Vatican daily clarifies scope and limits of lifting of Lefebvrists’ excommunication

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Rome, Italy, Jan 27, 2009 / 02:16 pm (CNA).- The Vatican’s daily newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published an editorial Monday clarifying the scope and limits of the lifting of the excommunication of four bishops ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988. The editorial stressed that the gesture does not yet mean a return to “full communion” with the Church and moreover is a call to the “full acceptance of the Magisterium, obviously including the Second Vatican Council.”

“Benedict XVI has pronounced important words recalling that ‘the elderly among us also do not forget the first announcement of the Council made by John XXIII on January 25, 1959, exactly 50 years ago.’ It was a gesture that Pope Ratzinger today defines as a ‘providential decision’ prompted by the Holy Spirit and that our newspaper by no accident recalls with emphasis on the day of the lifting of the excommunication.”

The gesture of lifting the excommunication must be seen in light of the “conviction of the Council, an event inspired from on high,” the editorial stated. “The reform of the Council has not been completely implemented, but it is consolidated in such a way in the Catholic Church that it cannot enter into crisis over a magnanimous gesture of mercy, very much inspired in the new style of the Church desired by the Council that prefers the medicine of mercy to condemnation.”

The editorial goes on to point out that “the lifting of the excommunication that caused so many alarms does not end a painful path like that of the Lefebvrist schism. With this act the Pope clears the field of possible pretexts for infinite arguing, thus entering into the true problem: the full acceptance of the Magisterium, including obviously the Second Vatican Council. While it is true that the Catholic Church was not born at the Council, it is also true that the Church renewed by the Council is not another Church, but is the same Church of Christ, founded upon the Apostles, guaranteed by the successor of Peter and therefore a living part of the tradition. With the announcement of Pope John, tradition certainly did not disappear, but rather it continues today in the forms characteristic of a ministry and a Magisterium that have been updated by the great Council.”

“The lifting of the excommunication is not yet full communion,” the editorial clearly states.

L’Osservatore Romano’s editorial concludes by addressing the issue of Bishop Richard Williamson’s recent statements about the Holocaust. Bishop Williamson, who was only brought back into communion with the Roman Catholic Church on January 25, made comments to a Swedish television station in which he said he did not believe that Jews were gassed to death by the Nazis.

After noting that the declaration “Nostra aetate” deplores “the hatred, persecution and all manifestations of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews of any time and by any person” and that this is “a teaching for Catholics that is not open to opinion,” L’Osservatore Romano said that the recent statements of denial by the British bishop “contradict this teaching and are therefore seriously grave and lamentable. Made known before the document lifting the excommunication, they are thus—as we have written—unacceptable.”

Comments: 11

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Greta J.
Minnesota 02/03/2009 07:30 PM EST

Council Vatican II has opened up abuses, sacrileges, Masses said
or resembling Protestant worship..
No, tradition has been seriously compromised and it's time, high time for another Council to re-establish true tradition!

Published by: Dr. Guy
Chicago, Illinois 01/29/2009 02:06 AM EST

It is a bit astonishing to see those who call themselves traditional Roman Catholics question the directives of the Holy Father, Church Councils and Vatican Officals. If you do not accept the words of the Holy Father you are just as out of touch as the liberals you criticize. Questioning the Magisterium from the right or left are equally out of step for followers of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith. The relativism Benedict XVI warns of is just as destructive from so called traditionalists as it is from liberals.

Published by: Jim S
Chicago, IL USA 01/28/2009 11:26 PM EST

Please read the documents of Vatican II. The teachings of the Church were never changed by Vatican II. Undoubtably, many used the council as an excuse to implement their own version of Catholic theology, worship and spirituality - it is these misguided ventures that cause the complaints of a "Protestant" slant. But Popes JPII and Benedict have been working diligently to place the Council's teachings in the proper light. I pray that this beautiful trend continues!

Published by: Martine
Santa Clara, CA USA 01/28/2009 05:51 PM EST

Vatican II must have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. As it was said in this article, the work of God in the Catholic Church could not be threatened by the openness brought by Vatican II. Careful reflection will show that God the Father wanted this next step for every nation, every race, every language to worship His Son, for all to be under His dominion, and for His enemies to be put under His feet.

Without claiming to have all the details of the reforms, bringing the liturgy close to the people as they are, where they are must have been what God the Father requested to move forward the work of bringing the Kingdom of His Son.

The Church today as it has throughout its history must fight for its survival:

* battles with darkness pervasive within the secular culture
* shortages of priests and nuns
* apostasy and/or indifference
* recurring downslide into primitive practices by most but the vigilant and the fervent (idolatry, paganism...)

The enemies of the Church have made sure since Ascension day that these problems are always close to the Church. They were not brought by Vatican II. Let's not make superficial pronouncements on what God Himself requested.

Published by: Jan Van Eekert
Belgium 01/28/2009 01:05 PM EST

You can recognize the tree when you see the fruits. Why they find vaticanum II a great council ? But,it can be accepted in the light of tradition.

Published by: David Pelfrey
California 01/28/2009 03:14 AM EST

SSPX, in its association with Bishop Williamson and its rigid adherence to the Pius V liturgy, slavishly propounds an ugly, embedded anti-Semitism that has no place in the spirituality of modern humankind. While the Latin Mass in all its beauty has a right to be presurved, the liturgy itself can be made more beautiful in the new light of scholarly understanding of the root of Abraham from whence we Catholics spring. We are are spiritual Semites and SSPX must acknowledge and accept NOSTRA AETATE.

"Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone."

Published by: Gary Wheeler
Lawrence, Kansas,U.S. 01/28/2009 02:49 AM EST

I'm glad that the Pope has made this clarification. It is all well and good to be able to embrace some of the traditions of the Church that Vatican II de-stressed, such at the Tridentine Mass, however, if there is to be full communion with Pius X society, there must be an acceptance of Vatican II, and the Popes from John XXIII onward. The Pope cannot obivously allow anything else. As a convert of 23 years I welcome many of the ways that were in existence before I joined the church, as long as they accept the total faith of the church as it is today. Frankly I don't really understand, in lieu of my understanding of the "Societys" beliefs, why they would even care to be in communion with the Norvus Ordo Church as they call us. I thought they were the only ones that contained the keys to salvation. False Popes, false teachings, wrong language, why risk their salvation by co-horting with the rest of us (1.1 billion) poor souls who are on our way to perdition?

Published by: Scott
Seoul 01/27/2009 11:22 PM EST

It's interesting how the Vatican is so fast to condemn Bp Williamson for questioning the facts around the holocost, but the questioning of other historical events, like say the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, or the Miracles of Jesus, these 'denyers' get a fair hearing... Exactly who is running St. Peter's thse days?

Published by: Ryan
Austin, MN, USA 01/27/2009 10:35 PM EST

If Vatican 2 is so great. Where are the priests, nuns, and brothers? Few go to confessions anymore, there is a great decline in the Catholic Church since V2. So why follow the sinking ship? It is better to follow the tried and true way of Tradition pre-V2.

Published by: k. bub
ont, canada 01/27/2009 03:40 PM EST

Rate: Regular

vatican 2 has made the church more protestant than catholic. it has moved away from tradition and has gone tp modernism which is contrary to what pope pius the 10, wants or will agree too.

Published by: k. bub
ont, canada 01/27/2009 03:35 PM EST

sorry, but this lifting of being left out ,has changed nothing. the teachings of pope pius the x opposses the modern church.in other words modernization. nothing has changed.

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