De Mattei: Any Bishop Could Claim a Right to Consecrate Bishops in a Crisis
Italian historian Roberto de Mattei reflected on the announced episcopal consecrations by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) in an article published on CorrispondenzaRomana.it on June 24.
"State of Necessity" Cannot Be Self-Judged
For De Mattei, the state of necessity argument is simultaneously "the weakest and the strongest argument".
His question is: "Who has the authority to verify the existence of such a state and determine its beginning and end?"
He argues that if the FSSPX can independently determine when a state of necessity exists, then it also implicitly claims the authority to determine when that state ends.
That would place the FSSPX in a position of judging the Holy See rather than being judged by it.
De Mattei acknowledges that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was not a speculative theologian or canonist, but a pastor of souls: "The decisive criterion for him was not the assertion of a right proper to the FSSPX, but the spiritual need of the faithful."
Can Any Bishop …More
I have heard of crazy consecrations in a place called China which have never been justified publicly. At all.
Do not lose sight of the fact that Roberto de Matteo is an historian, not a theologian. He actually has no training in theology.
He is a skillful writer, and often writes about the Catholic Church. But to give even a moment of thought to his representations about his opinion on the actions of the FSSPX would be very foolish.
The SSPX is not "self judging" the state of necessity. When Pope Leo XIV said that the SSPX's adherence to 20 church councils was a problem because, "they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the church," he admits that neither he nor the church he leads holds to the faith of those 20 councils, commonly known as the Apostolic faith. Thus, it is necessary to consecrate bishops nominated by those continuing to hold the Apostolic faith.
We are very blessed that the Pope has made it clear that there is a schism of the Synodal Church from the Apostolic Faith. A declaration of excommunication would only make formal what Archbishop Lefebvre said at the outset, Vatican II was the intiation of a new faith.