SSPX Exclusive - Bp. Fellay speaks to Rorate on Rome negotiations as world's largest traditional seminary opens in Virginia



A Conversation with Bishop Fellay

By Father Kevin M. Cusick*
Rorate correspondent for the
opening of the SSPX Seminary
in Virginia

The faithful gather from far and wide

Dozens of cars from many states and Canada lined the gravel drive that connects the blacktop country road in the small town of Dillwyn, Virginia, with the new seminary of the Society of Saint Pius X on a knoll in the heart of the property. I found an unclaimed spot along a side trail and began to walk myself, joining the faithful young and old on their way to the holy Mass at the head of the day’s events planned to inaugurate the new US headquarters for the mission of forming the priests of the apostolate.




A non-Catholic couple from Farmville, Virginia, stopped and offered me a ride, he a VIP guest from the Chamber of Commerce. I gratefully accepted: my formal shoes ill-suited for the hike still ahead of me along the drive that by turns was muddy. I exited the vehicle before a vast white tent where the pontifical High Mass was already underway, priests hearing confessions on the open ground next to it.

The day’s events

Once inside the tent I found open seating at the front near the SSPX sisters at the temporary altar rails. Over 1,000 intrepid faithful overflowed the tent, some with mud caked on their shoes, eloquent evidence of the difficulties which they are willing to endure for the Faith fed by the Mass of all time. The abundance of families have become no doubt well used to Mass in fields under inclement weather over the years in what has been an often homeless apostolate. The full sunshine on this day, however, promised a natural benediction to accompany the bishop’s sacramental ministry.

The Mass was certainly beautiful, secured as such through faithfulness to the tradition handed down to ensure the worthy praise and honor of God. The seminary schola and servers were alert and attentive soldiers in the army of the Lord, formed now and for the future to fight for His rights as God among men who sometimes fall slack in their loving devotion.

Bishop Fellay’s sermon

In his sermon Bishop Fellay spoke simply and without pretense about the new seminary, the life of seminarians, the mission of the priesthood in the Church for the salvation of souls. Prayer, silence, spiritual reading and detachment from earthly things are among the necessities for men called to priesthood, he reminded us.

Many young people and families from a dozen or more states in the throng are a strong promise for the future. Some queued in the line for the lunch ahead of me had flown from Saint Mary’s, Kansas. European accents were in evidence in accord with the strong international identity of the Society.

The seminary building had only been approved for occupation the previous day and then only with the proviso that a fire truck be standing by at all times. A generous benefactor made even that possible so that the day could proceed as planned.

Lunch took place in the vast refectory under the imposing crucifix as well as on tables set up in courtyard around a water reservoir necessary in case of fires due to seminary’s remote location.

Blessings

The blessing procession began with the bishop and clergy formed up in the small seminary chapel and exiting to meet faithful outside for commencing the litanies and blessing prayers. First the exterior of the building was blessed and then interior, the refectory and the refectory crucifix as we chanted the “Asperges me”. Bronze non-liturgical bells from France were blessed outside and then hung in hallways and classrooms for marking the periods of the seminary day.

The seminary building reminds of a French Romanesque chateau with its rounded corner towers capped by conical roofs. The appointments are spare in favor of quality construction to last for many years in brick, stone, slate and copper. Turkish travertine paving stones will be laid over the cement walks, the heavy wooden doors and banisters were made by seminarians practiced in the carpenter’s trade. These are rendered in a beautiful and loving craftsmanship intended to endure, reflecting both of the beauty of our Creator God through what He has made and His image in man whose skills praise Him.

I met with Bishop Fellay after a tour of the seminary, work on the final finishing details interrupted briefly for the hospitality necessary to serve the day’s numerous guests. Work has progressed enough to allow the worship, prayer and classes to begin. Our conversation was made possible through kindness of the Society’s media relations man and Society priests.

“Almost ready”

I asked the bishop if he had good news to share about the status of the personal prelature rumored to be on offer in Rome in order to integrate the Society fully and permanently into the life of the universal Church. The bishop described the current arrangements as “almost ready” and one of “fine tuning”, his demeanor and expression exuding confidence and serenity. When I asked if the situation was one merely for prayer he was very quick to assert that developments in the canonical proceedings had progressed beyond that point. But, he said, “the problem is not there” but with the matter of Vatican II.

