Vatican City - A breakaway group of traditionalist Roman Catholics has sent the Vatican mixed messages about ending a quarter-century of schism.
The Swiss-based Society of St. Pius X said Thursday it had approved the technical, legal way it could eventually reconcile with the Holy See. But at the same time, it says it is still waiting for an "open and serious debate" with the Vatican to address its opposition to the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Pope Benedict XVI has spent nearly his entire seven-year pontificate seeking to accommodate the society and end the only formal schism created after Vatican II.
But the society has refused to sign off on a core set of doctrinal points required by the Vatican and has said more talks are necessary.