It is, dear reader, totally irrelevant whether the 'doctrinal declaration' was 'withdrawn' or not. As the young lady said on "My Cousin Vinny", the question cannot be answered-- it is a trick question!
How is it possible to 'withdraw' your 'profession of faith' which you gave at confirmation? How is it possible to withdraw your "I do" given at your wedding? How is it possible for the Godparents to withdraw the promises and attestations made at your baptism?
These are statements of faith. These are statements which declare, plainly, that
"this, I believe." Would you have been lying at your Confirmation? Would you have told a false hood to begin your married life? Would your Godparents have deceived the priest, and the Church , to become a Catholic? Of course not!
Bishop Fellay wrote, in hard copy, "this I promise-- this I believe!" He then committed the entire SSPX to the set of beliefs he stated. He made absolutely no
reservations-- mental or otherwise. He was communicating with whom he believed was the Vicar of Jesus Christ Himself!. And he followed up his declaration with a personal letter stating that, but for some traditionalist recalcitrants in the SSPX, he would give Jesus Christ everything that Benedict had asked for!
Such statements cannot be withdrawn. Only by admitting error and adherence to a false religion, by publicly condemning the false sect and stating clearly that one denies and abhors such false teachings and anti-Catholic beliefs as are in the establishment church, can there even be contemplated a repudiation of the doctrinal declaration and his "private " letter.
All of Bishops Fellay's efforts to trick the traditionalists into thinking he 'withdrew' the declaration are solely to hang onto the donation stream and his precarious position as Superior.
Topic: Has the Doctrinal Declaration been retracted yet? (Read 1920 times)