Prayers please for a man of prayer.

The old Exarch.
Ecce sacerdos magnus...
Behold a great priest...

Bishop Michael Hrynchyshyn, CSSR
is seriously ill tonight
and in intensive care in Paris.
Please offer a Hail Mary for him.

Here is a man of the Church and of his Ukrainain Rite.
Still at his post at 83 years of age.
Humble, prayerful, learned.

Bishop Hrynchyshyn
has been the promoter of the Cause for
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytski
for several decades.

Always a father.
This is a true bishop.
Please pray for him tonight.

He is the Apostolic Exarch of France, Benelux and Switzerland
for the Ukrainians
since his appointment on 21 October 1982.
He was consecrated bishop on 30 January 1983.

Response to an aggressive strategy

On 17 October an anonymous commentor asked why

we had published on our blog an article
about the mother of Father Cohen:
"Can you explain
WHAT is your point of favouring Jews at the moment?
At least have the decency
to be true to yourselves and spit it out:
You are NOT followers of Christ,
but Anti-Christ Jews."

Now I understand that perhaps the comentator thought
that I was making a veiled reference
to Bishop Williamson's recent blog post.

No. I didn't know of the post at that time.

This is not the Gospel
but a strategy under cover of Gospel.

But now, having come to know about the article
and knowing that other traditional Catholics
expect to hear from us about it,
I make the following personal response;
my own take on the matter:

I was very sorry to read the article.
We are all further hurt or tarnished or tarred by it:
The Jewish people are hurt,
the Church in general is tarnished,
and traditional Catholics
and most of the SSPX faithful
are tarred.

The Williamson article is political.
It is an aggressive strategy.
Its objective is to sow trouble
between the SSPX and the Church, and
between the Church and the Jewish people.
It works well.

Williamson can cause great trouble
only because he is a bishop;
even though
he is an illegitimate bishop
who will not submit himself to legitimate authority.

The SSPX leadership would probably like to expel him
but fear that he would begin his own group here in the UK
and beyond.

SSPX clergy do not speak out publicly against Bishop Williamson
nor against the Menzingen Authorities
for doing nothing that will effectively stop him.

The situation is extraordinary.
The SSPX cannot control their man
who is harming the Church and their own group.

Now is the time
when the helpless SSPX Superior General
who lacks jurisdiction,
and knows he lacks the necessary jurisdiction over his equal,
should ask the Holy Father to defrock the illegitimate bishop;
in the kindest possible way.

Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

Text of the letter prophesied to Father Hermann Cohen by the Curé of Ars.

Father Hermann Cohen's mother died
without receiving Holy Baptism.
In the eyes of the unwise
'she died as an unconverted Jewess'
in spite of the many prayers offered for her by her priestly son.

I have translated the following from his life
which will be of interest for all of us
who pray for souls that seem to live and die
without the grace of conversion.

Note that Fr. Hermann
had consecrated his mother to Our Lady
hundreds of times and offered many prayers for her salvation;
he never lost hope in his mother's cause.


Rev. Fr. Hermann Cohen, O.C.D.

The last moments for Mrs. Cohen arrived on 13 December 1855. Father Hermann was preaching Advent in Lyons at the time and he announced this sad news to his friend in these terms:

"God has struck a terrible blow to my heart. My poor mother is dead ... and I remain in incertitude! However we have so much prayed that we must hope that something has passed between her soul and God during these last moments that we cannot know about. ..."

We can easily imagine the pain of Father Hermann in learning of the death of his mother. He had so much prayed and so much had prayers said for her conversion, and she came to appear before the tribunal of God without having received holy Baptism! ...

" I also have a mother," would he write one day, "I have left her to follow Jesus Christ, she no longer calls me her 'good son'. Already her hair is silvered, already her brow is furrowed, and I am afraid to see her die. Oh! no I would not like to see her die before loving Jesus Christ, and already for many years I await for my mother that which Monica awaited for Augustine..."

God seemed to have despised all his prayers and rejected his loving and legitimate desires. His faith and his love were put through a harsh trial. Nevertheless, if his sorrow was deep, his hope in the infinite goodness of God would not allow itself to be struck down. ...

