Cardinal still hoping for Reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X Excommunication is not a definitive break

Cardinal Koch: Still hoping for reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X

Excommunication is not a definitive break: Following the controversial episcopal ordinations by the Society of St. Pius X, Cardinal Kurt Koch calls for self-criticism and dialogue. He explains why he believes the conflict can be resolved in the long term.

Cardinal Kurt Koch views the recent episcopal ordinations by the Society of St. Pius X with composure. Furthermore, he believes the final word has not yet been spoken regarding their rift with the Catholic Church. In the latest episode of the *Communio* magazine podcast, Koch stated that excommunication serves as an invitation to repentance, enabling a return to the fold. He expressed hope that it would be possible to resume talks in the future "so that they might find their way back into the Catholic Church." In the Catholic Church, excommunication signifies exclusion from the ecclesial community.

Koch explained that, historically, schisms often followed ecumenical councils. The Church was frequently accused of betraying tradition and introducing something new. "It seems to me that the fundamental problem here, too, is the challenge of remaining faithful to tradition while simultaneously being open to new challenges."

"Examining one's own conscience"

From a historical perspective, such problems were eventually resolved. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965)—which the Society of St. Pius X rejects—is evidently still too recent, "but I hope that other paths will open up in the future," Koch said.

Addressing the issue of religious pluralism—which holds that all religions are equally valid paths to God—the Vatican’s official for ecumenism remarked: "It would be beneficial to view the dispute with the Society of St. Pius X as an opportunity to examine our own consciences and consider what needs to change." "Only in this way can we argue to the Society of St. Pius X that the evils they identify are not contained within the Council itself, but are tendencies that emerged after the Council."

Parallels between Right and Left

Lacking Papal permission for their episcopal ordinations, the members of the Society of St. Pius X have justified this step at length. According to Cardinal Kurt Koch, this amounts to "a form of self-authorization for the ordinations" and is reminiscent of developments within the progressive wing of the Church, where groups seek to authorize themselves to do what the Church leadership opposes: "This shows once again how traditionalists and progressives can sometimes be patients in the same hospital, albeit in vastly different wards."

The Cardinal stated that the Society’s concept of tradition is incomplete because it encompasses only fragments of tradition; rather than embracing the full 2,000-year tradition, they effectively declare that tradition came to an end with the Second Vatican Council.

"Sending people to hell"

Koch was critical of the way the Society of St. Pius X interprets the doctrine "outside the Church there is no salvation." Church tradition holds the conviction that God desires the salvation of all people and finds ways to reach those who have never come into contact with the Gospel.

"If the Society of St. Pius X essentially consigns everyone outside the Catholic Church to hell, then I fail to see how the fundamental scriptural conviction—that God wills the salvation of all people—can still be justified," the theologian said. The danger, he noted, is that theological judgment is being placed above God’s ultimate will regarding judgment.

Source