Bishop Williamson's Grand Delusion

JMJ

I was surprise to read that Triumph Communications had resumed its interviewing of Bishop Williamson.

Looking at the advertisement, I'm surprised that Bishop Williamson 'tackled' the hot questions since the answers are for the most part either within the reach of most rational people or probably require him to rely upon knowledge that Bishop Williamson gathered when he was still a member of the SSPX.

Now back in the action, Bishop Williamson tackles the following hot questions with his typical candor and eloquence:

Under present circumstances, could an agreement between the Society of St. Pius X and Rome work? What is the critical factor which would make it difficult for an agreement to work? [Tradical: This is hardly rocket science. All that is required is a Pope that will be able to withstand the pressures that would result in providing the SSPX with a no-compromise regularization that meets the six conditions.]

What were the circumstances and results of the leak of a private exchange of letters between Bishop Fellay and his two assistants, and bishops Williamson, de Galarreta, and Tissier de Mallerais?[Tradical: This would be interesting. However, I understand that a. the letters were leaked from the UK and b. that the Priest who did the leaking remains within the SSPX. As far as the 'results of the leak', I would assume that Bishop Williamson will put forth the opinion that it prevented the acceptance of a compromised regularization. Which is his opinion but no less valid than that of Bishop Fellay's.]

In the end, why did negotiations between the Society of St. Pius X and Rome break down?[Tradical: I don't know Bishop Williamson's opinion, but I do know the fact: Bishop Fellay would not compromise and refused to 'sign'. Next question ...]

What were the results of the doctrinal discussions between the Society of S. Pius X and Rome? What do the results of these discussions tell us about today's churchmen in the Vatican?[Tradical: This is a leading question as it makes the assumption that the results of the discussions reflect the 'group' of churchmen in the Vatican as a whole. This is a part to whole fallacy and plays to Bishop Williamson's message that you can't obey the hierarchy because they're all modernists / masons / russians / etc. ]

What is the fatal weakness of the modern Church?[Tradical: I wonder if the 'modern Church' is equated with the Catholic Church?]

Is the current leadership of the Society of St. Pius X doing a good job of carrying on Archbishop Lefebvre's prophetic role of condemning the errors of Vatican II and modern churchmen?[Tradical: This is absolutely the strangest question to have in this kind of 'interview'. I have seen no change in Bishop Williamson's opinions concerning either doctrine or the leadership of the SSPX. In short the words he wrote in reply to his expulsion from the SSPX, I believe from Bishop Williamson's point of view , are as applicable today as they were in 2012.]

Is the traditional movement going soft? What is an underlying dynamic present in modern civilization that is weakening the resolve of many traditional Catholics?[Tradical: That's an interesting question given the theological errors of the 'resistance' that continue to abound daily. If being enthralled with conspiracy theories (read: Tradcat Knight) or deviating from Church Teaching (read: heresies of the resistance) is what it takes to be 'strong' - then Houston - we have a problem.]

Bishop Williamson concludes these interviews with a heartfelt message to the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X. Listening to The Grand ~~Illusion~~ Delusion is a key to understanding what is going on in the ~~traditional~~ 'resistance' movement.

Based on my discussions with a number of 'resistors' the 'resistance' is not a 'Traditional Catholic' movement because it has deviated from Catholic Doctrine on two key points:

Maybe I am being too harsh on Bishop Williamson.

Perhaps he is simply suffering from a delusion when he makes the claim that he has not been 'unfaithful' to the heritage of Archbishop Lefebvre ( in response to his expulsion ...). Perhaps, it is just natural that the people who are aligned with his worldview will follow him because he presents a simple black and white view of the crisis of the Church.

However, in their fear the 'resistance' does a great injustice to Archbishop Lefebvre when they use his words to discard like heretics various doctrines of the Church. Of course, this method is not new, the sedevacantists have been doing it for decades.

Pray, I fear it's not going to get any easier and only those with clear heads and a strong spiritual life will be left standing.

P^3

The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ Interestingly the complete acceptance of the Second Vatican Council (without reservations) is required of the SSPX. Just when people are starting to wonder how it came to this! Courtesy of Rorate Caeli P^3

A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976

+ JMJ Looking back is important to understand why we are where we are in this crisis. Courtesy of RemnantNewsPaper P^3 FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 Written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Introduction by Michael J. Matt More than forty years ago—during the disastrous reign of Pope Paul VI, the latest candidate for a Vatican-issued Halo Award, by the way—my father, Walter L. Matt, organized the first large scale public reception in the U.S. for the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was held at the Radisson South Hotel, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, May 12, 1976, and its stated purpose was to assist the Archbishop in gaining a stronger foothold for the Society of St. Pius X in the States during the unprecedented crisis Blessed Pope Paul had helped unleash on the Church. On that occasion Archbishop Lefebvre delivered ...

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo...

Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B

+ JMJ I was trying to think of a way to map out the time course I discussed in Part A of this article. Early this morning it came to me that this is more about obedience and duty than canon law. As is my wont, I mapped out my thoughts (see image) to draw linkages between the core concepts. My conclusion is that, at least subjectively, Archbishop Lefebvre had sufficient information to make good decisions concerning whether or not he was obliged to obey. I know that the Jesuits, some Sedevacantists and the priests that left over the years will not agree with my thoughts. So be it. The core pieces of information include: Attacks against the SSPX were launched because they kept the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar understanding of the Truths of the Faith. The authorities in the Church were willing to go against the laws of the Church. The same authorities encouraged the various dangers to the Faith embedded in popular interpretations of ambiguo...

Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations - Courtesy of SSPX.org

+ JMJ In the blogosphere there are number of responses to this crisis in the Catholic Church that lead to conclusions that run counter to Catholic Doctrine and Dogmas - if taken to their logical conclusion. The validity of the New Rite of Episcopal consecrations is one such hotspot within more extreme sections of the 'traditionalist' culture. Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations Courtesy of SSPX.org Why the new rite of episcopal consecration is valid Introduction This comprehensive study was compiled to settle a debate that has been circulating in traditional Catholic circles. Some writers have examined the new rite of episcopal consecration and concluded that it must be invalid. Since this would cause manifest problems if it were true and due to the heightened awareness of such a theory, we present a study of this question concluding that it is valid. Following the Council, in 1968 a new rite for the ordination of bishops was promulg...

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