Given below is the text of a communique relating to the Society of St. Pius X, released
this morning by the Holy See Press Office. “During the meeting of 14 September
2011 between Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith and president of the Pontifical Commission ‘Ecclesia Dei,’ and Bishop
Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, the latter was presented
with a Doctrinal Preamble, accompanied by a Preliminary Note, as a fundamental basis
for achieving full reconciliation with the Apostolic See. This defined certain doctrinal
principles and criteria for the interpretation Catholic doctrine, which are necessary
to ensure faithfulness to the Church Magisterium and ‘sentire cum Ecclesia.’ “The
response of the Society of St. Pius X to the aforesaid Doctrinal Preamble, which arrived
in January 2012, was examined by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith before
being submitted to the Holy Father for his judgement. Pursuant to the decision made
by Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Fellay was, in a letter delivered today, informed of
the evaluation of his response. The letter states that the position he expressed is
not sufficient to overcome the doctrinal problems which lie at the foundation of the
rift between the Holy See and the Society of St. Pius X. “At the end of today's
meeting, moved by concern to avoid an ecclesial rupture of painful and incalculable
consequences, the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X was invited to clarify
his position in order to be able to heal the existing rift, as is the desire of Pope
Benedict XVI.” (VIS)