Aclaraciones de la Pontificia Comisin Ecclesia Dei con fecha 18 de enero de 2003, publicadas por

la Federacin Internacional Una Voce [Link aqu].

Letter by Msgr. Camille Perl Regarding Society of St. Pius X Masses

Una Voce America has received a communication from the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei Commission,
concerning an article which appeared in The Remnant newspaper and various websites. At the
request of the Commission, we are publishing it below.

Pontificia Commissio "Ecclesia Dei" January 18, 2003

Greetings in the Hearts of Jesus & Mary! There have been several inquiries about our letter of 27
September 2002. In order to clarify things, Msgr. Perl has made the following response.
Oremus pro invicem.
In cordibus Jesu et Mari,
Msgr. Arthur B. Calkins

Msgr. Camille Perl's response:

Unfortunately, as you will understand, we have no way of controlling what is done with our letters
by their recipients. Our letter of 27 September 2002, which was evidently cited in The Remnant and
on various websites, was intended as a private communication dealing with the specific
circumstances of the person who wrote to us. What was presented in the public forum is an
abbreviated version of that letter which omits much of our pastoral counsel. Since a truncated form
of this letter has now become public, we judge it appropriate to present the larger context of our
response.
In a previous letter to the same correspondent we had already indicated the canonical status of the
Society of St. Pius X which we will summarize briefly here.
1.) The priests of the Society of St. Pius X are validly ordained, but they are suspended from
exercising their priestly functions. To the extent that they adhere to the schism of the late
Archbishop Lefebvre, they are also excommunicated.
2.) Concretely this means that the Masses offered by these priests are valid, but illicit i.e., contrary
to the law of the Church.
Points 1 and 3 in our letter of 27 September 2002 to this correspondent are accurately reported. His
first question was "Can I fulfill my Sunday obligation by attending a Pius X Mass" and our response
was:

"1. In the strict sense you may fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a
priest of the Society of St. Pius X."
His second question was "Is it a sin for me to attend a Pius X Mass" and we responded stating:
"2. We have already told you that we cannot recommend your attendance at such a Mass and have
explained the reason why. If your primary reason for attending were to manifest your desire to
separate yourself from communion with the Roman Pontiff and those in communion with him, it
would be a sin. If your intention is simply to participate in a Mass according to the 1962 Missal for
the sake of devotion, this would not be a sin."
His third question was: "Is it a sin for me to contribute to the Sunday collection a Pius X Mass" to
which we responded:
"3. It would seem that a modest contribution to the collection at Mass could be justified."
Further, the correspondent took the Commission to task for not doing its job properly and we
responded thus:
"This Pontifical Commission does not have the authority to coerce Bishops to provide for the
celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. Nonetheless, we are frequently in
contact with Bishops and do all that we can to see that this provision is made. However, this
provision also depends on the number of people who desire the 'traditional' Mass, their motives
and the availability of priests who can celebrate it.
"You also state in your letter that the Holy Father has given you a 'right' to the Mass according to
the 1962 Roman Missal. This is not correct. It is true that he has asked his brother Bishops to be
generous in providing for the celebration of this Mass, but he has not stated that it is a 'right'.
Presently it constitutes an exception to the Church's law and may be granted when the local Bishop
judges it to be a valid pastoral service and when he has the priests who are available to celebrate it.
Every Catholic has a right to the sacraments (cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 843), but he does not
have a right to them according to the rite of his choice."
We hope that this puts in a clearer light the letter about which you asked us.
With prayerful best wishes for this New Year of Our Lord 2003, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Camille Perl Secretary

TRADUCCIN AL ESPAOL

Pontificia Comisin "Ecclesia Dei", 18 de Enero de 2003

...
Desgraciadamente, como Ud. comprender, no hay modo de controlar lo que los interlocutores
hacen con nuestras cartas. La del 27 de Septiembre de 2002, citada evidentemente en The Remnant
y en diversos sitios de la Web, tena carcter de comunicacin privada con relacin a las
circunstancias especficas de la persona que nos haba escrito. La que se dio a publicidad es una
versin abreviada de esa carta y omite gran parte de nuestro consejo pastoral. Dado que esta forma
trunca de la carta es ahora pblica, juzgamos apropiado presentar el contexto amplio de nuestra
respuesta.
En una carta previa dirigida al mismo interlocutor habamos sealado ya el status cannico de la
Fraternidad San Po X. Lo sintetizamos aqu brevemente.
1) Los sacerdotes de la Fraternidad San Po X estn vlidamente ordenados, pero se hallan
suspendidos en el ejercicio de sus funciones sacerdotales. En la medida en que ellos adhieran al
cisma del ex Arzobispo Lefebvre, estn asimismo excomulgados.
2) Concretamente, esto significa que las Misas celebradas por tales sacerdotes son vlidas, pero
ilcitas, es decir, contrarias al derecho de la Iglesia.
Los puntos 1 y 3 de nuestra carta del 27 de Septiembre al mencionado interlocutor han sido
transmitidos adecuadamente. Su primera pregunta era: " Puedo cumplir mi obligacin dominical
asistiendo a una Misa de la Fraternidad San Po X?. Mi respuesta fue:
"1. En sentido estricto, Ud. puede cumplir su obligacin dominical asistiendo a una misa celebrada
por un sacerdote de la F. San Po X."
Su segunda pregunta era: " Es pecado asistir a una Misa de la F. San Po X?" En la respuesta,
afirmbamos:
"2. Ya le dijimos que no recomendamos su asistencia a dicha Misa y hemos desarrollado los
fundamentos. Si su razn primaria para asistir fuera la de manifestar su deseo de separarse de la
comunin con el Romano Pontfice y de los que estn en comunin con l, la asistencia sera un
pecado. Si su intencin es simplemente participar de una Misa segn el Misal de 1962, con espritu
de devocin, no habra pecado".
Su tercera pregunta era: " Es pecado contribuir a la colecta dominical en una Misa de la F. San Po
X?". A lo cual respondimos:
"3. Segn parece, podra justificarse una contribucin modesta a la colecta de esa Misa."
Ms adelante, nuestro interlocutor reprochaba a la Comisin el inadecuado cumplimiento de su
tarea. Respondimos as:

"Esta Pontificia Comisin no tiene autoridad para obligar a los Obispos a que faciliten la celebracin
de la Misa segn el Misal Romano de 1962. No obstante, estamos en contacto frecuente con los
Obispos y hacemos todo lo que est a nuestro alcance para que tales facilidades se concreten. Sin
embargo, ello depende tambin del nmero de personas que deseen la Misa "tradicional", de sus
intenciones y de la disponibilidad de sacerdotes que puedan celebrarla."
"Ud. afirma tambin en su carta que el Santo Padre le ha otorgado el "derecho" a la Misa segn el
Misal Romano de 1962. Eso no es correcto. Es verdad que les ha pedido a sus hermanos Obispos
generosidad para facilitar la celebracin de esta Misa, pero no la estableci como un "derecho".
Actualmente, constituye una excepcin a la ley de la Iglesia y puede ser garantizada cuando el
Obispo del lugar la considera un servicio pastoral vlido y cuenta con sacerdotes dispuestos a
celebrarla. Cada catlico tiene derecho a los sacramentos (Cfr. Cdigo de Derecho Cannico, canon
843), pero no tiene derecho a ellos segn el rito de su eleccin".
Esperamos que esto clarifique los trminos de la carta sobre la cual Ud. nos consult.
Con nuestras plegarias y los mejores deseos para este Nuevo Ao de Nuestro Seor 2003, me reitero
Sinceramente suyo en Cristo,
Rev. Mons. Camille Perl. Secretario