Who is in schism?

There is an interpretation of Vatican Council II which has a continuity with the past and is not a hermeneutic of rupture. This understanding of Vatican Council II is not that of Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, the new Vice President of Ecclesia Dei.

So if the American Archbishop considers not accepting Vatican Council II as being in schism,as he told Edward Pentin of the National Catholic Register, then, it is he who is rejecting the rational interpretation of the Council.He needs to affirm Vatican Council II.

From the interview with Pentin, who asked the all important question on the salvation dogma, Di Noia clearly indicates that his interpretation of Vatican Council II is  without the hermeneutic of continuity.

His reference to saintly Lutheran and Anglicans and the grace coming to those who are not Catholics is the give away sign.

He believes LG 8 and LG 16 are not implicitly known but explicit for us. So LG 8 and LG 16 refer to exceptions to the traditional interpretation of the dogma.This is the small clue to two interpretations of Vatican Council II and will decide who is in schism.

Since commonsense tells us that we do not personally know who has Sanctifying Grace among non Catholics and that  those saved in invincible ignorance and with a good conscience are always implicit for us, LG 16 and LG 8 are always implicit. They are explicit only for God.

So we can have an interpretation of Vatican Council II with either:-

1) Implicit LG 8, LG 16.

2) Explicit LG 8, LG 16.

Archbishop Di Noia is clearly using the explicit Lumen Gentium 8 and 16 interpretation of Vatican Council II.

Those Catholics who interpret Vatican Council II with implicit LG 8,LG 16 are in accord with the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus, since LG 8,LG 16 are not explicit exceptions to the dogma.They are in accord with Tradition.So there is a continuity with the past.Vatican Council II is in accord with the traditional teaching on ecclesiology, other religions, ecumenism etc.

This interpretation has the hermeneutic of continuity that Pope Benedict XVI addressed and which Archbishop Augustine Di Noia mentioned in the NCR interview.

There cannot be two interpretations of Vatican Council II at the same time. We have to choose one.

We cannot choose the irrational interpretation of Vatican Council II which says LG 16, LG 8 are explicit and known to us.So we are left with only one interpretation of the Council.

This is not the interpretation of Archbishop Di Noia,nor of the cardinals Luiz Ladaria and Kurt Koch and neither of Bishops Bernard Fellay , Richard Williamson etc.

They hold the irrational version of Vatican Council II.

If tomorrow , the Society of St.Pius X (SSPX) says LG 8,LG 16 is always implicit , every configuration on this issue changes.

-Lionel Andrades