The superior general of of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, is coming to New Zealand in October this year, and supporters hope he will bless a former Catholic church building that is to be moved from Rotorua to Auckland.
According to an SSPX New Zealand newsletter, Bishop Fellay will also administer the sacrament of Confirmation in the SSPX’s parish in Whanganui during his visit.
Bishop Fellay, whose excommunication was lifted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, sparked controversy late last year after calling Jews “enemies of the Church”. He made the comments during a nearly two-hour talk at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada on 28 December.
At the time the US branch of the society attempted to clarify Bishop Fellay’s remark in a statement on its website.
It said: “The word ‘enemies’ used here by Bishop Fellay is of course a religious concept and refers to any group or religious sect which opposes the mission of the Catholic Church and her efforts to fulfil it: the salvation of souls”.
Source
- NZ Catholic
- Catholic Herald
- Image: dici.org
