Letter from Father Pagliarani to Bishop Pozzo, 17 January 2019

Most Reverend Excellency,

First of all, I wish to thank you for the benevolent attention you have shown over all these years toward the Society of Saint Pius X, as well as the warm welcome you gave me during our meeting on 22 November 2018. My gratitude naturally extends also to His Eminence Cardinal Ladaria.

As agreed during that meeting, I am writing to you about the planned theological discussions. In light of what we have done in the past, I propose to prioritise regular written exchanges between theologians of the Holy See and of the Society, with the possibility of, for example, two annual meetings.

The interlocutors I propose for the Society are priests qualified for doctrinal discussion. They are Fathers Arnaud Sélégny, Guillaume Gaud, and Jean-Michel Gleize. It is planned that Father Sélégny will soon reside at the General House, which will allow for maintaining a more direct link between us. This does not preclude other confrères from contributing as well.

I think it would be good to consider now the possibility of publishing the results of these discussions. This idea came to me upon reading the transcript of your meeting on 28 February 2018, with my predecessor. You yourself expressed the desire for such a publication. That is why I take the liberty of making this suggestion. But I leave it to you to indicate to us the manner of publishing respective summaries of our discussions, if this seems reasonable to you.

As to the themes of the discussions, I think it would be good for them to concern both the Council and the subsequent Magisterium. Indeed, in the post-Conciliar development, there are many elements that allow for specifying the true interpretation to be given to the Council: hence the importance of including the post-Conciliar Magisterium in the exchanges.

I therefore propose the following list, which should allow us to cover all the themes to be treated:

1. The ecclesiological foundations of ecumenism;
2. The practice of ecumenism by the hierarchy of the Church;
3. The foundations and goals of interreligious dialogue;
4. The salvation of the Jews according to the current Magisterium;
5. The new conception of the priesthood: its theological foundations and its liturgical consequences;
6. The Petrine ministry in the light of Apostolos Suos, Ut Unum Sint, and the other teachings of John Paul II;
7. Synodality in the framework of the current Magisterium;
8. The current doctrine on conjugal morality;
9. The primacy and role of conscience in the Conciliar and post-Conciliar Magisterium.

I hope that this also corresponds to your expectations.

Please accept, Most Reverend Excellency, my most respectful greetings in Domino.

Don Davide Pagliarani