SSPX on defamatory German Bishops
The German District of the SSPX comments on the defamatory allegations of Archbishop Zollitsch. (Links to original Cathcon report)
The Catholic News Agency on 25 March 2009 reported that the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch during a speech to the Cardinal Höffner Circle of the CDU Parliamentary Group accused the SSPX of, "attacking and reducing our understanding of democracy ". The idea of a Catholic state "is" outdated " said the Archbishop of Freiburg in the context of the attitude of the SSPX.
If this statement was actually made the Archbishop was thus consciously or unconsciously guilty of false witness.
The SSPX obviously recognises the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, which itself clearly acknowledges the responsibility before God, the moral law and legal opinions based on natural law. Great Catholics cooperated in formulating the Basic Law which stands entirely on the foundations of traditional Papal social teaching . Many Catholics faithful to tradition were among the founders of the CDU, working in a variety of positions in our society as citizens or serving the Federal Republic as officials.
The fidelity to the constitutional order, as for example approved by the Holy See and as expressed in the Oath of Loyalty provided for in the Concordat, we obviously recognize, as every good Catholic does.
We also acknowledge the doctrine of the Church on the forms of government, especially the teaching statements of Pope Pius XII about democracy.
We can be considered a little "disparaging of democracy", as Catholics before Vatican II.
With all our hearts the SSPX reject the monstrous idea of a "state church", because the Catholic Church is a "perfect society" and must always be free for Her divine mission.
The implications of the Church being instrumentalised by the state, we see in the terrible failure of the German bishops in the abortion certificate scandal or the Donum Vitae debate. In this light, the SSPX welcomes the debate about the church tax and the state salary of the German bishops. Those who sit in glass houses should not throw stones.
What the SSPX as a Catholic society of priests is responsible for promoting is the recognition of the Ten Commandments and the right of God over each individual, families, civic associations, magistrates, courts, culture and education, as also in the traditional Liturgy – which has been returned by the Vatican back into church life – which is reflected in many ways.
What the SSPX cannot accept are the false social and moral principles which have always been rejected by the Magisterium of the Popes and tradition and which must be discarded by every Catholic to be in communion with the Catholic Church, even any German bishop.
These false principles are rejected for example in the papal teaching document Quanta cura of Blessed Pius IX., Immortale Dei of Leo XIII., Quas Primate of Pius XI and in the many statements of Pius XII on the social doctrine of the church.
The pastoral council of Vatican II must also be measured against these pronouncements of the Supreme Magisterium. We expect the German bishops to make a clear commitment to the social kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as Pope Pius XII and his predecessors made the duty of all Catholics.
Stuttgart, 26 March 2009
Father Franz Schmidberger, District Superior
Cathcon- The SSPX have various schools in Germany. Zollitsch in making this accusation is helping the Socialists and the Greens to have the schools declared to be teaching hostility to the German constitution. They will loose state funding and more importantly be closed.
It is a foul game that the Archbishop is playing to turn these despisers of the Church on fellow Catholics. And he knows it!
The Catholic News Agency on 25 March 2009 reported that the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch during a speech to the Cardinal Höffner Circle of the CDU Parliamentary Group accused the SSPX of, "attacking and reducing our understanding of democracy ". The idea of a Catholic state "is" outdated " said the Archbishop of Freiburg in the context of the attitude of the SSPX.
If this statement was actually made the Archbishop was thus consciously or unconsciously guilty of false witness.
The SSPX obviously recognises the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, which itself clearly acknowledges the responsibility before God, the moral law and legal opinions based on natural law. Great Catholics cooperated in formulating the Basic Law which stands entirely on the foundations of traditional Papal social teaching . Many Catholics faithful to tradition were among the founders of the CDU, working in a variety of positions in our society as citizens or serving the Federal Republic as officials.
The fidelity to the constitutional order, as for example approved by the Holy See and as expressed in the Oath of Loyalty provided for in the Concordat, we obviously recognize, as every good Catholic does.
We also acknowledge the doctrine of the Church on the forms of government, especially the teaching statements of Pope Pius XII about democracy.
We can be considered a little "disparaging of democracy", as Catholics before Vatican II.
With all our hearts the SSPX reject the monstrous idea of a "state church", because the Catholic Church is a "perfect society" and must always be free for Her divine mission.
The implications of the Church being instrumentalised by the state, we see in the terrible failure of the German bishops in the abortion certificate scandal or the Donum Vitae debate. In this light, the SSPX welcomes the debate about the church tax and the state salary of the German bishops. Those who sit in glass houses should not throw stones.
What the SSPX as a Catholic society of priests is responsible for promoting is the recognition of the Ten Commandments and the right of God over each individual, families, civic associations, magistrates, courts, culture and education, as also in the traditional Liturgy – which has been returned by the Vatican back into church life – which is reflected in many ways.
What the SSPX cannot accept are the false social and moral principles which have always been rejected by the Magisterium of the Popes and tradition and which must be discarded by every Catholic to be in communion with the Catholic Church, even any German bishop.
These false principles are rejected for example in the papal teaching document Quanta cura of Blessed Pius IX., Immortale Dei of Leo XIII., Quas Primate of Pius XI and in the many statements of Pius XII on the social doctrine of the church.
The pastoral council of Vatican II must also be measured against these pronouncements of the Supreme Magisterium. We expect the German bishops to make a clear commitment to the social kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as Pope Pius XII and his predecessors made the duty of all Catholics.
Stuttgart, 26 March 2009
Father Franz Schmidberger, District Superior
Cathcon- The SSPX have various schools in Germany. Zollitsch in making this accusation is helping the Socialists and the Greens to have the schools declared to be teaching hostility to the German constitution. They will loose state funding and more importantly be closed.
It is a foul game that the Archbishop is playing to turn these despisers of the Church on fellow Catholics. And he knows it!
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Comments
I knew about the church tax but not about the German Bishops receiving their salaries from the state. The capacity for corruption of the Church’s life and teaching is surely enormous in such circumstances. In a different form, the Church in England and Wales has revealed its own temptations and moral cave-ins in this regard.
We are living in grim but fascinating times.
Perhaps the politicians will succeed in sending inspectors to the schools, but this has already been done once. And the department which is responsible for the whole issues said: the SSPX is not hostile to the German constitution.
So I just wonder why they are still not letting it be.