Saint Jean Marie Vianney
Curé of Ars

A short time later, he confided to the Curé of Ars his disquiet about the death of his poor mother who died without the grace of Baptism. "Hope!" replied the man of God, "hope; you will receive one day, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception a letter that will bring you great consolation."

Six years waiting.

These words were almost forgotten, when, on the 8th December 1861, six years after the death of his mother, a Father of the Company of Jesus handed to Father Hermann the following letter.

(The person who wrote this letter died in the odour of sanctity; she was well known in the religious and ascetical world by her written works on the Eucharist.)

The letter read:

On the 18th October, after Holy Communion, I found myself in one of those moments of intimate union with Our Lord, where he made me so feel his presence in the sacrament of His love that Faith seemed no longer necessary to believe him there.

After a short time, He had me hear His voice and He wanted to give me some explanations relative to a conversation that I had had the night before.

I remember that, in that conversation, one of my friends had manifested her surprise that Our Lord, who has promised to accord everything to prayer, had however remained deaf to those of Reverend Father Hermann who had so many times addressed Him to obtain the conversion of his mother; her surprise went almost as far as discontentment, and I had had difficulty in having her understand that we must adore the justice of God and not to seek to penetrate its secrets.

I dared to ask of my Jesus how it was that He, who was goodness itself, had been able to resist the prayers of Father Hermann, and not grant the conversion of his mother.

This was His (Our Lord's) response:

Why does Anna always want to sound the secrets of my justice and why does she seek to penetrate mysteries that she cannot comprehend?

Tell her that I do not owe my grace to anyone, that I give it to whom I please and that in acting in this way I do not cease to be just, and justice itself.

But that she may know that, rather than not keep the promises that I have made to prayer, I will upset heaven and earth, and that every prayer that has my glory and the salvation of souls for object is always heard when it is clothed in the necessary qualities.

He added: "And to prove to you this truth, I willingly make known that which passed at the moment of the death of the mother of Father Hermann".

My Jesus then enlightened me with a ray of His divine light and had me understand or rather to see in Him that which I want to try to relate.

At the moment where the mother of Father Hermann was on the point of rendering her last breath; at the moment that she seemed deprived of awareness, almost without life; Mary, our good Mother, presented Herself before Her Divine Son, and prostrate at His feet, She said to Him: "Pardon and mercy, o my Son! for this soul who is going to perish. Yet another instant and she will be lost, lost for eternity. I beseech you, do for the mother of my servant Hermann, that which you would like to be done for your own, if She was in her place and if you were in his. The soul of his mother is his most precious good; he has consecrated her to me a thousand times; he has consecrated her to the tenderness and solicitude of my heart. Could I suffer her to perish? No, no, this soul is mine; I will it, I claim it as an inheritance, as the price of your blood and of my sufferings at the foot of your Cross."

Hardly had the sacred suppliant ceased speaking, when a strong, powerful grace, came forth from the source of all graces, from the adorable Heart of our Jesus, and came to enlighten the soul of the poor dying Jewess; instantly triumphing over her stubbornness and resistances.

This soul immediately turned herself with loving confidence towards Him whose mercy had persued her as far as the arms of death and said to Him: "O Jesus, God of the Christians, God whom my son adores, I believe, I hope in Thee, have pity on me."

In this cry, heard by God alone and which came from the intimate depths of the heart of the dying woman, were enclosed the sincere sorrow for her obstination and for her sins, the desire of baptism, the express will to receive it and to live according to the rules and precepts of our holy religion, if she had been able to return to life.

This leap of faith and hope in Jesus was the last sentiment of that soul; it was made at the moment when she brought towards the throne of the divine mercy. Breaking away the weak bonds which held her to her mortal casing, she fell at the feet of Him who had been her Saviour (a moment) before being her Judge."

After having showed me all these things, Our Lord added:

"Make this known to Father Hermann; it is a consolation that I wish to accord to his long sorrows, so that he will bless, and have blessed everywhere, the goodness of the heart of my Mother and Her power over mine."

Totally unknown to Reverend Father Hermann, the poor invalid who has just now penned these lines is happy to think that she has perhaps spread a little consolation and balm on the still bleeding wound of the heart of this son and priest. She dares to ask the alms of his fervent prayers, and she likes to believe that he will not refuse to one, who, even though unknown to him, is united to him by the sacred bonds of the same faith and of the same hopes. ..."

