Here are two interviews with Bishop Fellay and the Italian newspapers La Repubblica (9 Aug) and Il Messaggero (10 Aug), on the occasion of the 5,000 strong Traditional pilgrimage to the major Basilicas in Rome.

Interview with La Repubblica

Q. Monsignor Bernard Fellay, with this Jubilee in the Vatican Basilica, have the Lefebvrists made peace with the Church of Rome?

A. It's a first step but not a yet a peace in the full sense of the term.

Q. So why, then, have you come to the Vatican?

A. We have come here to affirm a truth: and that is that we, are Catholics. In this sense one can speak of a peace But we want a Catholic peace.

Q. Did the Vatican give you authorization?

A. Yes. Authorization from the Vatican Jubilee Commission whom we must thank and in particular the Cardinal President Roger Etchegaray.

Q. Therefore have you had contacts with representatives of the Vatican?

A. Two years ago already the Holy See authorized us to come to the Vatican [for the official pilgrimage-Ed.].

Q. Apart from all formal aspects, what is the true signification of this Jubilee day at St. Peter's for the Society of St. Pins X?

A. For us it is our Holy Year Pilgrimage. As we are Catholics we also want to take advantage of the Jubilee indulgences.

Q. Amongst the indulgences you are asking for is there also the one of being readmitted into the Church of Rome?

A. We are asking far the indulgences accorded by Pope John Paul II in his letter of indiction of the Holy Year — no more and no less.

Q. Will yon also make a mea culpa for your accusations of modernism made against Vatican II?

A. We are not confusing things. We are not mixing the grace of this Jubilee and pardon with Vatican II or the Mass in Latin. These are different things. Perhaps this Jubilee will serve draw the positions closer. We will see in the future. Today it is too soon to say.

Q. As Superior General of the Society of St. Plus X what conditions do you ask of the Vatican to bring the Lefebvrists back to Rome?

A. We have always said that we do not want to create another Church. We wish with this Jubilee pilgrimage to prove that we are Catholics, not schismatics. I think that it is from here that one should start on a certain course. It is another thing completely to discuss questions dealing with the Council and liturgical reforms that are harming the Church.

Q. What then are these aspects that are harming the Church?

A. Apart from the liturgy in Latin, the loss of the sense of tradition, this excessive desire for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue as if all religions were equal. One must never forget that true salvation is only from Christ.

We do not understand either this continual asking for pardon, and of mea culpa. The Church as creature of Christ is perfect. It is the men of the Church who can make mistakes. We ask pardon for them every day at Mass. What sense is there in doing it also during the Jubilee?

Interview with Il Messaggero

“We are Catholics and we unite ourselves to the Jubilee to ask for the graces of a renewed Faith.” Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X continues, “we want our pilgrimage to Rome to be a visible sign, to demonstrate that we consider ourselves members of the Roman Catholic Church.”

 Q. Doesn't your gesture risk being interpreted as provocative?

 A. Two years ago already we announced our intention to the organizing committee. Therefore there are no surprises from our programme. As to the spirit with which we have organized our pilgrimage it is the exact opposite of being a gesture of defiance.  Praying in St. Peter's Basilica we invoked the love of Holy Mother Church.

 Q. Did you pray for the Pope?

 A. A very important intention, certainly. We prayed for the Successor of Peter because the Church is in a terrible situation. But the Church is also militant and custodian of the Faith, and this strength is her salvation.

 Q. A Church that condemns you….

 A. A Church that chooses silence. Faced with this crisis, which objectively speaking is for all to see, perhaps a bit more courage is needed to analyse the causes, instead of trying to correct the consequences.

 Q. But you have a different optic on these causes.

 A. For us these causes were crystallised at the Council and after the Council. One must conscientiously evaluate the burden that all this has had in the crisis of the Church. It is a question of time.