The move by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was announced by SSPX superior-general Bishop Bernard Fellay during a homily.

The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Archbishop Guido Pozzo, said the appointment did not signal that "existing problems" between the SSPX and Rome had been resolved.

"But it is a sign of benevolence and magnanimity. I see no contradiction here, but rather, a step toward reconciliation," Archbishop Pozzo said.

This is not the first time the SSPX has made recourse to Rome regarding "delicta graviora" by priests and dispensations from priestly obligations.

The CDF is in charge of dealing with a number of "delicta graviora", and the one that occurs most frequently involves the sexual abuse of minors.

But what is new is that the CDF has decided to entrust a case, in the first instance trial, to the SSPX superior-general.

Bishop Fellay presented his appointment as an example of the "contradictions" in the Holy See's approach to the SSPX.

"We are labeled now as being irregular, at best. Irregular means you cannot do anything," he said.

"So I was appointed by Rome, by the Congregation of the Faith, to make judgements, canonical Church judgements on some of our priests who belong to a non-existent society for [Rome]."

Bishop Fellay contrasted his appointment with Rome's treatment of a pilgrimage involving 1500 faithful, from which came a request for a celebration of the old rite in St Peter's Basilica.

This request was rejected by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

It was felt that the celebration of a Mass by a Lefebvrian priest before existing problems around canonical regularisation and full communion were resolved would have sent out the wrong signal.

Pope Francis gave his approval to a proposal for the requested Mass to be celebrated by an Ecclesia Dei priest in St Peter's Basilica.

But SSPX leaders rejected this offer.

Sources

• Vatican Insider
• Image: DICI

The September 2015 event for the Society, who promotes the traditional Latin Mass, will be a silent retreat involving

• daily traditional Latin Mass,
• exposition of the blessed sacrament,
• rosaries,
• litanies,
• confessions and
• a visit to Sisters of Compassion founder, Mother Mary Aubert's grave.

The Ecclesia Dei Society is exhorting its members to attend.

In December last year, the Lord Bishop gave excellent talks on Sanctifying Grace, sin, and God's love, the Society says on its website.

The Society promises a full programme shortly.

Source: Ecclesia Dei

The secretary of the Ecclesia Dei commission, Archbishop Guido Pozzo, told a French media outlet that the Vatican continues to work for reconciliation with the society.

Formal talks between the SSPX and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith broke down in 2012.

But conversations resumed in September this year.

Archbishop Pozzo said that in order to be regularised, the SSPX must accept the doctrinal teachings of the Church, including those of Vatican II.

However, he said, "there is room for further reflection on the reservations the fraternity has expressed regarding certain aspects and the wording of the Second Vatican Council documents as well as some reforms that followed, but which do not refer to subjects which are dogmatically or doctrinally indisputable".

Archbishop Pozzo said a few documents of Vatican II involve doctrinal statements, but others are "authoritative and binding to a different and lesser degree".

The conciliar statements on ecumenism and on religious freedom, which have been most heavily criticised by the SSPX, are in the latter category, he said.

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The meeting between Cardinal Gerhard Müller and Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX, on September 21, has been labelled as "informal".

If it goes ahead, it will be Cardinal Müller's first meeting with Bishop Fellay since the former's appointment as prefect.

As head of the CDF, the German cardinal is also president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which is charged with helping to bring about reconciliation with the SSPX.

In a speech last year, Bishop Fellay called Pope Francis a "genuine modernist" who is making "a real disaster" for the Church "10,000 times worse".

Speaking at the time, Cardinal George Pell said Bishop Fellay's comments were "absolute rubbish" and a "gigantic misreading" of the Pope.

Cardinal Müller was reportedly opposed to the SSPX when he was bishop in Regensburg, Tradinews reports.

Talks between the Vatican and the SSPX were halted when the latter was unable accept the contents of a "doctrinal preamble" that outlined principles and criteria necessary to guarantee fidelity to the Church and its teaching.

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Guido Pozzo, a curial official who was made an archbishop in the interim period, is once again the secretary for the pontifical commission "Ecclesia Dei."

Archbishop Pozzo has already served as secretary of the Pontifical Commission, from July 8, 2009 to Nov. 3, 2012.

He had been removed from the commission to become head of the Office of Papal Charities, where he has served until his re-appointment as Ecclesia Dei secretary Aug. 3.

Ecclesia Dei was founded in 1988, months after the head of the Society of St. Pius X illicitly consecrated four bishops, a "schismatic act" according to the document of Blessed John Paul II establishing the Pontifical Commission.

The office is meant to facilitate "full ecclesial communion" of those associated with the Society "who may wish to remain united to the Successor of Peter in the Catholic Church."

Since the 2007 motu proprio of Benedict XVI providing for a more liberal use of the liturgy as it was said prior to the reforms of Vatican II, the Ecclesia Dei has also served those who have a special dedication to this traditional form of the Roman liturgy.

On July 2, 2009, Benedict XVI linked the Pontifical Commission to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, noting that the problems in dialogue with the Society of St. Pius X were "doctrinal in nature."

A traditionalist organization of priests, the society is known for sharply criticizing the council, a 1962-65 meeting of the world's bishops that led to wide reforms in the Catholic church.

During his first stint at the pontifical commission, the archbishop participated in a number of discussions with members of the Society of St. Pius X on their possible formal reunification with the church.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

NCR Online

The Tablet

Image: Cattolici Tradizionalisti Marche

The commission, an outreach to traditionalist Catholics, was established in 1988 to with a particular aim of reconciliation with SSPX.

In a series of new appointments to the Roman Curia made before the Pope's annual summer stay at Castel Gandolfo, American Archbishop Augustine Di Noia was named the commission's vice-president — a position that had not existed before.

Archbishop Di Noia told Catholic News Service the Vatican needed to help people who have strong objections to the reforms following the Second Vatican Council see "that these disagreements don't have to be dividing or keep us from the same Communion table".

"It is possible to have theological disagreements while remaining in communion with the see of Peter," he said.

"The theological dialogue has gone on for three years but now [the Pope] is hoping to find the language or the modality for a reconciliation. We're at the stage of finessing, to help them find a formula which respects their own theological integrity.

"It seems to everyone that [a reconciliation] is close, but now it needs a kind of push," he said.

Archbishop Di Noia, a Dominican theologian who worked closely with Pope Benedict in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has served since 2009 as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

The announcement of his appointment noted that he was involved in the Vatican's preparations for the Pope's motu proprio broadening use of the traditional Latin Mass.

Archbishop Di Noia — who said his reassignment from the Congregation for Divine Worship after only three years had left him "flabbergasted" — will be replaced there by Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England.

Sources:

Catholic World News

Catholic News Service

Catholic World News

Image: Whispers in the Loggia