Skip to main content

What is the 'Resistance' hiding? Review of "How to see clearly through the current situation of Tradition?" Part 2

Image
By
+
JMJ



Introduction to the 'Private Conference'

Interestingly at the end of the introduction are the following words:
Firstly, let us say that this is not for us to judge people and to impute motives.
Above all, what is needed is to try to analyze the situation objectively based on facts and official documents.
Given my encounters with "resistors", I expect to find a vary narrow selection official documents used to support what they perceive as facts in order to judge people and impute motives.



Let us see if my expectations are met ... I expect to have to wade through the morass of ideas, assumptions and fallacies in order to get to the heart of the matter.
  1. The Heart of the fight is no longer Christ the King, but the Mass
    1. The battle of the popes, and that of Archbishop Lefebvre
    2. Change of perspective
  2. The distinction between "eternal Rome" and "the Rome of Neo-Modernist and Neo-Protestant tendeancies" - what was the basis of Archbishop Lefebvre's rules of engagement has been obliterated.
    1. Discourse held by Tradition until 2013
    2. The new discourse since February 2013
    3. Bishop Fellay imposes the new discourse in Tradition
    4. The consequence of the new manner of speaking about the Church
  3. Silence regarding the Roman scandals
    1. The painful but necessary duty to warn the faithful about the misguided ways of the successors of Peter.
    2. The silence of the successors of Archbishop Lefebvre
  4. Relations with Conciliar Rome: can a practical agreement be considered without a doctrinal agreement?
    1. The position of the Archbishop and of the Society until the General Chapter of 2012.
    2. Change of orientation
  5. Conclusion

Section 1: Heart of the Fight

Here the argument is made that the 'heart of the fight' is not centered on the Mass, but on the Doctrine of Christ the King, and that the SSPX has shifted from the doctrine to the Mass.
That's what makes our opposition [to current Rome], and that's why we cannot get along. This is not primarily the issue of the Mass ... The real fundamental opposition is the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ... (Fideliter 1993)

Further, the author asserts that:
Archbishop Lefebvre did not see any possible reconciliation with the Roman authorities as long as they have not re-crowned Our Lord.
In support of this assertion, Archbishop Lebevre's words in the 1993 Fideliter article and Bishop Fellay's November interview (DICI no 286) are quoted.
Its primary concern is truly what keeps the Church alive: the Mass. (DICI 2013)
From this the first question is needs to be resolved is whether or not these two statements are actually on the same topic.  Reading the full context of the DICI interview, Bishop Fellay is discussing how to resolve the crisis of the Church: By Grace and that the Mass is the source of this Grace.  Hence, the fundamental objective to restore the Church is through the Mass.

In short Bishop Fellay is discussing a solution to the problem of the crisis of the Church.

Now the question is, what is Archbishop Bishop Lefebvre discussing?

First, he states that it is not 'primarily the issue of the Mass'. The Avrille author passes over a key point here, the word 'primarily'.  So the Mass IS part of the issue.  Secondly, Archbishop Lefebvre is discussing the conflict between Rome and the SSPX, not the problem of the crisis of the Church itself. Thirdly, Archbishop Lefebvre later stated that it would be up to the Superior General to negotiate with Rome when the vitality of Tradition became apparent.  Fourthly, if this was the primary focus of the SSPX, I would have thought it would be explicitly mentioned.  To my knowlege the purpose of the SSPX is:
The Society’s purpose is the priesthood and all that pertains to it and nothing but what concerns it SSPX Statutes
Ultimately, Archbishop Lefebvre and Bishop Fellay are discussing two different aspects of the crisis of the Church one strategic and another tactical.  One the suppression of the Doctrine of Christ the King and the other part of the solution to the crisis.

In short, the first step to the solution is to get Grace to flow via the proliferation of the Traditional Mass. That the Monks of Avrille 'see' a contradiction or departure from the path of Archbishop Lefebvre is simply a confirmation bias.

They are seeing what they want to see ... probably because a fundamental assumption of theirs has been challenged by the SSPX.

