N. 106/95

Mr John Gresser
PO Box 69
Roselands, NSW 2196
AUSTRALIA

Dear Mr Gresser,

We wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 19 September 1995 addressed to His Eminence Cardinal Innocenti seeking further clarifications on the Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei". We will do our best to respond to your queries in the order in which you raised them.

 1. The Code of Canon Law informs us that the interpretation of a privilege "is always to be used so that the beneficiaries of a privilege actually obtain some favour" (canon 77). As we already stated in our last letter, "The Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" does not speak of any restrictions, including age limits, on those who aspire to worship according to the liturgical books of 1962." Therefore those who are under the age of 45 and who were never followers of Archbishop Lefebvre are not because of this abusing a privilege or put in an irregular canonical position.

 2. It should be obvious that, if the Church grants a privilege, one who takes advantage of it is not un-Catholic nor is it un-Catholic to have such an aspiration.

 3. Our Holy Father is the supreme legislator of the Church. He has not put any time limitation [on] the ability to benefit from his Motu Proprio "Ecclesia Dei" .

 4. The Holy See does not establish institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life with the hope that they will not prosper.

 5. Such a question can only be answered by the supreme legislator of the Church.

 Wishing you the blessings of God, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Msgr. Camille Perl
Secretary

Return to Oriens, Spring, 1998

Return to Oriens home page