The Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X seeks further time for reflection: Ecclesia
Dei
October 27, 2012: The Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” has announced on Saturday
that, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X has indicated in its latest official communication
of 6th September, that they need additional time for reflection and study
as they prepare their response to the Holy See’s latest initiatives. The current stage
in the on-going discussions between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity follows
three years of doctrinal and theological dialogues during which a joint commission
met eight times to study and discuss, among other matters, some disputed issues in
the interpretation of certain documents of Vatican Council II. Once these doctrinal
dialogues were concluded, it became possible to proceed to a phase of discussion more
directly focused on the greatly desired reconciliation of the Priestly Fraternity
of St. Pius X with the See of Peter. Other critical steps in this positive process
of gradual reintegration had already been taken by the Holy See in 2007 with the extension
of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to the Universal Church and in 2009 with
the lifting of the excommunications, stated a declaration of Ecclesia Dei, published
in Italian, English and French.
“Just a few months ago, a culminating point
along this difficult path was reached when, on 13 June 2012, the Pontifical Commission
presented to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X a doctrinal declaration together
with a proposal for the canonical normalization of its status within the Catholic
Church. At the present time, the Holy See is awaiting the official response of the
superiors of the Priestly Fraternity to these two documents. After thirty years of
separation, it is understandable that time is needed to absorb the significance of
these recent developments. As Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI seeks to foster and
preserve the unity of the Church by realizing the long hoped-for reconciliation of
the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X with the See of Peter – a dramatic manifestation
of the munus Petrinum in action – patience, serenity, perseverance and trust are
needed”, concluded the declaration.