Conciliar maneuvers against the FSSP in Dijon, France

[Stone]

June 17, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — After the sudden and unexplained eviction of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) from the archdiocese of Dijon, in Burgundy, France, the archdiocese’s website published a statement this Thursday giving the reasons for the move. Under the title: “To put things back into perspective,” the unsigned communiqué accuses the FSSP of being responsible for the break that has led local Archbishop Roland Minnerath to drive the traditional fraternity from its apostolate in Dijon as of August 31.

Several realities and attitudes are held against the priests of the FSSP: their refusal to concelebrate occasionally within the diocese in the Novus Ordo, and the functioning of the apostolate as a “quasi-parish,” with an “exclusive rite” and the offering of services, including catechesis and activities for the young, to faithful who are still “part of their territorial parish.”

The unsigned statement recalls how the apostolate of the Basilica of Saint-Bernard, in Dijon, originated 23 years ago in 1998 under the condition that “the priest of the Fraternity” should also “concelebrate now and again with the other priests so that there would be no watertight separation between the two rites.”

Already in 2007 (when the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum was published), the diocese decided it wanted to take over the celebration of the “old rite,” but this finally did not happen and the Fraternity was allowed to send another priest to Dijon: the diocese made “occasional concelebration” with his diocesan confreres a condition for the FSSP to remain.

Father Garban of the FSSP accepted this condition and remained until 2016.

Since then, the priests named by the FSSP have refused to concelebrate, which is presented by the diocese as the refusal of a “gesture of sacramental and priestly communion,” suggesting that a “parallel community” of faithful has been created.

An interesting question arises reading this. If these FSSP priests are correct and right and justified in refusing to say the New Mass, as most traditionalists would agree - then where does that leave Bishop Williamson? Did he not say that:

· The new religion can build your Faith. 

· Attending the New Mass can build your Faith. 

· Do whatever you think you need to do to keep the Faith, which can include attending the Novus Ordo Mass.

· If you attend the Novus Ordo Mass you have to be careful, but you can find the grace of God there and sanctify your soul. 

· Not everyone needs to avoid the Novus Ordo Mass. 

· Attending the Novus Ordo may do more good than harm spiritually.

· Not every priest needs to leave the Conciliar church or stop saying the Novus Ordo Mass. 


According to these unretracted lines of reasoning, there is absolutely zero need for the FSSP priests to refuse to say the New Mass! After all, it can 'build the faith' of the laity, it 'may do more good than harm spiritually', etc.! Why should the FSSP priests risk getting kicked out if what Bishop Williamson preaches is correct about the New Mass?

Just food for thought...