Bergoglio met with Bishop Fellay on April Fools Day?

So...  Is this Bergoglio playing to April Fools on Bishop Fellay or is it Bergoglio and Bishop Fellay playing the April Fools on all the SSPX faithful?

Francis meets traditionalist Society of St. Pius X leader, who seeks ‘full communion’ definition

In a recent interview Bishop Bernard Fellay said he thinks Francis may consider his group as existing on the “periphery” and thus needing to be accompanied back to the Church. Francis had indicated a move toward unity between the wider Church and the traditionalist society with the opening of the ongoing Jubilee year of mercy last fall

04/04/2016

JOSHUA MCELWEE

VATICAN CITY


Pope Francis has met with the leader of a traditionalist group of Catholic bishops and priests who have been separated from the wider church for decades in opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the Vatican has confirmed.
 The pontiff met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, Vatican press office deputy director Gregory Burke told journalists Monday. The Society said Francis and Fellay had met the afternoon of Friday, April 1.
Founded by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, the Society widely rejects the teachings of the Council, a 1962-65 gathering of the world’s Catholic bishops that led to large reforms in the Church’s liturgy and its stance towards the world.

Pope Benedict XVI had sought to repair relations with the group, lifting the excommunications of four of their bishops in 2009. Those efforts ultimately failed when Fellay rejected a doctrinal statement drafted by the Vatican for the group to sign.

In a recent interview posted on the Society’s website, Fellay said he thinks Francis may consider his group as existing on the “periphery” and thus needing to be accompanied back to the Church.

“[The Pope] uses the expression ‘walk forward’ with people on the periphery, hoping to manage to improve things,” said Fellay. “Therefore it is not a fixed decision to succeed immediately: a development, a walk, goes wherever it goes.”

“It is clear that Pope Francis wants to let us live and survive,” the bishop continued. “He even said to anyone who cares to listen that he would never do the Society any harm.”

Francis had indicated a move toward unity between the wider Church and the traditionalist society with the opening of the ongoing Jubilee year of mercy last fall.

In a September letter to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which is organizing the holy year on his behalf, he explained that members of the society would be granted faculties during the year to offer absolution of sins "validly and licitly" to those who approach them for confession.  

"This Jubilee Year of Mercy excludes no one,” the Pontiff said then. "I trust that in the near future solutions may be found to recover full communion with the priests and superiors of the Fraternity.”
In his recent interview, Fellay said he and the society were seeking to have “a clear definition sometime of this term ‘full communion.’”

Italian newspaper Il Foglio cited sources who said the meeting between Francis and Fellay Saturday “was positive” and that the “understanding is good” between the two leaders.

Outside of the faculties granted during the Jubilee year, members of the traditionalist Society are considered not to be in full communion with Rome and, in normal circuмstances, its priests and bishops cannot exercise Roman Catholic ministry.
 
[Joshua J. McElwee is Vatican Correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.]

Well what do you know -- Bishop Fellay is working towards an agreement with Rome.

The Resistance was right.

Unfortunately the goal posts have moved so much that this won't make the impression it should. Listening to most (or the vocal ones anyway), they have forgotten the argument used to be:

Resistance: "+Fellay is working towards a deal"
SSPX: "No he isn't!"

NOW:

Resistance: "+Fellay is working towards a deal"
SSPX: "Yes, Rome will take us as we are!"

In the past several years they have very successfully changed the mindset of the SSPX masses by inserting this half-way argument that people parroted without noticing how contrary it was. "+Fellay is not working towards a deal, but if he were..."

(only he has the grace and we have to be obedient and prudent etc...etc...etc...)

It's like watching a real life psychological thriller. Most won't notice that the SSPX has already changed. At one time they would never have tolerated such vague and ambiguous language. What does "as we are" even mean? None of this language or attitude fights for the RIGHT of the Latin Mass and Tradition to be restored or the OBLIGATION Rome has to renounce the errors of VII . The SSPX comes off as the red-headed step-child who, in the spirit of "ecuмenism", must be given at least a few table scraps.

After all everyone is important. *wink wink*

It always spoke volumes that Rome accepted everyone but traditionalists and someone finally got wise to it. By demarginalizing the SSPX they also stop highlighting what's different and important about it. They take away the SSPX's LOUD and dissenting voice. The SSPX becomes just another organization, (albeit a temporarily flattered one). The focus shifts from what the SSPX stands for as being irreconcilable with Modernist Rome to the people of SSPX just getting along. From God and His rights to me and my rights (to be recognized). Very intelligent move, very strategic move, and no one can argue against it without looking like they hate +Fellay and the SSPX.

"A walk goes wherever it goes"   I am really hoping they speak more profoundly than these flowery pleasantries that mean nothing. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt but I don't understand why the meat of the discussions is always withheld. Is there no meat to present?? We are given no real clue as to what we are supposed to be trusting. A walk that goes where it goes and a Modernist Rome that doesn't want to hurt the SSPX. Yeah...ok.

Sounds like history repeating, St. Thomas Moore and Saint John Fisher all over again.

Let's hope no one gets beheaded this time.