March 2012: Cardinal William Levada, who heads the Vatican’s office to ensure doctrinal orthodoxy, met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, who leads the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X. The Vatican has told the head of the breakaway group of traditionalists that they have so far failed to overcome doctrinal differences blocking their return to the Catholic church fold.

The Society has opposed the Vatican’s decades-long outreach to Jews, Muslims and members of other faiths. More broadly, it opposes the liberalizing reforms the Vatican enacted in the 1960s. Pope Benedict XVI is striving for church unity.

The Vatican stated that Fellay’s group has been given until mid-April “to reflect and clarify” its position.

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