On January 17, 2016, Bishop de Galarreta gave a conference about the SSPX’s relations with Rome. In this conference, Bishop de Galarreta stated that:

• he expects that Rome will “soon” recognize the SSPX and
• last summer, Rome offered the SSPX the canonical status of a personal prelature.

The SSPX did not disclose that offer last summer (nor did the SSPX publish Bishop de Galarreta’s conference) until February 26, 2016—the same day on which Zenit.org published substantially the same information, in an interview with “Archbishop” Pozzo.¹

Regarding this coming recognition, Bishop de Galarreta assured the faithful that Rome does not misunderstand the SSPX’s positions because Bishop Fellay wrote an exhaustive explanation to make it very clear how we are and how we act, what we preach, what we do, what we do not do, and what we are not ready [sic!] to do. See the conference.

We don’t know what Bishop Fellay told Rome in this “exhaustive” explanation because the SSPX keeps such content secret from the faithful unless Rome chooses to disclose it.² However, Bishop de Galarreta assures us that Rome now has “exhaustive” knowledge what the SSPX preaches and believes.

After Bishop Fellay’s explanation to Rome, Pozzo declared that he understands that the SSPX accepts Vatican II’s teaching on religious liberty. Here are Pozzo’s words:

[A]s regards the Lefebvrian criticism on religious freedom, at the bottom of the discussion it seems to me that the SSPX position is characterized by the defense of traditional Catholic doctrine against the agnostic secularism of the State and against secularism and ideological relativism but not against the right of the person not to be constricted or obstructed by the State in the exercise of the profession of religious faith.

(Emphasis added).

So Pozzo is stating that Bishop Fellay supports Vatican II’s religious liberty and opposes a nation being a Catholic State. The “new” SSPX published Pozzo’s words and did not deny that the “new” SSPX accepts Vatican II’s religious liberty. Id.

Bishop Fellay regarding Religious Liberty

This reminds us that Bishop Fellay has said favorable things in the past about Vatican II’s teaching on religious liberty. For example, in 2012, Bishop Fellay says:

[Religious liberty] is used in so many ways. And looking closer, I really have the impression that not many know what really the Council says about it. The Council is presenting a religious liberty which, in fact, is a very, very limited one: very limited!

Emphasis added.

Notice that Bishop Fellay is not condemning the error of religious liberty. He says that Vatican II’s (false) religious liberty is a very, very limited one: very limited! This false notion of liberty for religious errors, has been condemned continually by the Catholic Church since the earliest times of the Church. See, e.g., a catalogue of condemnations of religious liberty. But, instead of condemning this fundamental, widespread error, Bishop Fellay contents himself with saying that Vatican II’s religious liberty is a very, very limited one: very limited!

A little later in this same 2012 video interview, Bishop Fellay asks which principle is involved to justify Catholics demanding the freedom to practice the true religion. Bishop Fellay answers his own question: We would argue that there might be another principle which would be more accurate to justify [seeking freedom for the Catholic Church]. (Emphasis added).

Pope Gregory XVI and Pope Pius IX condemned religious liberty as insanity. By contrast, Bishop Fellay says that there might be [!] another principle which would be more accurate!

Not only did Bishop Fellay fail to condemn religious liberty in 2012, but he said that this (false) “right” declared by the council, is a very, very limited one: very limited! In this regard also, what Bishop Fellay says is plainly false.

Vatican II itself says that this (false) religious liberty is entirely unlimited as long as society does not erupt in violence! Here are the Council’s words:

• [N]or is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others.... Quoted from Documents of Vatican II, Fr. Abbott (General Editor), Document: “Dignitatis Humanae”, pp. 679-80 (emphasis added).
• Vatican II teaches that this religious liberty continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it. Id.
• Vatican II says that religious liberty has due limits but makes clear that these limits concern peace and safety: nor is the exercise of this right to be impeded, provided that the just requirements of public order are observed. Id.

As shown in these three quotes, the Council teaches the same very broad (so-called) “right” espoused by the Freemasons in Article 10 of the French Revolution’s 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man:

No one can be molested for his opinions, even for his religious opinions, provided their manifestation does not trouble the public order established by law.

So in summary:

• when Bishop Fellay makes these (false) favorable statements about Vatican II’s religious liberty; and
• when Bishop Fellay “exhaustively” tells Rome what the SSPX believes about religious liberty; and
• when the SSPX then publishes Pozzo’s claim that the SSPX accepts Vatican II’s religious liberty; and
• when the SSPX does not deny Pozzo’s claim,

can anyone doubt Pozzo is correct that the “new” SSPX does accept Vatican II’s religious liberty, thereby imperiling the salvation of souls in the new-SSPX?