Lefebvrians against Assisi:

LEFEBVRIAN CLERGYMEN

A communiqué has been sent from the Brotherhood’s Italian headquarters, ahead of Thursday’s interreligious meeting in Assisi, asking God to remove “the veil that is covering the hearts of Churchmen”

ANDREA TORNIELLIVATICAN CITY

“May the Lord remove the veil that is covering the hearts of Churchmen, and make them recognise that only one Peace is possible between men: that of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ…” This was the statement made by the Italian headquarters of the Society of Saint Pius X, three days ahead of the Pope and other religious leaders’ pilgrimage to Assisi, on 27 October. The pilgrimage will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the first interreligious meeting of its kind, instigated by John Paul II.

Even though Benedict XVI is not quoted, the reference to the veil being removed from the heart is aimed at him. Benedict XVI welcomed this new meeting in Assisi, although the schedule and structure of the event are different with respect to the one which took place in 1986, placing emphasis on the common pilgrimage in the city of Poverello rather than on prayer.

The Lefebvrian communiqué comes very close to the deadline established by the Holy See for the Society of Saint Pius X to send a response. Last 14 September, the Society received the text of a doctrinal preamble from the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which they had to accept and sign, in view of the re-establishment of a full communion with the Catholic Church and the canonical settlement proposed by the Holy See.:(Catholic Truth Scotland:here)