What appears to add great authority to this letter, is that it had been announced six years in advance by the venerable Cure of Ars.

End of translation.

(pp. 126 - 129, Vie du R.P. Hermann, en religion Augustine-Marie du T.S. Sacrament, Carme Dechausse, par M. l'Abbe Charles Sylvain, Paris, 1883.
From the French life of Rev. Father Hermann, in religion Augustin-Marie of the Most Holy Sacrament, Discalced Carmelite, by Fr. Canon Charles Sylvain, Paris 1883.)

Publised with the approbation of and recommendation of His Grandeur Mgr. Gay, Bishop of D'Anthedon, Auxiliary of His Eminence Cardinal Pie, Bishop of Poitier, 4 Dec. 1880
and of His Grace Mgr. de la Bouillerie, the Archbishop of Perga, Coadjutor of Bordeaux, 23 July 1881
of His Lordship Mgr. Adolphe-Louis Perraud, Bishop of Autun and Member of the French Academy, 8 March, 1882
and of the Most Reverend Father Luc of St. John of the Cross, Father General of the Discalced Carmelites, 4 May, 1880)

Requiescat in Pace

Yesterday, Monday 10th October my grandfather,
Desmond Wimsett, passed away.

Please pray a "Hail Mary" for his soul.


Requiescat in Pace!

— Br. Martin Mary, F.SS.R.

Second Vespers of Our Lady of the Rosary

I recorded the Magnificat Antiphon and Magnificat from the Second Vespers of yesterday's feast, Our Lady of the Rosary, here at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary and I thought that the readers of our blog might like to hear it. The recorder was a little too close to the schola and so there is some distortion.

Of blocks and building, steps and mortar.

The blocks of a building are bonded by mortar.
The mortar that knits together
the living building of the Church
is Charity.

But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection.
(Col 3:14)

This first part of October
has been for us a time for
monastery blocks and mortar;
and for the
Ecclesial blocks of monks and abbots
Bishops and Cardinals
knit together by charity
the bond of perfection.

Today on Papa Stronsay
the Holy Mass was offered for
His Lordship Bishop Fellay
and the Fathers gathered together
at Albano
to consider the Doctrinal Preamble
proposed by Cardinal Levada.

Papay from the sea.

With winter coming in
a step is prepared at the enclosure arch
to keep everyone clear of the mud.

Not far away on the same day,
it was mortar and blocks.

But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts,
wherein also you are called in one body:
and be ye thankful.
(Col 3:15)

Brother rubs down the blocks.

The step is on its way here;
but
I hear that the concrete was finally poured today!

Another photo is yet to come.

Leaving Papay in the distance.

We were invited to attend the
Blessing the the Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey.
Six of us were present there for the occasion
including Brothers Paul Mary and Xavier Maria
who this evening are on their way home
to Christchurch, New Zealand;
May the Holy Angels guide them safely to,
and protect them on,
their Shakey Isle
of
South Island.

We were welcomed at Pluscarden Abbey
by the community
and
their new Abbot, Dom Anselm, O.S.B.
who was Blessed by the former Abbot,
His Lordship Bishop Hugh, O.S.B.

But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts,
wherein also you are called in one body:
and be ye thankful.
(Col 3:14-15)

Rt. Reverend Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B.
Bishop of Aberdeen.

With His Eminence
Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien,
our Metropolitan,
at
Pluscarden Abbey.

But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts,
wherein also you are called in one body:
and be ye thankful.
(Col 3:14-15)

The exceeding was happily misleading

The previous post has been deleted because it was misleading.
In the videoclip the Pope held out his hand,
not to be shaken
but to introduce the German President
to the gathered Cardinals and Bishops.

We extend out thanks to those who clarified what was happening in the clip.

If you saw the clip on this blog
I am sorry that you were misled;
we were too.

If it is unfortunate that
everything that glitters is not gold,
it is a blessing when
much that first appear exceeding,
is only misleading.

The misleading clip.

St Gerard Relics

We receive a large number of requests for relics of St Gerard but recently some have not been able to be completed as the requester left something out of their message. Please make sure that your address is clearly given in the email, your name and the number of relics you would like to receive. Please also always be sure to send us your email address with your contact details!

