interreligious dialogue, besides liturgical reforms.

The DDF statement said the dialogue with the SSPX would cover topics including “the distinction between the act of faith and the ‘religious submission of mind and of will’, or the different degrees of assent required by the various texts of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and their interpretation”.

“This path would aim to establish, in the disputed topics, the minimum required for full communion with the Catholic Church and consequently to demarcate a canonical status for the fraternity, along with other aspects to explore further,” the statement said.

The meeting followed Fr Pagliarani’s announcement on February 2 that the SSPX would conduct episcopal ordinations in July without approval from the Holy See. The DDF statement reaffirmed that such an act would amount to “a decisive break in ecclesial communion (schism) with grave consequences for the fraternity as a whole”.

“Therefore,” it continued, “the possibility of performing this dialogue presupposes that the fraternity suspends its declared decision on episcopal ordinations.”

Cardinal Fernández asked Fr Pagliarani to present the proposal to the SSPX council, with its “steps, stages and procedures” to be determined should they agree to proceed.

FULL STORY

Holy See offers ‘dialogue’ if SSPX suspends bishops’ ordinations (By Patrick Hudson/The Tablet)

Vatican extends olive branch to breakaway SSPX society (CruxNow)

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SSPX reacts to meeting with DDF prefect, renews request to meet with Pope Leo (Catholic Culture)