Reading Papal Tea Leaves! (Updated - Correcting my type-o's etc)

JMJ

There's been a lot of speculation since Pope Leo XIV was elected as Vicar of Christ, the visible head of the Catholic Church.

Everyone seems to be impatiently trying to see which way Leo wants to take the Church and making a lot of assumptions about the meaning of various actions, assignments made since he was elected.

While I don't know when the process of these decisions started and Pope Leo's involvement, what I do know is that trying to ascribe intentions is like trying to read tea-leaves and just as effective.

What I do know is that the SSPX is going to Rome this summer and like the pilgrimage in 2000, we are at a potential inflection point in the life of the Church. In 2000, Rome saw the SSPX and tradition wasn't stale and dying but full of life. Twenty-five years later, I think we may be approaching a repeat of 2000.

Here's my best-case scenario:

SSPX has a successful pilgrimage,
Roman authorities such as Cardinals or maybe even Pope Leo XIV have a brief introductory meeting,
Discussions restart quietly,
The Canonical Structure and 2012 Agreement are revisited,
A no-compromise structure and agreement are developed,
SSPX comes in from the canonical grey area,
... then I think the real fun will begin - perhaps a real schism.

This may sound like fantasy, but like a time capsule, the 2012 agreement and structure still represent the way-station of the relationship between Rome and the SSPX. So, restarting the work doesn't mean Rome and the SSPX have to go back to 2000. They only need to cover what's happened during the pontificate of Pope Francis ... and a lot has happened.

In particular, we have Traditionis Custodes the revoked Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae (SP/UE).

So things to watch for:

Public contacts between Rome and the SSPX (I've been told that there is no contact at this time).
Amendments or repeal of Traditionis Custodes,
Promulgation of a new SP/UE.

Those actions (or contrary ones) will be solid information on what Pope Leo actually intends to do.

Something to pray for in the coming months.

P^3

August 19 - 21, 2025

The last Jubilee when the SSPX went to Rome was the Jubilee of the Year 2000. This pilgrimage to Rome marked a significant event for the Society of Saint Pius X, as it occurred after a period of limited dialogue between the SSPX and the Holy See. The SSPX also participated in the Jubilee of 1975 with its founder, Archbishop Lefebvre. (Google)

https://sspx.org/en/news/worldwide-jubilee-year-pilgrimage-rome-august-2025-49148

https://sspx.org/en/news/vatican-communique-about-sspxs-reply-doctrinal-4555

Comments

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...

Tradicat

Search This Blog