The following good souls have requested relics but we are unable to send them as their details are deficient and they have left no email address for us to contact them and enquire.

M.A.A. and J.P. – no address, cannot send relics.
MCB – Sorry, your address has been bunched together as we received it, could you possibly send again as it is very difficult to decipher with certainly as in a lovely but far away place. Apologies and very good to hear from you, look forward to hearing from you again.
AMB – Contact button scrambled address but relics now on the way. Apologies.
MM – Relic on its way. God bless.
BT – Definite prayers for intention. Relic on its way.

If you are in need of a relic, details can be found here.

September, The Seventh Month

Today our venerable old rite of the Mass commemorates,
in a unique "hermeneutic of continuity",
the old fasting and feasts of
Yom Kippur and Sukkoth,
the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.

It is our old rite alone that keeps these commemorations for the entire Church;
as far as I know they are not kept in the East and
in the Latin West
only the old rite keeps the Ember Days.

We must bear in mind that those ancient feasts
kept by Our Lord, Our Lady and St. Joseph until Good Friday
were strictly celebrated by lunar calculations.
The Church commemorates these days only approximately
using the solar calendar where September
(for seven)
represents the seventh month.

Until the modifications made by Blessed Pope John XXIII
the September Ember Days,
began in the week of the 15th September
i.e. the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
following the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,
(14th September).

Thus, before the modifications of Blessed John XXIII
(when the September Ember Days
were brought to the third week in September)
the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles
was commemorated even more closely than we did it today
since the Ember week literally opened on the 15th day of the seventh month
as did the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Second Lesson of the Mass has:
In those days the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
From the fifteenth day of the seventh month ...
you shall celebrate a feast of the Lord for seven days.
In the seventh month shall you celebrate this feast;
and you shall dwell in bowers seven days:
everyone that is of the race of Israel shall dwell in tabernacles
that your posterity may know
that I made the children of Israel dwell in tabernacles
when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.
I am the Lord your God.
(Lev. 23: 33)

The First Lesson of today's Ember Mass
commemorated the ancient fast of Yom Kippur,
the Day of Atonement,
which was held on the tenth day of the Seventh month.

The Ember Days were considered
by St. Leo the Great
to be of Apostolic origin.

Response to Mr. David O'Neill

Dear Fathers

It has been reported that not all members of your community are in full communion with Rome. This saddened me and I will be grateful if you will comment.

David O'Neill

+

Dear David

All the members of our community are indeed in full communion with the Holy See and are subject to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

At the time of our reconciliation, 18 June 2008, and for some time afterwards, we lost several members who would not take the step of reconciliation with us, but these, our separated brethren, could not now be numbered amongst the members of this community of The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer.

In this we are reminded of the words of Our Lord: Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father etc. (Mt. 10:35)

It would be a great grace to have had the reconciliation of our entire community as it was at that time. That seldom happens.

Reconciliation is painful for those who make it and for those who, for whatever reason, will not make it.

In conclusion, if it were not for the obligation of being submitted to Peter, humanly speaking, nobody would make a reconciliation since the price is very, very high. But, by God's grace it has been made now; and by that reconciliation, the lines were clearly drawn; the sword of division cut in such a way that it left our community thoroughly united, one, submitted to Peter, in Full Communion with Rome and the Church.

By God's Grace and the Perseverance won for us by Our Lady, we peacefully maintain this inner and ecclesial unity.

The cost was high; the smarting is over with; we have been given new life by Our Lord and we rejoice in it. 'Behold how good and how pleasant where brethren dwell in unity' (Ps. 132).

Fr. Michael Mary
23 September, 2011

The old Fisherman is out again.

The shiny shoes of the Fisherman.
Simon Peter saith to them: I go a fishing to Germany.
(cf. Jn. 21:3)

The old, gnarled face of our Helmsman at 84.

Thou art Peter.