“There’s still some need of clarification.”

He went on to elaborate, however, that the docuмents of Vatican II are at issue, a matter with which many readers are already aware, the remaining sticking points being those docuмents treating religious liberty, ecuмenism and reform of the liturgy. The Society has been very firm and consistent over the years that these teachings are incompatible with the integral tradition of the Church.

The bishop recommended three major interviews given by Abp. Pozzo and published by the French bishops’ newspaper La Croix as a good source for an adequate summary of the current status of talks between the Society and the Holy See because “these give the position of Rome clearly”. The most recent of these was published in July.

The bishop elaborated by describing the talks on the docuмents of Vatican II with Rome as being in a “clarification” stage. He mentioned this as being the case in particular because of the statement by Archbishop Muller that the Society must accept Vatican II, including the portions at issue.

“The Modernists”

The bishop said that “there is a lot of pressure from those which we call the Modernists” to make things impossible when it comes to integrating the Society.

He said that “a certain mentality” is involved here and “you know it can be very difficult to change mentalities”; it is the mentality of a certain generation” and these things “take time”. He said that we must arrive at a point where one can “disagree and still be a Catholic” when it comes to the mentioned points of Vatican II at issue.

It appears Bishop Fellay is prepared to wait if necessary, biding his time though not idle in the least, for the work of the Society continues to grow and flourish. I thanked him for his ministry as bishop and for the beautiful Mass and sermon which began this first day of a new phase in the life of the society.

The men lining up to bolster as priests the already vigorous life of the Society begin formation in the new seminary, prepared for a capacity of 120, are a sign of robust faith. No modernists here.

Yes, only the hope of an impending deal could explain their need for this new seminary.  They believe that there will be a huge increase in numbers once the deal goes through.  Otherwise, Winona was perfectly adequate for the numbers they had (if they had but expanded it a little or put a separate building in for the pre-seminarians).

Yes, only the hope of an impending deal could explain their need for this new seminary.  They believe that there will be a huge increase in numbers once the deal goes through.  Otherwise, Winona was perfectly adequate for the numbers they had (if they had but expanded it a little or put a separate building in for the pre-seminarians).

They might be able to get a brief increase if there was some type of merger/consolidation with the FSSP/ICKSP/Ecclesia Dei. I think this may already be happening as the SSPX has either been closing up shop or decreasing the number of masses were an indult or FSSP mass is available. Like when a rail company merges with another, one of them decreases the use of their line and then abandons it. Perhaps we could call this new organization ConTrad.

I can see also see some type of merger happening because Tradition appears to be stalling, if not decreasing in the First World. It does not see the growth that it did from the 1970's to the 2000's which is probably what Bp. Fellay's and Menzingen's business model is based upon.  

“The Modernists”

The bishop said that “there is a lot of pressure from those which we call the Modernists” to make things impossible when it comes to integrating the Society

This is where the great disconnect occurs for me.  +Fellay indicates that this pressure comes from "modernists,"  who, apparently, want to throw a wrench into the works.  Well, of course it's the "modernists."  +Fellay seems to suggest or imply that these modernists are, perhaps, a phenomenon which arose relatively recently, and against whom the Society has not really been struggling over the last almost 50 years.  It's as if the modernism, which clearly defines the modern church for at least half a century, had not, in his mind, all but engulfed the entire institution years ago, but had come up almost of a sudden.  

The onslaught of Modernism is the very  reason that the Archbishop established a traditional apostolate, and was moved to declare later that the church was no longer Catholic.  +Fellay himself asserted publcly in 2014 that the pope himself is a "genuine modernist."  So what is this man trying to pull? It is impossible to integrate the Society with New Rome, and remain the Society of yore.  He must know this.  But he plunges ahead blindly in the face of the Archbishop's clear warnings and in the face of his own previous positions.

My advice to all of you who still cling desperately to the flotsam and jetsam of the sspx wreck.  Cling rather to Jesus and His Holy Mother.  Only they can save you.