I know this topic was already started by another esteemed member, but I think this analysis, received today from Fr. Girouard, should not be "buried" amongst a number of other replies to the first thread. So I started this new one here. I hope people will not mind. This is what Father sent people on his email list:

A Novelty in the SSPX Structure: The General Councillors
by Fr. Patrick Girouard | Jul 20, 2018

Dear faithful,

I have learned on Cathinfo, (and checked on DICI and it is confirmed by them today), that the General Chapter of the SSPX has created two new high-echelon administrative posts to its managerial structure. Indeed, the Chapter has instituted the function of “General Councillor”, to be exercised by two SSPX members elected by the Chapter. Their official duty is to assist the General Superior (and his two Assistants) in the daily administration of the Society. They will be part of the General Council.

Now, this is a novelty for the Society. Indeed, I looked back at my copy of the SSPX Statutes, and it is very clear that its General Council is traditionally composed of the General Superior and his two General Assistants. So now, with this new creation, the Council will have five members instead of three.

While it is entirely within the powers of the General Chapter to make such a change to the Statutes, such a move, at such a period in the history of the Society, raises some serious questions. This is amplified by the fact that the two officials elected by the Chapter to fill the new positions are none others than Bishop Bernard Fellay, and Fr. Franz Schmidberger!

Those familiar with the liberal route adopted officially by the Society since 2012, at its latest General Chapter, and unofficially since the approval of the GREC in 1997 by Bishop Fellay, will immediately see the importance of these two factors. (For those who do not know, the GREC was a group formed of SSPX and Indult and Novus Ordo priests, created for the purpose of effecting a reconciliation between non-converted Rome and the SSPX).

Indeed, the creation of these two positions, and the nomination of these two officials to fill them, cannot signify anything else but an intensification of the efforts by the General Chapter to have the Society reach an official agreement with non-converted Rome.

And I reach this conclusion for a few reasons:

1-The development of the Society since the last Chapter (2012) is not such that the usual General Council needs to have two additional members to run the Society in its day-to-day operation.

2-The original Statutes already provide the former General Council with the mechanisms ensuring it could get additional, and temporary, help from any other member of the Society, whenever it feels it needs it. This was done, for instance, at the October 2011 meeting of the Major Superiors in Albano, which gathered up to study the propositions made by Rome the month before. Such mechanisms are well spelled out in the old SSPX Statutes. Therefore, there was no need to create these two new positions, unless…

3-The two persons chosen to be the first General Councillors have both had frequent and important meetings with Roman Officials, sometimes even with Popes, during the time they were General Superiors (1982-1994 / 1994-2018). It is therefore a prudent assumption to think that they have been elected by the Chapter BECAUSE they had such a vast experience in dealing with Modern Rome, and BECAUSE their position in favor of such an agreement is well docuмented.

4-This being said, I think it is not far-fetched to believe that these two new positions were, in fact, CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR THESE TWO PEOPLE, so that they could work “behind-the-scenes” with Roman dignitaries, while having some level of official credibility in the eyes of Rome. Thus these two General Councillors could be used by the General Superior as a “Special Committee” charged with doing the ground work for preparing an agreement with Rome.

5-While this “Special Committee” would work behind the scenes with Roman officials, the General Superior himself, and his two General Assistants, could keep their official distance from such negotiations. Thus they could, if necessary, invoke a “plausible denial” when faced with uncomfortable questioning regarding the relations of the Society with Rome.

In other words: Such a change to the Statutes of the Society is a clear indicator that the General Chapter “means business” with the issue of an agreement with non-converted Rome. The Major Superiors have learned the hard way that such a move had to be done with the best tools available, and not hapharzadly like before. They seem to have realized that the original Statutes defining the administrative mechanisms of the Society were not adapted to the requirements of achieving a deal with Rome. Indeed, the tumults experienced since 2012 showed them that such negotiations had to be done more “prudently”, in order to avoid an open resistance from the Society’s rank-and-file members. Therefore, they changed the Statutes, and chose Bp. Fellay and Fr. Schmidberger to fill the new positions.

This is nothing else than a deliberate blinding of the intellect and hardening of the heart. Indeed, instead of listening to the serious and compelling arguments of the Resistance against an agreement with non-converted Rome, the General Chapter has decided to change the Statutes so as to get such an official “recognition” from Rome. Let us hope that this imitation of Pharao’s obstinacy will not bring upon the Society the Plagues God had sent to Egypt!

Let us continue to pray and sacrifice! Only God can save us!

Fr. Girouard

I have learned on Cathinfo, (and checked on DICI and it is confirmed by them today), that the General Chapter of the SSPX has created two new high-echelon administrative posts to its managerial structure. Indeed, the Chapter has instituted the function of “General Councillor”, to be exercised by two SSPX members elected by the Chapter. Their official duty is to assist the General Superior (and his two Assistants) in the daily administration of the Society. They will be part of the General Council.

