UPDATE: Bishop Fellay, doctrinal officials meet for discussions at Vatican
VATICAN CITY — Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, arrived at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at 5 p.m. this evening for a meeting with U.S. Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the doctrinal congregation.
News reports earlier said Cardinal Levada would relay to Bishop Fellay Pope Benedict XVI’s response to his latest suggestions regarding a “doctrinal preamble” the Vatican wants him to sign in order to reconcile the SSPX with the rest of the church.
At this point, the meeting is still going on and we have no idea what is being said.
Bishop Fellay arrives June 13 at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (CNS/Carol Glatz)
Bishop Fellay pulled up to the “Holy Office,” as the building housing the congregation is known, in a red, four-door Peugeot 260 with French license plates. There were two other people in the car with him. A French colleague asked Bishop Fellay if, after the meeting, he would speak to the handful of journalists gathered outside. The bishop responded, “We’ll see.”
Interestingly, on his way into the building, Bishop Fellay crossed paths with Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and president of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
In May, Cardinal Koch had given a major address in Rome on “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations with non-Christian religions. The Society of St. Pius X has voiced serious reservations about the teachings in that document, including Nostra Aetate’s recognition of the special place of the Jewish people in salvation history and it’s condemnation of anti-Semitism.
CNS Blog 
i hope for a positive result which will bring to the end these many and long years of searching and re-union with this traditionalist clerics .
Where did you learn that the SSPX “has voiced reservations against condemnation of anti-semitism”? The SSPX has condemned the condemnation of anti-semitism? Are you really serious?
And nobody in SSPX denies a special place of jews in salvation history. Jesus was jew. But the aliance of God with them is not valid anymore. They need baptism like everyone. The jews of today has nothing with the jews who received the revelation.
C., it is true that the SSPX has reservations about Nostra Aetate. I don’t think that implies that they condemn the condemnation of anti-semitism.
Pope Ratzinger is killing the catholic church with his seductive lurchings toward this anti-semitic, anti-vatican II group. There will be another Reformation and more division among Christians thank to this BRILLIANT theooligan pope.
Lol! Best pack your bags then. The SSPX has a critical role to play in restoring Catholic identity.
I also would like little back-up on the (alleged) reservations of the SSPX on the issues cited.
I do not know what Cardinal Koch’s lecture covered, but my own take on Nostra Aetate is that it is problematic if not properly interpreted with the foregoing Tradition as the lens, as it can lead to whacky things contrary to Sacred Scripture as well as Sacred Tradition, like Cardinal Kasper’s controversial remarks in 2001. http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/covenant_and_mission.html
@Adam Mindenki: Really? Is the Church not big enough for you and them? Well, then, I pray that this afternoon’s news is that the schism is over. It will be a great day for the Church.
I sympathize with the SSPX, not because I’m anti-semitic (I’m not) nor anti-Vatican II (I’m a student of the Council and of John Paul II), but because the pro-vatican II crowd went haywire with the liturgy and extravagantly jettisoned pre-Vatican II Tradition, to the detriment of the whole Church and interfaith relations. I never left the Church, but I suffered — SUFFERED — Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, leaving HOLY MASS less disposed for Holy Communion than I entered it, thanks to the Music Ministry, Motion Ministry, Fr. Lame Sermon, “inclusive” language, ugly “renovations,” lack of confessions and devotions, bad theology (and with four graduate degrees in Catholic theology I think I know what I’m talking about), and on and on and on, all in the name of the Spirit of Vatican II, and NONE of which Vatican II authorized or even mentions.
I do NOT agree with the actions of Abp. Lefebvre when the schism occurred, but I understand them. What I don’t understand is how an entire generation of pastoral leaders let MY generation down with bubble-gum catechesis and a vision of Catholic life with all the nutritional value of diet soda. It took me my second graduate degree in theology and studying the Summa of St. Thomas Aquinas to get the same religious education my KIDS were getting from their grade-school catechism, the same catechism that my parents grew up with and but which was abandoned for my generation in favor of hand-holding and craft-making and sitting around the altar singing This Is The Day in rounds.
God Bless you all may the Lord bless this meeting of minds.
Well said, AuthenticBioethics. I very much appreciate your words here.
The SSPX are 99% right. They need to submit to the authority of Rome. 1% – that’s all it will take.
– a poetic way of saying that all Catholics, if they/we be true Catholics, value communion with the Successor of Saint Peter as the be all and end all of our identity. We understand that Christ is Lord. The Lord established His Church on Peter. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to protect the Catholic Church, not some sect or offshoot. So, then, let us be reconciled and get on with the mission Christ entrusted to us.
“Nostra Aetate’s recognition of the special place of the Jewish people in salvation history and it’s condemnation of anti-Semitism.” I think the SSPX might agree with this sentence. This is false summation of the odd parts of his address. Cardinal Koch’s address contains his PERSONAL views. The SSPX is not anti Semetic. Why? Wasn’t Christ, his mother, foster father, and Apostles all Jews? Yes! While I find some opinions of Bp Williamson odd because they are unhistorical find some of Koch’s comments off because they are unhistorical and theologically wrong.He is a syncretist.
As for Bishop Fellay what a brave bishop and man!
Being particularly mindful of the Eighth commandment …
* When have the SSPX been antisemitic? Do your research, Bp W specifically condemns anti-semitism!
* If higher authorities in Rome say the matter of the SSPX is ‘inside the Church’ how can they be in schism?
* If the Church governance allows the diet-soda services including crazy nuns, cheese heads, buddha, aboriginal ceremonies and blasphemies of all sorts, then why cannot you understand ABp Lefebvre? Was Athanasius wrong too? (there isn’t a St Liberius!!)
* You ‘think’ you know what you are talking about? Well so do the charismatics, the priestess movement, the gay priests, the ‘Catholic’ universities that support Obama, and the Cardinals/Bishops who let you down!
* Four graduate degrees – they are obviously not helping you – how many degrees did St Peter have?
* What happened to the Trads who compromised?
* These leaders let you down because we get the Church we deserve. If we rely on degrees and suffer foolishly in NO Church then now wonder you don’t get it. The SSPX are a small fragement yet they have everyone in awe/fear. This is because they came from a Catholic community that cared enough to sacrifice and pray properly. If the Church prayed properly rather than whining in self pity,
To Adam (above) your Freudian slip is revealing. You called B16 a ‘theooligan pope.’ Yes he is a theo hoologan!
And to keep in theme, “I am not anti-semitic, really, honestly, no, nein, luv-em-2-bits, fair dinkum, etc (Hang on! Why even say that ????)
Because the western world lost their sense of religion unlike the Asian, they can sense God even with the simplest Liturgy of the new order. It is the time the Asian should lead the Church, Jesus is an Asian
Simple liturgy ok, blasphemous liturgy, not ok!
Adam Mindeki, stop the kool aid drinking. One of the purposes and responsibilities of being pope has to do with maintaining and correcting unity!