Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

[myrddins]

Dear God, it happenedI never thought it would. It's not everything, by a long shot it's not everything. I still have to travel long distances at odd times to find a Tridentine mass, the Church is still in such sad shape in so many ways, and the position of Traditionalism is still regarded with distrust and hostility by far too many of the clergy.

Comments

[mcm15501]

As someone myself once involved with the Society for 20+ years (three of which as one of its seminarians), only to feel forced to leave it behind two years ago, this news comes to me as quite the surprise also, even though I was aware of isolated rumors over several months that it might be in the works. I have very mixed feelings about it all, and maybe my own journal is the place to get into that. But not just yet.

I must clarify something, though: the move only returns the Society to the situation it faced from 1975-1988. It remains in irregular status, and its priests and bishops are still under a suspension a divinis. And there are tremendous obstacles, including from within the Society itself, to full regularization. The simultaneous controversy involving Bp. Williamson (my former mentor) and his interview on Swedish TV might well faciliate clearing one of those, if both Rome and Bp. Fellay play things right. Yet, the real issue lies with the Society's self-assured sense of rectitude regarding its approach to the content and

[myrddins]

As long as things are in the hands of the Holy Father and Fellay and not Williamson, I have hope.

And Williamson's most recent public embarrassment is just another example of how being in ecclesiastical union doesn't mean you aren't a craaaaazy cat. He does us all more harm than good, in so many ways. (And of course, I'll never forget his telling me when I was 18 that I had no business going to college for biology because it wouldn't help me raise my children, and why wasn't I married already? But that's the least of his scandal.)

Irregular status is, I think, appropriate at the present time. The talks are the important part now. And hey, maybe the end result can finally start to weed out the chaff in the community who are there because they hate change and not out of true Faith and sound reason. Now that would be an even greater day.

[mcm15501]

Good points, Sarah. And for readers not so familiar with the situation, I provide some background in a comment on Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog.