Donald Jenkins - Latest Comments in The four traditionalist bishops: were they ever validly excommunicated?

Re: The four traditionalist bishops: were they ever validly excommunicated?

Donald Jenkins — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:53:10 -0000

Update: Mgr Fellay, Superior General of the SSPX, in an interview with Genevan newspaper Le Temps, has distanced himself from Mgr Williamson:

- Do you condemn the negationist declarations of Bishop Williamson?

- [Fellay:] It does not belong to me to condemn them. I do not have the competence for this. But I deplore that a Bishop may have given the impression of involving the Fraternity with a view that is not ours.

Re: The four traditionalist bishops: were they ever validly excommunicated?

Donald Jenkins — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:55:19 -0000

@John from Atlanta: You have a point about the dichotomy between the two decisions (1988 and 2009). But neither decision was made for political reasons. Indeed, the Holy See's position in 1988 was that the decision was not its own to take, since the bishops would have become excommunicate ipso facto, entirely by their own doing.

In reality, the double standard applied to the Chinese Patriotic Church after 1951 and to the SSPX many years later shows that the John Paul II's Holy See was being slightly disingenuous. Ultimately, the grounds invoked were disciplinary (lack of submission to the Pope) rather than theological, and in the matter of discipline there is rather more room for flexibility. Put otherwise, times have changed and by 2009 it was obvious that the disciplinary perspective has shifted dramatically.

Regarding Mgr Williamson's views, I was not suggesting they should be brushed under the carpet. Being a negationist is neither grounds for being excommunicated, nor even—we don't like it, but it's the legal position—a justifiable reason for subsequently remaining excommunicate if one has already been for other, theological or disciplinary, reasons. It's a completely separate, unrelated issue. On the other hand, it is certainly unacceptable for anyone in a position of authority, especially moral authority. So it is to be hoped that the SSPX, which has already expressed its displeasure, and possibly the German courts, since Mgr Williamson's latest comments appear to have been recorded in Germany where such comments are against the law, will take the appropriate action.

Re: The four traditionalist bishops: were they ever validly excommunicated?

John from Atlanta — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:36:44 -0000

Three things are concerning about Pope Benedict XVI's decision to re-instate these men. First, as a group they have been openly atagonistic to the changes brought about by Vactican II. Since these men have not been required to repudiate their prior statements regarding Vactican II should the laity infer that the current Pope is equally antagonistic to these changes?

Second, the dramatic reversal of this decision in such a short time frame (20 years) is disturbing. Either Pope John Paul II was wrong to excommunicate these men or Pope Benedict is wrong to reinstate them. There is no middle ground here. The lack of any theological explanation leaves the laity with the strong impression that this decision was made for political reasons.

Third, Richard Williamson views are indeed relevant. The Church should be collectively embarrassed that a nutter like this was allowed to reach a position of leadership in the first place. We finally get rid of the guy (though I agree his excommunication was not principally due to his anti-Simitic views), we should at least have the common sense and decency not to allow him back into the Church.

Re: The four traditionalist bishops: were they ever validly excommunicated?

jonnybullet — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:05:09 -0000

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