Rome's 40 Years of Olive Branches to the SSPX
Over the course of 40 years the Holy See has repeatedly extended olive branches to the SSPX:
- 1988 - In spite of Abp. Lefebvre's defiance of Rome for years (he lost his faculties in 1976, but continued to ordain priests), Pope John Paul II agreed to grant bishops to the SSPX, an agreement signed by Lefebvre but reneged on by him the next day.
- 1988 - Bypassing the decades-long process of establishing religious orders, JPII created, by papal fiat, the FSSP as a home for clergy who wished to offer the traditional liturgy.
- 2007 - Pope Benedict granted a universal indult to all clergy to offer the TLM.
- 2009 - Pope Benedict lifted the excommunications of the four living bishops.
- 2012 - Pope Benedict offered the SSPX a personal prelature within the Church. The SSPX rejected his offer.
- 2015 - Pope Francis granted the SSPX jurisdiction to hear confessions and witness marriages (both which require jurisdiction to be valid), and asked nothing from the SSPX in return.
Father Raymond de Souza writes: "All these initiatives have not borne the desired fruit of reconciliation. It would not be unreasonable to conclude that perhaps the SSPX is not interested in being reconciled with the Church. ...
The more traditional approach would be to declare the excommunications and make clear that the SSPX is in schism, given that is what is wrought by repeated schismatic acts. Further, in the traditional course of things, the Holy See would clarify that the SSPX’s sacramental acts are illegitimate and therefore should be avoided by the faithful. Perhaps canonical penalties might achieve what pastoral concessions did not.
The Holy See has not chosen that path, with eminent goodwill, for decades. The SSPX, in choosing the path of excommunication again, may be inviting the Holy See to try the traditional path with them now."
Cdl. Sarah to SSPX: Don't Leave the Barque of Peter
