Archbishop McDonald in the Times on SSPX

The Rt Rev Kevin McDonald, Archbishop of Southwark (my own Archbishop), has written to the Times to offer clarification on the question lifting of the SSPX excommunications and the Church's commitment to Catholic-Jewish relations. The website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales carries the full text of the letter and here is the edited version published by the Times.

The Archbishop wrote in his capacity as Chairman of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Department of Dialogue and Unity. His letter gives the necessary reassurances regarding Catholic-Jewish relations (in response to the recent rant on the leader page) without being negative about the initiative of Pope Benedict.

When Summorum Pontificum was issued, Archbishop McDonald said to the Council of Priests that he welcomed it, cautioning only that it should be implemented with pastoral sensitivity. There are several parishes in the Archdiocese that offer the Extraordinary Form every Sunday and several more that celebrate according to the usus antiquior from time to time. There have also been two High Masses at St George's Cathedral. When the process of reconciliation of the SSPX is completed at Rome, I hope that the priests of the Society will know that they have some friends among the clergy of the Southwark diocese. 

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