Bishop Fellay gave a video interview published on March 1, 2016. Here are some of the highlights:
A Lotof What Pope Francis Says
Last January, Bishop
Fellay publicly said that he has a close, close link
to the
pope and that the pope is on our side
. Bishop Fellay followed
that up with a more recent statement that he is very happy
with
a lot
of what Pope Francis says because Pope Francis reminds
the world a lot
about the law of God. Here are Bishop Fellay’s
words:
[Pope Francis] is in charge of governing the Church. So he is in charge of having this Church doing [sic] its job and the duty of the Church is to save souls. That’s the main concern. It is to bring the souls [sic] to heaven. And to remind to [sic] this world, God’s Commandment. The Church is the voice of God. And when he [viz., Pope Francis] does that and he does that a lot, a lot of times, I am very happy.
Watch beginning at minute 15:05 (emphasis added).
Consider this: Bishop Fellay is in charge of negotiating with conciliar Rome’s very tough negotiators.
We assume that Bishop Fellay opposes unnatural vice. But Bishop Fellay did not have the courage to stand against the political correctness of an aggressive interviewer. Bishop Fellay was not strong enough to fearlessly affirm his own (assumed) position that homosexuality is evil. Bishop Fellay says that: 1) if [!!] we present ourselves as Catholic, then 2) we must represent Church teaching not what we think. Here are his words:
Q: I want to talk with you, if I may, about your attitude towards homosexuality. Why do you rail against people who are attracted to the same sex. Why is that anathema to you?
Bishop Fellay: So we distinguish two things: first we are bound, let’s say, if we present ourselves as Catholics, we are bound to represent the teaching of the Church on that point and not what we think but really what the Church teaches ....
Watch beginning at minute 17:48.
We pity this poor, timid man! Watch the interview yourself. During the whole interview, he weaves and dodges to try to avoid sounding “backward” and traditional. With a nervous smile, he continually looked embarrassed about traditionalist positions and afraid of being trapped. Consider this: the SSPX is relying on Bishop Fellay to courageously hold the line against the pressures of the world and political correctness.
Bishop Fellay is causing great harm to Catholic tradition and this interview shows how pitiably timid he is. Let us pray hard for him!
Bishop Fellay did not have the courage to decline the interviewer’s request that he tell everyone his sins. (This interview ploy is normally stated “tell me your greatest weakness”). Nor did Bishop Fellay give a serious answer. Instead, he was intimidated, at a loss for words, and gave three pathetic, weak “non-answers”. Here are his words:
Q: Bishop, you talk a lot about sin and heresy, and the right way. What are your sins?
Bishop Fellay: My sins? Oh, probably, probably, talk a little bit too much. Ya, I would say so.
Q: Talking too much.
Bishop Fellay: Ya. Giving this impression of being too sure of myself. Ya. Maybe too alone, too—not enough to say [sic] with others; ya, I mean, would say so. Ya, I have to improve a lot, evidently. No problem.
Watch beginning at minute 24:30.
Talking “a bit” too much? Seriously? Not being with people enough? That is not a serious answer.
We are not suggesting that Bishop Fellay should have made a public general confession. We pity him because he was so plainly out of his league and over-mastered by the interviewer. He was afraid not to cooperate with the interviewer because of how it would appear. Politicians, not manly and virtuous men, are afraid of how they will look.
Can anyone even imagine Archbishop Lefebvre or Pope St. Pius X answering the public media’s question “What are your sins?” While acknowledging the great harm Bishop Fellay is causing, let us pity him and pray for him too.
Lastly, consider this: The SSPX is relying upon Bishop Fellay to avoid compromise by firmly standing up to conciliar Rome.