When Emeritus Pope Benedict met this week with some of his former pupils in the Vatican following their annual theological gathering – the Ratzinger Schülerkreis – the topic of Pope Francis’ apparent softening towards the ultra-traditionalist Society of St Pius X just might have come up.Pope Francis unexpectedly attended a Mass for the feast day of Pope Pius X earlier this month in the Vatican, and this week announced that SSPX priests have the power to validly hear confessions during the Year of Mercy.SSPX priests and sacraments are licit but not valid, because while its founder, Marcel Lefebvre, had been a validly ordained bishop, the priests he ordained without the Holy See’s permission could not celebrate the sacraments.Benedict’s students will remem