A Helmsman's tears are concealed by the sea spray.
But he is not alone,
he shares in our time
the sorrows of the Sacred Heart.
Christ through Benedict steers the Ark of Salvation.
Pray for the Helmsman,
hold on for your life,
and thank God that
we who are with him
are in the only unsinkable ship on this wild sea.
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter;
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(Mt. 16:18)

Official Communiqué

Official Communiqué
Concerning the visit to Papa Stronsay
of His Lordship Bishop Hugh, OSB
and Very Reverend Stuart Chalmers
Vicar General
20 - 21 September 2011.

We have enjoyed the visit of the Bishop of Aberdeen and the Vicar General of the diocese, and have had positive discussions which will be taken further with the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei".

Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
21 September, 2011.

The approach of winter darkness

Our Lady of Sorrows,
Papa Stronsay.

On Wednesday we celebrated the feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Like the Holy Cross and the Mother of Sorrows,
the Gospel of the Mass was also
poignant and veiled.

Ambulate dum lucem habetis...
Walk whilst you have the light...
(Jn. 12:35)

Last night I thought again of these words from the Gospel while
looking across at our little boat moored in the quiet water.
The scene was bathed in spectacular light,
the light of the setting sun;
we approach the eighth day
after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
which is the 21st September
the Equinox
and the winter darkness.
Ambulate dum lucem habetis...
Walk whilst you have the light
that the darkness overtake you not...
So many souls die every night, alone and far from God.
St. Teresa saw innumerable souls falling into hell
like snow flakes.

Whilst you have the light believe in the light,
that you may be the children of the light.
These word goad us to look at ourselves.
The light of our lives is fast fading,
perhaps death is closer than we think.
How do I stand with God?
How long since I last made a good Confession?
The Holy Gospel and all creation,
the sun and the seasons and the years
cry out to me:
O Child of God
born from the side of the Saviour
O Child of Mary
received at the foot of the Cross:
Ambulate dum lucem habetis...
Walk whilst you have the light
that the darkness overtake you not...
Remember your life is fading
... one day soon it will be too late.
Do what you have to do,
while you are still able.

On the 21st September,
the Equinox will herald the taxcollector's conversion
and the Gospel of the Mass will conclude with the words:
Non enim veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores.
For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.
(Mt. 9:13)

What joy is given to the Heart of Jesus
when a person hears His voice and returns to Him;
He came for us
He died for us
He wants us
He wants me
and
He wants you before it is too late.

Brothers on their way to Night Prayers.

The Infant Jesus
looks out in expectation
to see who's coming home.
Confession with sorrow for sins gives joy to His Heart.

May the beautiful light of the Holy Gospels
shine upon us as Winter darkness covers the earth.

Work continued on the chapel today.

We are hoping for the work to be finished
before the weather is too rough.

One side was finished before the wind got up.
The summer is not quite over...

St. Alphonsus:
The greater number of men still say to God:
Lord we will not serve Thee;
we would rather be slaves of the devil,
and condemned to Hell, than be Thy servants.
Alas! The greatest number, my Jesus
- we may say nearly all -
not only do not love Thee,
but offend Thee and despise Thee.

Ambulate dum lucem habetis...
Walk whilst you have the light
that the darkness overtake you not...

Stronsay chapel receives its four bells

It is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
the week before the Equinox.
These days any grey day is a good one.
And the sea is calm now.

The monastery boat 'Charnetsky' lies quietly at its mooring
while a carefree Comorant comes in close by.

On the other side of the pier
Mr. De Burger is sailing his clinker yacht in the gentle breeze.

At the southern end of the pier can be seen
Our Lady's chapel on the left.
In the middle is our Stronsay house, named St. Magnus,
where a priest and brother stay during rough weather
to ensure daily Mass on Stronsay.
Across the road from St. Magnus,
to the right in the photograph and painted white,
is the Stronsay Hotel.

The renovation of the exterior of the chapel
is coming towards a high note...
the scafolding is being adjusted
for the addition of the chapel bells.

The bell team:
Mr. Paul Williams, Br. Xavier Maria and Br. Magdala Maria.

Of course they begins with the Asperges.
And plenty of it.
Br. Xavier preparing the mix.

The bell mix.

For an even note.
The bell is formed on the wall by creating a gentle slope
so that when the wood is removed
the remaining bell shaped cement
(called in the trade 'the bell')
will direct rainwater away from the wall
and onto the ground below.

Thanks from us all
to the bell team.

