I think some points need clarification in light of some erroneous comments:
1. A superior general has the authority to ask (command) the members of his religious congregation to obey his requests - and yes, this applies even to a bishop. This would even apply if the superior general were a priest and one of the members were a bishop.
2. A bishop can in fact be commanded to cease preaching, either completely or partially. Remember, a bishop receives his mandate to preach the Gospel from the Church, that is, through her ecclesiastical authorities (to whom he swears obedience during his episcopal consecration), either the pope, the metropolitan archbishop, the local ordinary or the superior general of a religious congregation.
3. As we see related in the lives of the saints, sometimes obedience is required even when this is perceived to be a lack of a good - but in reality, it is actually preserving the good.
4. This is an internal issue of the SSPX - thus it is really none of our business. Instead of contributing to the work of the Devil by making absurd speculations and even posting false rumors (which is calumny mind you), we should instead do the work of Heaven and pray for the SSPX, Bishop Fellay and Bishop Williamson. That is the best service we can render to the Church at this moment.
With regard to #2 -- isn't that the same as a suspension?
Didn't Archbishop Lefebvre, (and possibly others in the SSPX) flagrantly violate Rome's "suspension" of his faculties? Because it was unjust; Rome had been taken over by Modernists. So the greater good demanded that this particular bishop continue preaching the Holy Catholic Faith.
The SSPX could easily go astray as well. So although the Traditional movement is legitimate (disobeying the Pope and other superiors in Rome, consecrating bishops without mandate, etc.), Bishop Williamson couldn't do the same thing when a mere BRANCH of the Church gets infiltrated or goes astray?
There are a LOT of things that are normally done, but must be set aside during a time of crisis.
And #3 is very, very dangerous to promote in 2011. Yes, obedience is a great virtue, but if I wholeheartedly took you up on that I might find myself gritting my teeth during Novus Ordo services every Sunday! No thanks.
I suppose God calls some to heroic obedience -- but that doesn't include me (or many others on this board, I imagine) Instead, we're being called to heroic faith, heroic trust/hope, heroic rejection of human respect, heroic sacrifice of the company of friends and even family, sacrifices to attend the Traditional Mass, etc.
Regarding #4 -- what false rumors are you speaking of? I agree that people shouldn't make things up and post it as if true. But I'm going to give the membership here the benefit of the doubt that no one is posting things that he himself knows to be false!
But I disagree that it's an internal issue that doesn't affect us. It affects all Catholics who attend their chapels, and all traditional Catholics in general to a lesser extent. It is most certainly "my business" and "my concern".
And I agree that prayer is advisable, but keep in mind that there is a time to pray, and a time to fight. (I suppose there is also a time to do both!)
Topic: Letter from Bishop Fellay to Bishop Williamson (Read 35900 times)