With this decision, there was no longer any question of validity, and now the SSPX received a clear directive from the Pope to act as priests. 2 SSPX critics often questioned the Society’s argument for supplied jurisdiction validating the power to absolve. Rino Fisichella, 1 announced he was granting in an extraordinary manner, an ecclesial ministry to SSPX priests: the universal faculties to absolve penitents. The difficulties were such that movements towards a canonical structure for the SSPX stalled.Ī papal resignation intervened, and seemingly out-of-the-blue, for the Year of Mercy in 2016, Pope Francis in a publicly-released letter to Msgr. In fact, doctrinal discussions held Octoto Apfound that the representatives of the SSPX and Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith were unable to resolve key issues surrounding the interpretation of Vatican II texts and apparent errors in the texts that even those outside the SSPX ranks were beginning to question. In those two-and-a-half years, looking through headlines and articles, one would find precious little to explain this incongruity. Only two months into the new Pontificate (June 27, 2013), an anonymous article declared, “Traditionalists indicate definitive break with Catholic Church.” Just under three years later (April 26, 2016), another anonymous article reads, “Pope Francis may soon offer the Society of Saint Pius X regular canonical status within the Church.” Pius X with Pope Francis is perhaps best exemplified by two very different articles from Catholic News Agency. The problem of understanding the relationship of the Priestly Fraternity of St. ¡Hagan lío!: The messy relationship between the SSPX and Pope Francis