# pope lifts excommunication of traditionalist bishops



## yeutter (Jan 26, 2009)

The Pope has appearantly lifted the excommunication of the four traditionalist Bishops of the Fraternity of the Society of Pius X.
RORATE CÆLI


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## Semper Fidelis (Jan 26, 2009)

Thomas,

Can you summarize why they were excommunicated to begin with?

The letter is pretty vague.


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## matt01 (Jan 26, 2009)

They were excommunicated for being consecrated (as Bishops) without the Pope's approval.

Holocaust denier restored to Rome


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## yeutter (Jan 26, 2009)

These men are the leaders of the schism within the Church of Rome that was led by the late Archbishop Marcel LeFebrve. He was a strong defender of the Tridentine Mass over against the Post Vatican II Vernacular Mass. 
The Pius X churches are Latin rite churches.


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## SolaGratia (Jan 26, 2009)

Wikipedia is helpful on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Williamson_(bishop):


After voicing his views on the Holocaust (see below) in an interview with Swedish television conducted in November 2008 and aired in January 2009[13][11], Williamson has generated widespread protests and risks prosecution in Germany, where the interview was conducted and where Holocaust denial is illegal and usually punished by imprisonment up to 5 years.[14]
SSPX Bishop Bernard Fellay responded to the controversy by saying that the discussed controversial matters were purely secular, that Williamson was responsible for his own personal comments and that it did not concern the whole of the SSPX, which is exclusively dedicated to the restoration of traditional Roman Catholic doctrine and discipline.[15] Both the Catholic Church of Sweden as well as the District Superior of the SSPX in Sweden and Germany have distanced themselves from anti-semitism and racism.[16]
By a decree of 21 January 2009 (Protocol Number 126/2009), which was issued in response to a renewed request that Bishop Fellay made on behalf of all four bishops whom Lefebvre had consecrated on 30 June 1988, the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, by the power expressly granted to him by Pope Benedict XVI, remitted the automatic excommunication that they had thereby incurred, and expressed the wish that this would be followed speedily by full communion of the whole of the Society of Saint Pius X with the Church, thus bearing witness, by the proof of visible unity, to true loyalty and true recognition of the Pope's Magisterium and authority.[17]
The canonical situation of the four bishops thus became the same as that of the other clergy of the Society, who are suspended a divinis.[18]
Abraham Foxman, president of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote to Cardinal Walter Kasper in order to express his opposition to any eventual ecclesial re-integration of Bishop Williamson.[19] When the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops was lifted nonetheless, Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, commented that Williamson's views had no impact on the decision. Monsignor Robert Wister, professor of church history, opined that Williamson's comments may be "offensive and erroneous" but "not a heresy" and "not an excommunicable offense", calling Williamson "not a heretic, but ... a liar".

And papist stilled claimed they have NO Divisions. 

When the arch dioses of Los Angeles took away the society of St. Pius X schools and churches in the 90's, I remember that we were never given any reason why.


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## SRoper (Jan 26, 2009)

As you may know, the Society of Pius X is opposed to the reforms of Vatican II. I believe these bishops were priests in the Society and were consecrated without permission from JPII.


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## Staphlobob (Jan 27, 2009)

The question now is: Will the members of SSPX have to promise (verbally, or in writing, or both) that Vat II was valid?


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## TimV (Jan 27, 2009)

> Abraham Foxman, president of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote to Cardinal Walter Kasper in order to express his opposition to any eventual ecclesial re-integration of Bishop Williamson



Many of you remember Johnny Hart, the Christian commic strip author of "The Wizard of ID" "BC" etc... During Christian holidays he often incorporated a Christian theme into his syndicated strips, and Foxman demanded that he be dropped by all newspapers for offending Jews by once implying that Christianity was the true religion. 

When I first noticed Foxman's comments a few days ago, part of which are quoted by SoloGratia, I got to thinking. Which is a more serious cause of offence? A Catholic claiming much of the holocaust is an exaggeration, or a Jew like Foxman claiming the whole of the Christian religion is a lie?


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## PresbyDane (Jan 27, 2009)

I need to ask why we care abour this anyway since they are all heretical anyway


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## SolaGratia (Jan 27, 2009)

Martin Marsh said:


> I need to ask why we care abour this anyway since they are all heretical anyway



By their fruits you should now them. Thank the Lord that he has provided this for our True Faith, edification, and confirmation that the pope is the ANTI-Christ.

-----Added 1/27/2009 at 12:57:35 EST-----



SolaGratia said:


> Martin Marsh said:
> 
> 
> > I need to ask why we care abour this anyway since they are all heretical anyway
> ...



Also,

So that Denmark and the rest of the world can be saved with the True Gospel. 

In other words, How would you know that the Holy Roman Catholic Apostolic Church is NOT the real true church?


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## yeutter (Mar 18, 2009)

Re4mdant said:


> I need to ask why we care abour this anyway since they are all heretical anyway


The question you raise is valid. I think the rehabilitation of these bishops may indicate the Church of Rome is going back to its pre Vatican II theology.

What Roman Catholics believe and do is important since they are frequently cobelligerents with evangelicals against secular liberalism.


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## ZackF (Mar 18, 2009)

Staphlobob said:


> The question now is: Will the members of SSPX have to promise (verbally, or in writing, or both) that Vat II was valid?



Lefevre and his controversy was more over the Paul VI's Mass than VII directly.


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## Parsifal23 (Mar 31, 2009)

Oddly enough back when I was in RCIA I was closer theologically to the Society of Pius The X and Opius Dei then the church I was in. But that's American catholicism for you all I ever heard was "where Vatican II" which was usually code word for squishy jello Catholicism. Thankfully James White cured me of any lingering sympathy for The Romanists. All I can say is I would rather have a catholic church that stands firmly on Trent and and other church documents and would call me an heretic instead of this obfuscating servile Vatican II social gospel that gets passed off in America as catholicism that is at least something I can respect.


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