In reading the latest news about the ongoing ‘conversation’ between the Holy See and the (schismatic) Society of St Pius X (also known as the ‘Lefebvrians’ or ‘Lefebvrists’ after their founder), I’ve decided that their desire to seek reunification with the Holy See is all about cake.
Cake you say? Yes, cake!
They want to have their cake (reconciliation with Rome) and eat it too (not change anything about what they are prepared to accept).
And yet it is the Holy Father who is actively seeking their reconciliation, like a shepherd seeking out those who stray. As Cardinal Burke recently highlighted, one fruit of eventual reconciliation will have to be obedience, particularly to the Pope. Family “fights” are often the most bitter with those closest to us. I think this is why so many struggle with the SSPX. But I think we should follow the lead of the Holy Father, and pray and work for Christian unity, striving to overcome the things that divide us, including with our brothers and sisters in the SSPX.
That may be so…but reconciliation means firstly recognising the Magisterium of the Church – including the Second Vatican Council – and secondly submitting to the authority of the Church as embodied in the person of the reigning Pontiff.
SSPX can’t pick and choose what it’s prepared to accept or reject concerning the faith of the Church – it’s not their task! – and must accept that the road to reconciliation also requires the embracing of conversion (as is true for all of us).
While I agree that we need to continue to pray for Christian Unity, that doesn’t mean we are obliged to surrender to what I consider to be an erroneous understanding of the faith of the Church.
These people once elevated to the hierarchy and the cronyism of others accompanying them appear to have lost all respect for the Magisterium within the collegiate and are unable to see the schismatic outcome of their “We know better” position. They overlook too the more serious wrong of the confusion it causes to the some of the faithful at large. Perhaps they don’t realise the seriousness of their stance and the inevitable outcome of it which hopefully, will be spelled out loud and clear once and for all, or is it a case of where there is hope ……?