Monday, October 27, 2014

Fellay given permission for Mass in Lourdes Basilica



I keep hearing, and reporting about fractures within the Church, one little bit of good news about healing, is that the SSPX were given permission to celebrate Mass in the underground Basilica of St Pius X, yesterday during their Lourdes Pilgrimage, Bishop Fellay was the celebrant.
The obvious suggestion is that the Bishop of Tarbes-et-Lourdes was advised this was acceptable to His Holiness Pope Francis. Perhaps there is a pastoral solution in the wind.

source: Eponymous Flower


And just now (after the first few comments were added here) Fr Z has published this about an Italian bishop, Secretary to the Council of Nine, threatening  those who receive sacraments from the Lefebvrists with excommunication.
We live at the end of a pendulum, or is it a sign of 'Rome Wars'?

26 comments:

Unknown said...

I would hate to steal anyone's thunder, but I am fairly sure that SSPX have had "legal" Masses in the shrine at Lourdes for a number of years.They have been made most welcome and their pilgrimage is one of the largest to visit the shrine.

New Catholic said...

This has happened for many, many years, since the time of the current bishop's predecessor. And it also happened in 2013, so already once in the new pontificate.

NC

JARay said...

I am pleased that this has happened. Why on earth would they be denied permission. Bishop Fellay is a valid bishop and the Mass was a valid Mass as are all Masses said by SSPX priests. The excommunications were lifted and the congregants were never excommunicated. They are all faithful Catholics who just disagree about some bits of Vatican 2.

Jacobi said...

And why shouldn’t they have a Mass at Lourdes or anywhere else Catholic for that matter.

They are Catholic after all, which is more than can be said for a lot for masquerade under the banner of Catholicism these days.

Their doctrinal position is pre-Vatican II as, incidentally, is mine, and as perhaps more to the point, is that of the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’.

As Benedict said, clearly, specifically, without ambiguity, and beyond any question,

“ The truth is that this particular Council defined no dogma at all, and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level, as a merely pastoral council; and yet many treat it as though it had made itself into a sort of super dogma which takes away the importance of all the rest.”

And by the way, I have never been to an SSPX pre-Novus Ordo Mass. But the idea that such a Mass is in any way wrong, or forbidden, or separate, or heretical is just well, let’s use a non-theological but somewhat apt term, daft!

Unknown said...

I am envious of the Thurifer. He certainly knows what he's doing.

Elizabeth said...

I echo what other commenters have said...they've had permission to offer Holy Mass at Lourdes already, in recent past. I don't see this as big news. What am I missing?

Sadie Vacantist said...

It's true:-

http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/sspx-at-lourdes.html

Recently, I've noticed Richard Williamson has taken a reconcilatory tone with Bishop Fellay in his weekly missives. This suggests to me that the SSPX is holding firm against this papacy. There will be no reunion between Rome and the society.

Genty said...

They have to use a modernist underground church, I believe. Still the beauty and dignity of the Mass overcame the rather grim surroundings.
And all those YOUNG men. Lines and lines of them. Bishop Semeraro is not far off 70.
Not to be confused with Rocky Semeraro, drummer of the heavy metal group 'Bishop'.

George said...

Regarding the excommunications in Italy, it was none other than Bishop Bruskewitz (no liberal slouch by anyone's standard) of Lincoln, NE, who exommunicated all SSPX mass-goers in his diocese.

Anonymous said...

was it not the young men and women of the SSPX that surrounded the new basilica at Fatima when the buddhists were given permission to pray at our altar. The buddhists never got in.

Tancred said...

Too bad he didn't do the same for Pentecostals.

Sadie Vacantist said...

Is there anything more stupid than establishing an SSPX Mass centre in Lincoln, NE?

Frederick Jones said...

What a shame that so many of these otherwise excellent young men probably forget or play down the Jewish origin of Our Blessed Lord, His Mother, and the Apostles. During his brief but inspiring pontificate Pope Benedict certainly went out of his way to underline what Catholicism owes to its Jewish roots.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Inde,
You probably have a broader circle of SSPX priest acquaintances than me but of few I have met none struck me as anti-Semitic.

Do you have a special reason to raise the matter, was that the contents of Bp Fellay's sermon for example?

Frederick Jones said...

Thank you Fr Blake. As one who admires the persistent witness of the SSPX in the face of persecution since the 1970's the real fly in the ointment is of course Williamson. For him to deny self evident fact, and there seems no indication that he has recanted, sticks in the craw of those with Jewish relatives who perished at Auschwitz especially that throughout Europe there appears to be a rising tide of anti-semitism at the present time. at the present time. Otherwise such as I applaud the efforts of those who wish to keep alive a genuine tradition of liturgical worship. I always read your blogs and urge my friends to do so for balanced good sense and edification.

