Vatican willing to wait for response from SSPX
CWN - October 29, 2012
The Vatican has indicated that it has not yet received a formal response from the Society of St. Pius X to an offer of reconciliation, and is willing to wait.
The Ecclesia Dei commission, which has been coordinating talks with the traditionalist group, announced on October 29 that the SSPX "had indicated that additional time for reflection and study is needed on their part as they prepare their response to the Holy See's latest initiatives."
Rumors have circulated during the month of October that the doctrinal discussions between the SSPX and the Vatican, aimed at bringing the traditionalist group back into full communion with the Holy See, had broken down irreparably. But the October 29 statement indicated that "the Holy See is awaiting the official response" of the SSPX to a concrete offer.
The Ecclesia Dei Commission indicated that there is no rush to conclude the talks. "After thirty years of separation, it is understandable that time is needed to absorb the significance of these recent developments," the October 29 statement observed. The Vatican statement suggested a willingness to allow SSPX leaders to deal with internal disputes before making a final answer to the Vatican offer.
The Vatican statement reiterated that Pope Benedict XVI is anxious to end the split with the SSPX. The Pope's approach, the statement said, is a "dramatic manifestation" of the Petrine office to serve the cause of unity within the Church, for which "patience, serenity, perseverance and trust are needed."
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