P^3


Series Links
Part 1: Background
Part 2: Introduction and Heart of the Fight
Part 3: Distinction between "eternal Rome" and "the Rome of Neo-Modernist ..."
Part 4: Silence regarding the Roman scandals
Part 5: Relations with Conciliar Rome: can a practical agreement ...


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Benefit of the Doubt

By
 + JMJ Introduction !!! From my point of view and based on my understanding of the events !!! At this point it seems that Cardinal Fernandez et al are either malicious, incompetent or geniuses. I'm only partly kidding ... Aside from the surprisingly magnanimous action of Pope Francis providing the SSPX priest with faculties for confession and ability to witness marriages, there has been a long silence between Rome and the SSPX with little or no formal talks or discussions regarding the SSPX state of canonical limbo. While the FSSP et al were able to meet with Pope Leo XIV, while requests from the SSPX went unanswered ... that is until after the latest unanswered request they announced the date for the consecration of four new bishops. Only then did the Vatican apparatus lumber into motion. A meeting was held and the speed with which the Vatican issued its press release - within hours of the meeting's conclusion - felt to me like a pre-planned attempt at manipulation that fell s...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's Hot News?

By
 + JMJ I am often surprised by the list of the week's most popular articles. Today was no different. Top 2 and a recent favorite: A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B There is a constant change in the popular articles but one thing for certain is that Tradicat hits sync up with key events in the Catholic world. ... for those wondering ... no this blog is not monetized. P^3
Post a Comment
Read more

Whispers of God: Divine Providence and the Practice of The Presence of God

By
 + JMJ Years (ok decades) ago I received the book The Practice of The Presence of God by Brother Lawrence ( wiki ) as a gift. When I finally did read the book (it is not long), it did affect my spiritual life and with the recent turmoil over the SSPX consecrations, I concluded that I should look into it once more by recounting events and decisions in my life that are linked to the book. The Conversation First, is the interiour conversation with God. Prayer is part of this, but it becomes something less structured and habitual in the Presence of God.  In fact, when visiting a neighbour and he mentioned something about his past, I 'heard' a repeated - almost shouting - voice telling me to ask the question that popped into my mind. Once I thought, "Ok I will", the pleading stopped. In a gap in the discussion I asked the question and, instead of being offended it led to a deep conversation about their past. So listening is part of the practice, one which I need to work on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Unhinged Catholics ... are they on the right path? How would you know? (Updated 2x with Response to Comments)

By
+ JMJ (Originally Published Sept 7, 2019, Updated July 30, 2022, Updated August 13, 2022)  Based on Pope Francis' latest selections for Cardinals, the Church appears to be in deep winter. Just to be clear, I don't mean a Florida winter, I mean a Canadian winter.  In the last 35+ years as a Trad, I've seen my fair share of Catholics suffering from, and dying of, mental and spiritual hypothermia. When a Catholic pours themselves into the 'fight', neglects their spiritual life, doesn't deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith, then there is a good chance that they will become embittered, frustrated, and angry. With their narrowed perspectives they risk being blindsided and smacked in the head with a metaphorical 2x4. Just look at the headlines on canon212 for some examples. Here's some others: "Diabolically Disoriented" Michael Matt Reveals His True Colors as a Pied Piper Leading "Traditionalists" (i.e., real Cat...
5 comments
Read more

A Reply to Martin Blackshaw’s FLAWED Remnant article titled: FLAWED: SSPX Advice on Abortion-tainted Vaccines

By
 + JMJ    An article has appeared in the Remnant (link to article) and I am afraid that there are a number of flaws in it that need to be addressed. The author, Martin Blackshaw, believes that both the Church and the SSPX are misapplying the principle of Moral Theology called 'Cooperation In Evil'.  Unfortunately, Mr. Blackshaw rests most of his arguments on citing authors that support his position, without considering the possibility that they are wrong. This highlights a key factor in this crisis: ignorance of the faith and its application . I don't am not singling out Mr. Blackshaw for this criticism, I have observed that it applies to laity and religious, superior and subject a like.  No one seems immune in this enduring crisis, myself included.  I further believe that this ignorance is why so many Catholics, both traditional and non, rely on their gut feeling or "Catholic conscience" for charting their way through this crisis of the faith.  While...
25 comments
Read more