Long-Skirts said...

Independent said:

"forget or play down the Jewish origin of Our Blessed Lord, His Mother, and the Apostles."

MAD-TRADS
JUST
CATHOLIC MEN

St. Paul, St. Joe & Mary
Their times were not so scary
Kept meat away from dairy
And booze…

Only mad-trads, just Catholic men, really hate the Jews.

The new-church loves old brother
But Jesus, what an other
A bit too close to mother,
Refuse…

Only mad-trads, just Catholic men, really hate the Jews.

Now Kasper casts aspersions
Free-thinker, like most Germans
From Master-Race they’re learnins’
In pews…

But only mad-trads, just Catholic men, really hate the Jews.

That Hebrew gal named Magdalene
Like Africans, not heard but seen
As river Rhine runs in between
And screws…

But only mad-trads, just Catholic men, really hate the Jews.

TLMWx said...

Dear independent, God's laws on marriage and the proper use of the sexual act are established facts and are undeniable. These facts have been attacked by a number of church prelates. There are far bigger flies in the ointment than Bishop Williamson with his historical opinions. I would take a Bishop and his whacky views on the holocaust any day over a Bishop who denies God's commandments. Why, because you may or may not hold true views on historical events. It matters not a great deal. It matters a great deal if you think it is okay to disregard God, to murder, commit adultery, damage you children and spouse by breaking the marriage covenant etc. I know we have all heard the stupid statement that we are all likely to repeat the mistakes of history if we are ignorant of our historical past. Well, no. We are likely to bring a great deal of suffering on ourselves and everyone when we are unfaithful to Gods Laws. This infidelity is what drives wars of hatred on all scales.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Ma,
Truth always matters, yes there is hierarchy, but always matters.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful Mass.
Heaven on earth.
Plainsong with Heavenly organ music. Marvellous.

Sixupman said...

+Williamson had created fiefdom in America which can only be described as"Wee Free" in outlook and attitude coupled to an objectionable exercise of power. The coterie with which he surrounded himself were tapped from that element of the American psyche attracted to 'way out' preachers. None having experience of pre-Vatican II Catholicism and, therefore, creating a form of Catholicism of their own imagination. Msgr. Lefebvre's one error of judgement, now resolved. Unfortunately a a key +Williamson proponent has been foisted ion the UK - largely ignored by the SSPX frontline clergy.

Sadie Vacantist said...

Being a tax collector, public adulteror or prostitute is fine nowadays but deny the holocaust and you are finished.

Nicolas Bellord said...

I have been away in Portugal for several weeks but returning from there we spent some time in the Picos de Europa where I learnt all about Beato de Liebena - a monk in the 8th century who had to put up with far worse things than what we have to at present. Terrified by the advance of Islam in Spain he thought that the end of the world was nigh and wrote his commentary on the Apocalypse. However there were some including the Archbishop of Toledo who thought they could do a deal with Islam by denying the doctrine of the Trinity saying Christ was merely the adopted son of God. Alcuin of York was called in by the Pope to deal with this heresy and Alcuin and Beato belaboured the Archbishop. And golly did they go in for insults in those days. "Testigo" is the Spanish for a witness as in a witness to the faith. Beato came up with a play on words responding in a letter to his heretical Archbishop: "“Estos (los herejes) son los testículos del Anticristo, de cuyo semen es engendrada la perversa prole que es copulada en la boca del Anticristo… Este Anticristo tiene tantos testículos cuantos son los predicadores de su iniquidad”

It has all happened before!!

Fr Ray Blake said...

Sade,
Don't you understand that that is so evil because if you minimise the number who were killed, you deny their life

Shandon Belle said...

Dear Father,

I love your blog. Any chance you could pop up a link to a couple of blogs I'm working on that are promoting things around Cork:

www.blessedthaddeuscatholicheritage.blogspot.ie
www.catholicheritage.blogspot.ie

Cheers,

Maeve

momangelica said...

We have just returned from that event in Lourdes. We had the most amazing 11 days with the Seminarians of St Thomas Aquinas Winona, and 5 priests.
My husband is a changed man and his Catholicism has been enriched big time. The happiest 11 days on the trot we have ever spent. They are the 'Real Deal'.

S. Armaticus said...

It took Bishop Fellay 5 1/2 minutes to get to the alter.
Impressive.

B/t/w, would not be surprised if future generations of Cathlolics mention Archbishop Lefebvre in the same breath as St. Athanasius.

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