The appointment of the new secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, may be a signal of Pope Benedict’s intention on the liturgy. Apparently the archbishop, when he was bishop of a diocese in Sri Lanka, was very favorably inclined toward the Tridentine Mass, and even met with Bernard Fellay, leader of the Society of St. Pius X in 2001.
According to sources, he told Fellay that the crisis of the priesthood is a crisis of the identity of the priest and thus a crisis in the liturgy and that a renewal of the priesthood and of the Church must begin with a renewal of the liturgy.
Fellay claims that after Ranjith was appointed to the Roman Curia in 2002, that Ranjith told him, “I agree 200% with you that there really is a problem in the Church with the liturgy and the priesthood, and both go together. We must work on this, and there is no doubt that the Pope has to set free the true Catholic Mass for everyone I am going now to Rome where I will have my private chapel. I have just taken care to get a Missal of St. Pius V to celebrate Mass as it should be.”
This would be a significant statement by the man who is now second in charge at the Congregation for Divine Worship, both for hope for reconciliation with the SSPX and for any possible developments in the reform of the reform of the liturgy.
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Fascinating. Where’s the quote from?
These certainly are exciting times we live in.
This story appears to arise from this web entry. Check the portion called “Glimmers of Hope.” Does this explain the recent meeting with Bishop Fellay? I have no clue.
http://www.sspx.ca/Angelus/2002_August/Light_Darkness.htm
By this time next year, things should be very interesting!
I’m frightened by the SSPX….aren’t they really antisemitic?
The SSPX isn’t officially antisemitic, but they seem to have more than their share of antisemites (e.g., Bp. Williamson), and a fondness for promoting antisemitic literature (e.g., Fr. Fahey). That is troubling, and would require an extensive cleaning/correction if reunion occurs.
That said, I think there should be a distinction between swaths of the leadership and the SSPX rank and file, the bulk of whom are trying to get away from liturgical and catechetical idiocy. But the longer the schism goes on, the less healthy the SSPX environment will be, even for Joe Sixpack. Hence the need to end the schism ASAP.
Dale,
I certainlly agree with you regarding the SSPX.
What is troubling to me are the rumors that JP2 believed that it had to be “all or none” of the SSPX to reconcile. I think that he was setting up a straw man to blow any hope of reconciliation away. Any rational person realizes that Williamson will never reconcile.
I find it interesting, that the FSSP has been placed in dioceses where the SSPX has a prominence.
I have also noticed that the majority of those, as in my case, who assist at the Masses of the FSSP are refugees from the Novus Ordo.
I hope these quotes are not accurate. “True Catholic Mass”? I can’t believe they’re accurate.
Ah! It looks like you scooped us on this. However, these quotes are from a priest of the SSPX, not directly from Msgr. Fellay. We have more details and background on these comments up here, at the blog of the Cornell Society for a Good Time
“I find it interesting, that the FSSP has been placed in dioceses where the SSPX has a prominence.”
That’s just about the only place you’ll find even miserly implementation of Ecclesia Dei with the resultant “Indult” mass.
The FSSP was created to destroy the SSPX.