June 17
St. Joseph Cafasso (Italy, 1811-1860)
Confessor, 'Priest of the Gallows'
OR today.
Illustration. The 'mandylion' (Veronica's veil), 12th-century icon.
No papal news in this issue outside of announcements. Page 1 stories are on the Iran post-election protests;
the creation of BRIC, an economic union among Brazil, Russia, India and China to promote the interests of
the emerging large economies against the established ones; Moscow and Washington discuss what to do about
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and a teaser on the most interesting story on religion in the issue:
"The mysterious idol that gave strength to the Knights Templar", a story about how they came into possession
in the Middle Ages of what is thought to be the Holy Shroud.
THE POPE'S DAY
General Audience today - The Holy Father's catechesis was on the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius,
co-Patrons of Europe, who evangelized the Slavs.
VATICAN CLARIFICATION ON
FSSPX ORDINATIONS
Here is a translation of a communique from the Vatican Press Office today:
In response to frequent questions these days regarding the priestly ordinations of the Fraternity of St. Pius X scheduled for the end of June, we refer to what the Holy Father said in his Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church last March 10:
As long as the Society does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church... Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers – even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty – do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.
The ordinations are therefore still considered illegitimate.
Int he same letter, the Pope announced his intention for a new status of the Ecclesia Dei Commission which will be attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
There is reason to believe that the definition of this new status is imminent. This will constitute the premise for opening dialog with the responsible officials of the FSSPX towards the desired clarification of doctrinal questions - and any consequent disciplinary questions - which remain open.
[In other words, nothing has changed yet. The FSSPX will continue their ordinations, knowing full well the canonical consequences, as they have for the past 22 years. And the Vatican has not prohibited them from going on, nor has it threatened a new excommunication as the German bishops did!]
The Vatican Press Office also finally released online yesterday's communique about the meetings between the Holy Father, leading members of the Roman Curia, and five bishops from Austria.
It is as reported by ZENIT yesterday, which apparently used the German text release for its story.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 17/06/2009 16:32]