September 24-28 2012 > SSPX denounces Williamson SSPX denounces Williamson Published: September 24, 2012 Bishop Richard Williamson of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) has been denounced by the group after administering the sacrament of Confirmation to nearly 100 lay Catholics in Brazil without the approval of his own breakaway society, reports The Tablet. The celebration took place in Nova Friburgo town, Rio de Janeiro state, at the end of August and was organised by the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross. On the SSPX's website on September 6, Fr Christian Bouchacourt, the group's district superior of South America, denounced the bishop's behaviour as "a serious act against the virtue of obedience" and "an attack upon the most elementary demands of courtesy". STORY SSPX denounces Williamson (Tablet)
Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and co-consecrated by Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer on June 30, 1988, in Écône, Switzerland, for the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) has been removed from membership in said society by its Superior General, and can now be considered a former member. The removal comes at the end of an internal procedure that included repeated entreaties by the higher authorities of the Society regarding Williamson's decisions and actions that apparently went unheeded. [Update - Oct. 24, 0645 GMT] Communiqué of the General House of the Society of Saint Pius X (October 24, 2012) Bishop Richard Williamson, having distanced himself from the management and the government of the SSPX for several years, and refusing to show due respect and obedience to his lawful superiors, was declared excluded from the SSPX by decision of the Superior General and its Council, on October 4th, 2012. A final deadline had been granted to him to declare his submission, after which he announced the publication of an “open letter” asking the Superior General to resign. This painful decision has become necessary by concern for the common good of the Society of Saint Pius X and its good government, according to what Archbishop Lefebvre denounced: “This is the destruction of authority. How authority can be exercised if it needs to ask all members to participate in the exercise of authority?“(Ecône, June 29, 1987) Menzingen, October 24th, 2012(From Rorate Caeli Blog)
What did they expect? They were all disobedient in breaking away from Rome so did they really believe that they would remain obedient to each other? Where will this priest now go? Will he now set up a new church?
This decision is clear enougth and confirm the wish of Mrg Fellay to join back Rome as soon as possible due to the Pope health, a new Pope could not have the same wish as the current Pope but it's my own opinion only. PS : For your information, Bishop Williamson was a faithul of Garabandal and went to the village many times. Aviso
He still broke away from the Catholic Church. Ok, now I am going to say something. I actually believe in the events of Garabandal. But it is not the be all and end all of everything and it doesn't declare a person a saint if they go there. Christ established our Church, this is what actually counts. Christ established the Sacraments in our Church. Mother Mary even is obedient to priests, which is one of the things that make her so remarkable. I don't care if this person had tea with the queen! He still broke away from The Seat of Peter.
Mary's child. Thanks for the welcome back. I always think that what happened after the reformation (and the numerous splits in theological thinking that came after) should have been seen as a warning to all religious in our own times. Eventually, when you disobey the Church and take others with you, they will in turn disobey you. the SSPX could be seen as a Protestant sect and they have a choice now - either to rturn to the Church or to accept more numerous splits among their own followers.
Mary's Child, you said something that is so true. Mother Mary does believe in obedience to priests and Bishops. If this doesn't happen something is terribly wrong. We must obey the church above anything. Mary even said to the children of Garabandal "you must obey your parents even before me."
I recognise everything that is wrong with disobedience etc. But I feel one should listen to Bishop Williamson even while desperately clinging to stay in the barque of Peter. I have only listened to part 1 and part 2 of this series but my soul is singing as I listen. Bishop Williamson recognises that the Pope and Bishops of Rome do have legitimate authority but that they are not exercising it properly and are refusing the graces constantly flowing to them. He says in part 2 at 1:15:30 that "the 'Resistance' (or 'Fidelity' in France) may be a sorry affair but has to exist and it is existing and God is maintaining it against all the odds". He recognises that some priests/Bishops in the SSPX/Resistance may go 'crazy' and either become Sedevacantists or return to Liberalism and Modernism. But this is because of the great strain placed on them by not having a proper authority above them and having to go against the legitimate authority of the Pope and Bishops of Rome who refuse to exercise their authority in the proper way. It all makes sense to me even if staying in the barque of Peter and the Novus Ordo becomes an act of humility and a holding of logical opposites in a kind of oxymoronic close embrace. It is noticeable that Bishop Williamson says the two rites, the Novus Ordo and the Tradotional are indicative of two different religions! That they cannot be mixed - just like oil and water. I am not saying that one should follow him out of the Church into the SSPX and out of the SSPX into the Resistance. Neither do I want to get into a discussion about holocaust denial etc. However, given all I am seeing and hearing and learning on this forum, I see unmistakeable congruence and alignment with what Bishop Williamson is saying here - at least in these first two episodes with Peter Gumley.
What is The Resistance? I am not familiar with it. Is that where he is going? He has been a major spokesman for SSPX these many years....strange.
I will have to read up more but I understand Bishop Williamson left the SSPX to set up the Resistance. They have a base in Cork, Ireland as well as other places. I understand he is a very controversial figure but so far everything he says resonates with me. https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/sspx-falsely-accused-resistance-what-1672 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Williamson_(bishop)
Bishop Williamson was “excluded” from the SSPX in 2012 for insubordination to superiors. He also spoke against Pope Benedict and Bishop Fellay, who is an SSPX bishop. I would steer as clear as I can from him and the Resistance even though some of their viewpoints might sound plausible. edit: mixing politics and religion? Imho
In the same way we could stay clear from the majority of Bishops and Cardinals in the Church complicit in their silence at the ongoing apostacy in the Church and failing to preach the truth. The poison of modernism has so infected the Church, only the direct intervention of God can fix this sinking ship. Unfortunately Williamson jumped ship. But we are left clinging onto life rafts as the ship is taking in too much water under this pontificate. The captain at the helm has left me sea sick.
