I have said repeatedly that I did not agree with the SSPX position regarding their canonical status and authority.  I still agree with that position. However, I thought I might write about a third way, between outright shunning the SSPX, something that I have never advocated, and giving them a blank check to ministry within the Church.  Clearly there are doctrinal issues to be worked out. Both Bishop Fellay and His Holiness have confirmed as much in their own statements, however much they disagree in the consequences of those disagreements. There are also disagreements about the legitimacy of their prior actions.  Neither of these, in my mind, merit the outright paralysis of the SSPX community.

So, here are my general thoughts. First of all, why are the German bishops trying to mess up the discussions that principally concern the Holy See and the SSPX by threats to impose additional penalties? The only other possible concern this could have to the faithful is the impact of the SSPX on those who are already inclined to attend the Usus Antiquior, and I am almost certain that neither the Institute of Christ the King, nor the Fraternity of St. Peter, nor almost any group attached to the Old Mass would favor additional penalties being waged against the fraternity, nor would they be of the opinion that such penalties favored their particular ministries in the Church.  Let's go with the experts here.  Moreover, such penalties could cause greater resentment to the ordinary processes of the Church, a sentiment already held by many SSPX priests, and thus minimize the chances of a succesful reintegration of the SSPX into the universal ministry of the Church. (I am increasingly thinking that the term 'reintegrate' is more appropriate than 'reconcile' because, although there is little reason to think that the ministry of the SSPX is contrary to the universal ministry of the Catholic Church, there is some reason to think that the ministry of the SSPX is not being included, canonically, in the universal ministry of the Catholic Church. Think of it as a musician playing off-cue.) I feel that some sort of moratorium ought to be placed on penalties against the SSPX.

Another step towards actual reconciliation (in this case, reconciliation of hearts and minds between the SSPX and the Catholic hierarchy) might be to provide some sort of relief to the hundreds of SSPX priests who are, by canon law, suspended a divinis so that they could exercise, rather, a limited ministry within the Church. My suggestion would be to limit priestly activities of the SSPX to their own chapels and to convents of nuns who would otherwise lack sacramental ministry, providing them an indult to celebrate the sacrament of confession for those who frequent their chapels, but preventing them from celebrating the sacrament of Holy Matrimony and the rites of initiation, the former positively forbidden and the latter forbidden except in situations where there is danger of death.  Perhaps there could also be a certain tolerance for the ongoing priestly ordinations, but ZERO tolerance for any episcopal consecrations. It strikes me that the above restrictions would allow the talks to go on with the minimum possible animosity.

But surely something could be demanded on the part of the SSPX? I would say agreement to adhere to the liturgical norms and restrictions of Summorum Pontificum, and a positive statement of their intention not to preach against the Holy See or against attending chapels/churches/oratories which have canonical good standing with the Church. In other words, reciprocity.

In other words, given the atmosphere of greater understanding that has followed since the lifting of the excommunications against the bishops of the SSPX,  is there not at least some justification for providing an atmosphere of tolerance while negotiations continue? This makes sense to me.