Pope addresses members of the Vatican’s doctrinal office

(January 15, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday expressed hope that doctrinal problems still remaining in the path of full communion of the Society of St. Pius X with the Catholic Church will be overcome. The Pope expressed this wish during a meeting with participants in the plenary assembly of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The ultra-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X incurred excommunication or separation from the Catholic Church when its founder, late French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops in 1988 without the Pope’s consent. In January 2009 Pope Benedict lifted the excommunication of the four bishops. But the move soon became embroiled in controversy with Jews protesting the reinstatement of British-born Bishop Richard Williamson over his denial of the Holocaust. Pope Benedict on Friday also defended his decision to create a special provision for disaffected Anglicans to join the Catholic Church, saying it is the “ultimate aim” of ecumenism. He explained that the provision wasn't an attack on the ecumenical movement, but on the contrary was designed to help bring about the “full and visible communion” of all Christians. Pope Benedict also touched upon natural moral law saying it is not exclusively for Christians. He said that even those not of the Christian faith have the obligation to obey what is written in the human heart - such as issues related to the value of human life, the dignity of the person, human sexuality and the centrality of the family based on the marriage between man and woman.