Now, this is a novelty for the Society. Indeed, I looked back at my copy of the SSPX Statutes, and it is very clear that its General Council is traditionally composed of the General Superior and his two General Assistants. So now, with this new creation, the Council will have five members instead of three.

No doubt it was advise from the Dictator Pope who concocted his own Council of Cardinal Advisers (C9) to wreak havoc.

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As my grandmother would have said (bless her soul!) -- "Oh, dear me!" 
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If it were not for Fr. Girouard's clearsighted outlook we'd be lost in the fog.
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Like I said on the "other thread," I hope his regular faithful appreciate the treasure they have right before them.
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4-This being said, I think it is not far-fetched to believe that these two new positions were, in fact, CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR THESE TWO PEOPLE, so that they could work “behind-the-scenes” with Roman dignitaries, while having some level of official credibility in the eyes of Rome. Thus these two General Councillors could be used by the General Superior as a “Special Committee” charged with doing the ground work for preparing an agreement with Rome.

5-While this “Special Committee” would work behind the scenes with Roman officials, the General Superior himself, and his two General Assistants, could keep their official distance from such negotiations. Thus they could, if necessary, invoke a “plausible denial” when faced with uncomfortable questioning regarding the relations of the Society with Rome.

In other words: Such a change to the Statutes of the Society is a clear indicator that the General Chapter “means business” with the issue of an agreement with non-converted Rome. The Major Superiors have learned the hard way that such a move had to be done with the best tools available, and not hapharzadly like before. They seem to have realized that the original Statutes defining the administrative mechanisms of the Society were not adapted to the requirements of achieving a deal with Rome. Indeed, the tumults experienced since 2012 showed them that such negotiations had to be done more “prudently”, in order to avoid an open resistance from the Society’s rank-and-file members. Therefore, they changed the Statutes, and chose Bp. Fellay and Fr. Schmidberger to fill the new positions.

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Things to remember: 
The new posts in the neo-SSPX were custom-made for Fr. Schmidberger and +Fellay.
Just like they did with GREC, 20 years ago, this rapprochement is being done "discreetly" behind the scenes. 
  -- (Fr. Girouard hesitates to use French words like rapprochement, but I think this is the right time!)
Now they can effectively go about it with, "Let's not, and say we did," but just the opposite: Plausible Deniability.
Now the General Chapter "means business" with rapproachement with unconverted Rome.
Since the Statutes themselves made rapprochment difficult, the answer was simple: Change the Statutes! So they did!
The rise of the Resistance since 2012 shall thereby be quashed and the XSPX can make great strides with their "deal with Newrome."
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Kyrie eleison.

A good assessment by Fr. Girouard regarding the situation with the two new positions in the SSPX. These two quotes stood out for me:

As Fr. Girouard says,.... "it's not far-fetched to believe that the two new positions were, in fact, CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR THESE TWO PEOPLE, so that they could work "behind-the-scenes" with Roman dignitaries, while having some level of credibility with Rome."

Fr. Girouard also says that..."They seem to have realized that the original statutes defining the administrative mechanisms of the Society were not adapted to the requirements of achieving a deal with Rome. Indeed, the tumults experienced since 2012 showed them that such negotiations had to be done more "prudently," in order to avoid an open resistance from the Society's rank-and-file members. Therefore, they changed the statutes, and chose Bp. Fellay and Fr. Schmidberger to fill the new positions."

IMO, even though the SSPX will likely now try to work on the sly for a reconciliation with unconverted Rome, hopefully the actions and meetings that Bp Fellay and Fr. Schmidberger will have with Roman officials will be made known to the members of the SSPX. I don't see how they'll be able to keep their meetings with Rome a secret, though I suppose it's possible.

I don’t think there is any need for Menzingen to keep their “discrete but not secret” accordist dealings with Rome
strictly confidential anymore:

The clergy of the SSPX have shown a tremendous capacity to ignore what info is passed on to them from the district superiors, through the priors.

For example: It was known by SSPX clergy that Fr. Angles was in Rome for an extended period, working with them to find the “acceptable formula” for the marriage issue (a formula which more or less reaffirms and accepts the invalidity of SSPX marriages, and acknowledges supplied jurisdiction does not apply, despite lip service to the contrary).

But the few who made any public show of disapproval demonstrated by the acceptance of their various punishments that they are all going to accept whatever Menzingen decides, regardless of what it is.

Menzingen knows this.

The only threat to them is now ad extra: The fence-sitting religious (eg., Morgan and Bellaigue) and the faithful.

But the SSPX clergy are generally good for nothing anymore except saying Mass and hearing confessions, and other things their conciliar brothers do.

But they have all accepted a severe constriction of their apostolates, and the crisis in the Church is persona non grata to them, even if they refer to it occasionally while speaking on some other subject.

Menzingen has nothing to fear from its own troops discovering its machinations.