Thanks be to God and to Mary
for the fine grey day
and for the gentle, grey sea breezes.

Vatican Communiqué concerning the SSPX

Updates are at the end of the post.

VATICAN CITY, 14 SEP 2011 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy See Press Office released the following communique concerning the postion of the Society of St. Pius X:

"On 14 September at the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the congregation and president of the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei'; Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J., secretary of the congregation, and Msgr. Guido Pozzo, secretary of the pontifical commission, met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, who was accompanied by Fr. Niklaus Pfluger and Fr. Alain-Marc Nely, respectively first and second assistant general to the society.

"Following the appeal of 15 December 2008, addressed by the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father decided to remove the excommunication against the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre. At the same time, he approved the opening of discussions with the society in order to clarify doctrinal problems and to heal the existing rift.

"In order to put the Holy Father's instructions into effect, a joint study commission was set up, composed of experts from the Society of St. Pius X and from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who met in Rome on eight occasions between October 2009 and April 2011. Their discussions, which aimed to identify and study the essential doctrinal difficulties in the controversial issues, had the result of clarifying the positions of the two sides and their respective motivations.

"While bearing in mind the concerns and demands presented by the Society of St. Pius X about protecting the integrity of the Catholic faith against Vatican Council II's 'hermeneutic of rupture' with Tradition (a theme addressed by Pope Benedict XVI in his address to the Roman Curia on 22 December 2005), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith maintains that the fundamental basis for achieving full reconciliation with the Apostolic See is the acceptance of the text of the Doctrinal Preamble, which was handed over during a meeting on 14 September 2011. The Preamble defines certain doctrinal principles and criteria for the interpretation Catholic doctrine, which are necessary to ensure faithfulness to the Church Magisterium and 'sentire cum Ecclesia'. At the same time, it leaves open to legitimate discussion the examination and theological explanation of individual expressions and formulations contained in the documents of Vatican Council II and later Magisterium.

"At the same meeting, certain suggestions were made for a canonical solution to the position of the Society of St. Pius X, with a view to achieving the desired reconciliation".

___________________

CNS: Although the Vatican did not give the society a deadline, in order to move toward full reconciliation, leaders are expected to study and sign the preamble "within a few months," said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.
The cardinal and bishop also discussed possible "elements of a canonical solution" for the society after "the eventual and hoped-for reconciliation," said a statement issued by the Vatican after the meeting.

Father Lombardi said, "Today the most likely solution would be a personal prelature," which is a church jurisdiction without geographical boundaries designed to carry out particular pastoral initiatives. It is headed by a prelate, who is appointed by the pope.

++++++

William Cardinal Levada

Catholic Herald: Fr Lombardi would not respond to questions about specific Church teachings and developments listed in the preamble, but said Church tradition has always held there are varying degrees of Church teaching; some require an absolute assent while others are open to interpretation.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fr. Zed

WDTPRS:

In sum, the CDF has leaned far toward reconciliation with the SSPX, but it has placed a condition.

The CDF is signaling that some aspects of the documents of Vatican II are open to discussion.

They are talking about canonical solutions.

Pope Benedict is the Pope of Christian Unity.

********

Bishop Fellay

SSPX:

Interview with Bishop Fellay after the meeting with Cardinal Levada.

Bishop Fellay: This document is entitled “Doctrinal Preamble”; it was handed over to us for in-depth study. Hence it is confidential, and you will understand why I say no more about it to you. However the term “preamble” does indicate that acceptance of it is a preliminary condition for any canonical recognition of the Society of St. Pius X on the part of the Holy See.

... Today, for the sake of objectivity, I must acknowledge that in the doctrinal preamble there is no clear-cut distinction between the inviolable dogmatic sphere and the pastoral sphere that is subject to discussion. The only thing that I can say, because it is part of the press release, is that this preamble contains “certain doctrinal principles and criteria for the interpretation of Catholic doctrine, which are necessary to ensure faithfulness to the Church’s Magisterium and to "sentire cum Ecclesia" [thinking with the Church]. At the same time, it leaves open to legitimate discussion the examination and theological explanation of individual expressions and formulations contained in the documents of Vatican Council II and of the later Magisterium.” There you have it; no more and no less. (For more click the SSPX link above.)