Two sides to every story?

Dear (lay-person wondering if they can go to a Non-Diocesan Catholic Church) ,

I passed your email on to Fr. ______, the chancellor for our diocese, requesting him to explain where Fr. (in question) stands regarding his position in the Catholic Church.

I’m sending you his response so that you have the full picture. A “celebret” is a document (The Latin means “He may celebrate [the Mass]”) that is valid only for one year as Fr. [chancellor] explains.

I hope this helps.

Bishop _____

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Bishop,

At [the vocation director's] request, because of the prospective seminarian from UNF who attends [the chapel in question,] only last week I checked with the Diocese of Scranton where Fr [in question] is incardinated.*1 I was told that he holds a celebret directly from the Ecclesia Dei Commission, and that, by decree of that Commission he is incardinated into the Diocese of Scranton. The date of that celebret would apparently be sometime in 2001 or 2002.

From the chancellor of the Scranton diocese I have the following information -

1. His incardination into the Scranton diocese was, indeed, directed by the Ecclesia Dei Commission

2. He does hold a celebret from that commission, but as celebrets are supposedly good only for about 1 year*2 (according to the Code), it would be out of date now

3. Fr [In question] does NOT have any faculties from the Diocese of Scranton. He was described by the chancellor there as very disobedient.*3

4. ...Unless there is some sort of papal decree placing that parish directly under the Holy See, or within some other ecclesiastical conscription,*4 it is not possible to be in communion with the Bishop of Rome (who they may say they recognize), but not in communion with the Bishop of (our diocese)!

As I understand it, if someone knows of the situation (and I understand that a few there do not) it would be gravely sinful to satisfy their Sunday obligation *5 by attending Mass at [the chapel in question.]

Fr. Chancellor
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okay...

This looks pretty scary at first. Lets take it step by step.

#1 The priest in question is under another bishop of another diocese.

#2 I know that local sees update their priests' celebrets every year. However, The priest in question got one from Rome in 2001 and did not get another from Rome for 3 years when he was incardinated. All while he was in "good standing." If all celebrets are only good for a year, he was saying Mass illicitly for two years under the care of Ecclesia Dei. And they didn't seem to mind.

#3 That is correct. The priest in question does not have all of his faculties. He claims they were taken away unjustly and appeals to the law "ecclesia suppelit" He is seen as disobedient , however has never been suspended. (I asked him once if his bishop called him to return home for a meeting, would he go. He said he would out of obedience. But I have a feeling at that time, there would be a line drawn in the sand, and he would be suspended, and be in the boat of all the other Society priests.

#4 Speaking of Society priests, he has "friends" status with the society. He is not independent, he is under the wing of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X. Although,the SSPX may not officially be a "ecclesiastical conscription," Rome sure does deal with them like they are.
"The situation of the members of this Society is an internal matter of the Catholic Church. The Society is not another Church or Ecclasial Community in the meaning used in the Directory." -Cardinal Edward Cassidy on May 3, 1994.

#5 The official word from this diocese must be readdressed. "As he understands it", the Lord Chancellor does not have all the information needed to make this judgement.
"You may fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the Society of St. Pius X" (letter, January 18, 2003.) (one of many found on the internet.)

Because Christ set up the Church, we should have recourse to her. I am about to print my own letter to Card. Leveda, president of Ecclesia Dei. I hope this matter will be put at rest when Rome herself makes judges my case. I will update this post in 4 or so months, depending on how fast Rome operates nowadays.