More About Bp Barron, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, and the SSPX

Fr Zed muses about the situation in Winona-Rochester with its new Bishop.

From Fr Z's Blog

I’ve been mulling over the situation in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and the Vetus Ordo.  There are a few moving parts.   One of them was the removal of the TLM from a parish church to a former college, now high school chapel that is, frankly, gorgeous and large.

And it seems that that table altar can be shifted.

This is all positive.

HOWEVER… my experience with most people who desire the TLM is that they would sacrifice having a beautiful church for the TLM and parish life, the full, sacramental life of the Church with parish advantages.   Being shoved out of a parish and into “gilded cage” is not what they would aspire to.

This is one of the reasons why Traditionis custodes is cruel and why it places bishops in a really tough spot.

On the one hand, the non-ideologues will be pressured to implement TC.  On the other hand, there are many who still have pastoral hearts, know that the people involved – with the exception of a few who are happy only when they are unhappy – just want to be Catholic in this legitimate way (as St. John Paul II described them).

Some involved in the implementation do not want to hurt the people involved.  Some do. Not all.

I do not think that Bp. Barron wants to hurt anyone.  I am not entirely convinced that he gets what they desire, but I am pretty sure he doesn’t want to break people’s hearts.

Another thing that caught my attention in this was the statement that I received from a priest who seems to know what is going on. Bp. Barron is also trying to navigate good relations with the SSPX, who have a presence in Winona.  That is where their seminary was, before they built their new complex in Virginia.  Their seminary, a former Domincan house if memory serves, is still in use by the SSPX in significant ways.

As the priest wrote to me:

Barron also granted the SSPX permission to celebrate mass and sacraments in the same chapel, and assigned the priest responsible for the traditional community with the task of ensuring good relations with the SSPX.

I decided to reach out to a couple of priests of the SSPX who are in a position to know what’s up.  Here is what I’ve learned.  I’ll rewrite this for the sake of their anonymity.

A priest of the SSPX had a wedding coming up and they normally don’t like to do weddings at their former seminary, now novitiate. They asked the diocese for delegation and a church. They got the church but not the delegation. Bp. Barron wanted his priest to do the marriage and the SSPX priest to celebrate the nuptial Mass in that diocesan church, the chapel (above).  It was a one-time event for that church on that day.  One can assume that it will could be repeated for future weddings.

I note that the SSPX normally gets delegation for marriage in over 40 US dioceses.

This is encouraging, though less than one might hope for.  Bp. Barron should simply give delegation to SSPX priests for witnessing marriages.  Still, it is a good step.

I recall in this moment how the late great Bp. Morlino allowed a newly-ordained SSPX priest celebrate Holy Mass in his home parish.  The Tridentine Mass Society of Madison lent the vestments for the Solemn Mass.  Subsequently, Bp. Morlino was invited to the Winona notiviate when, I believe, the regional priors were there.  It was a very cordial and fruitful gathering.  Bp. Morlino was effusive in his description of their kindness and hospitality and the priestly fraternity they experienced.  I, also, can attest to precisely the same, which I have experienced over the years with their priests.

Later, when Bp. Morlino died, one of the priests of the SSPX sent photos of their Requiem celebrated for him at their novitiate in Winona.

In the words of John XXIII quoted in Ad Petri cathedram: “In necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity.”

Bp. Barron is in an optimal place to give a good example of building positive relations with the SSPX.

Since he is manifestly steeped in the reading of Scripture, perhaps recollection of how the father of the “prodigal son” was watching for his son’s return.  He must have been watching because he saw his son coming “while he was yet at a distance” and then “ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (cf. Luke 15:11-32).

How much easier would it be for Barron to manifest the father’s love and desire for communion?  After all, the SSPX is not “a great way off… makràn apéxontos“.

I hope he doesn’t wait for the priests of the SSPX to come to him without running also to them.  I hope he doesn’t just benignly ignore the faithful who want the TLM but actively goes to them on his own initiative, not waiting to be invited.

On thing I know for sure.  Were he to do so, those good people would go to the wall for him.

The situation in Winona-Rochester is developing and we will all watch with prayerful best wishes.

What is needed is an opening of hearts.