IF THE SISTERS CAN GET CANONICAL STATUS THEN WHY NOT THE SSPX: THE REAL ISSUE IS THE LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DOGMA AND NOT VATICAN COUNCIL II

The Sisters of St.Benedict Center, Worcester,USA affirm the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and so does the Society of St.Pius X(SSPX) in their General Chapter communique last month.Since they both affirm the literal interpretation of the dogma it means they do not accept any exceptions to the dogma in Vatican Council II.If any religious community in the Catholic Church accepts the literal interpretation of outside the church there is no salvation it means there are no known exceptions.

Vatican Council II does not contradict the dogma on exclusive salvation,at least, not for the sisters.For the Sisters of St.Benedict Center, Vatican Council II must affirm the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

Does it ? Yes.

The Sisters have canonical status when they affirm the dogma and Vatican Council II. Since they hold the literal interpretation of the dogma and it is not contradicted by the Council, their values are traditional on other religions, ecumenism and religious liberty. These are also the values of Vatican Council II for them. These are the same values of the SSPX.They emerge not because of Vatican Council II but because of the dogma.So the real issue is the dogma with respect to the values on other religions etc.

Since the SSPX,like the Sisters holds the literal interpretation of the dogma on salvation, Vatican Council II is traditional.It has to be traditional.This would apply to all religious communities who did the same.Vatican Council II would be traditional if they interpreted it according to the dogma and without the Cushing error of being able to see the dead saved in invincible ignorance etc who are assumed to be exceptions to the literal interpretation of  Fr.Leonard Feeney, the saints, the Councils, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Vatican Council I and II.

When all religious communities in the Catholic Church can accept Vatican Council II along with the dogma then they all have traditional values. It follows from accepting the dogma. They can all be still granted canonical status.

For instance the Franciscans, Dominicans, Cistercians etc can along with Vatican Council II also affirm the literal interpretation of the dogma and still maintain their canonical status.

So can the Sisters of St. Benedict Center.

So can the SSPX.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and Ecclesia Dei could make things  easy for all ,by announcing the obvious : there are no known exceptions in Vatican Council II to the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

Vatican Coucil II will no more be a problem for the SSPX. The SSPX could announce that they accept Vatican Council II like the sisters, while holding to their traditional values and rejecting the theology of religions etc which are contradicted by the dogma and Vatican Council II.

So when  the Sisters can be granted canonical status after holding the literal interpretation of the dogma with Vatican Council II and with traditional values, the same can be granted to the SSPX.

-Lionel Andrades