The Fracturing Of (And Because Of) The SSPX
Every coin has two sides
Barring anything really weird happening, like the Superior General of the SSPX, Bishop Fellay, taking a whiz in the pope's coffee cup, I firmly believe that the long awaited Regularization WILL take place, and soon. By Easter? You never know... could be. By the way, I really do think that more than just a few folks will be in a state of shock when Bishops Fellay and Bruskewitz embrace each other as spiritual brothers.
But anyhow, speaking as one who use to regularly attend Mass as celebrated by the SSPX, my educated guess is that at least one of the four Society bishops will bolt. And he'll probably be followed by one fourth to one third of those who identify themselves at laity who attend Society Chapels. Just a gut feeling. I really have nothing solid to base this on except what I saw and heard while attending Mass at this one particular chapel and by what I have read on the 'net.
But that's just one side of the coin. I've already made a few posts concerning Novus Ordo bishops looking favorably towards Traditional Catholicism in general, and the Latin Mass specifically.
What about those who, even with Regularization on the horizon, still do everything to rail against The Society? Examples:
In the Ukraine, the recently installed Greek Catholic Archbishop of Lviv, Igor Vozniak, joined parish groups in Janov last weekend for a prayer march against the so-called "Lefebvrists", who have run a seminary and convent in the area, as well as several parishes.
Also, Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki of Nairobi has warned Kenyan Catholic faithful against attending Mass at a recently opened SSPX chapel.
I must admit... I'm stumped. Why in the world are Archbishops Vozniak and Nzeki doing all they can to squash the SSPX in their Diocese? Doesn't it make more sense for them just to clam up when it comes to publically speaking against the SSPX, especially in light of the recent events? Is it simply petty "turf protection"? Are they prepping for a bit of a bolt themselves? Are these two just the tip of the iceberg? Even the Clown Prince of Hollyweird, Roger The Dodger Mahony has kept his yap shut on the topic. But what'll happen when the Regularization is formalized?
Well, I do recall His Holiness saying something about a "smaller, purer Catholicism".
Stay tuned, sports fans.
Every coin has two sides
Barring anything really weird happening, like the Superior General of the SSPX, Bishop Fellay, taking a whiz in the pope's coffee cup, I firmly believe that the long awaited Regularization WILL take place, and soon. By Easter? You never know... could be. By the way, I really do think that more than just a few folks will be in a state of shock when Bishops Fellay and Bruskewitz embrace each other as spiritual brothers.
But anyhow, speaking as one who use to regularly attend Mass as celebrated by the SSPX, my educated guess is that at least one of the four Society bishops will bolt. And he'll probably be followed by one fourth to one third of those who identify themselves at laity who attend Society Chapels. Just a gut feeling. I really have nothing solid to base this on except what I saw and heard while attending Mass at this one particular chapel and by what I have read on the 'net.
But that's just one side of the coin. I've already made a few posts concerning Novus Ordo bishops looking favorably towards Traditional Catholicism in general, and the Latin Mass specifically.
What about those who, even with Regularization on the horizon, still do everything to rail against The Society? Examples:
In the Ukraine, the recently installed Greek Catholic Archbishop of Lviv, Igor Vozniak, joined parish groups in Janov last weekend for a prayer march against the so-called "Lefebvrists", who have run a seminary and convent in the area, as well as several parishes.
Also, Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki of Nairobi has warned Kenyan Catholic faithful against attending Mass at a recently opened SSPX chapel.
I must admit... I'm stumped. Why in the world are Archbishops Vozniak and Nzeki doing all they can to squash the SSPX in their Diocese? Doesn't it make more sense for them just to clam up when it comes to publically speaking against the SSPX, especially in light of the recent events? Is it simply petty "turf protection"? Are they prepping for a bit of a bolt themselves? Are these two just the tip of the iceberg? Even the Clown Prince of Hollyweird, Roger The Dodger Mahony has kept his yap shut on the topic. But what'll happen when the Regularization is formalized?
Well, I do recall His Holiness saying something about a "smaller, purer Catholicism".
Stay tuned, sports fans.
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
6:14 PM
6 Comments:
The fact remains that the SSPX is not at present obedient to the Holy See. When they are, I'll be the first and the happiest to welcome its members back into the fold. Slice it where you like, schism is a grave sin, and obedience (and yes, I know and deplore the fact that lots of modernist nutcases have been getting away with it for years) is not optional nor subject to conditions. Would you have followed a rogue Marine officer who decided to split off from the chain of command and oppose his orders? Catholics don't have the option to create their own bishops, and there's no way around that.
Elinor,
I have a number of posts concerning the staus of the SSPX. Please feel free to use the blog search in the upper left hand corner. But long story short... Monsignor Perl of Ecclesia Dei has already stated that a lay Catholic who attends Mass said by the SSPX has fulfilled their Sunday obligation. Also, Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos has also stated that the Society is not in schism.
Yes, it's a weird situation to be sure. But with Regularization in the horizon, I believe that The Society will be vindicated, and Archbishop Lefevbre will one day be raised to the altar.
And as far as a rouge Officer is concerned, please know that no Marine is bound to follow unlawful orders. I'm sure we could swap horror stories all day concerning some of the downright heresy that the Modernists have foisted upon Holy Mother Church.
But in the meantime... welcome to The Lair!! Hope you come back for many visits in the future! (see... we Trads can be nice!)
There was, and is, nothing unlawful in the admittedly less beautiful new order of the Mass, so that justification won't hold water. Of course, SSPXers always want to talk about liturgy and not obedience, for the same reason that my children, when I have them on the carpet for some infraction, only want to talk about what their brother did. There's no getting round it: Catholics are not permitted to consecrate their own bishops without papal authority, an act which constitutes formal schism, and did so in Abp. Lefebvre's case. The problem with the SSPX is not that they say the old Mass or that they use Latin; it's that they run an illicit parallel church which appoints its own clergy and ordains its own bishops. In a word, it's disobedient. Cdl. Castrillon Hoyos didn't announce authoritatively that the SSPX is not in schism, he said that they were illicitly separated from the Church "even if it were not a formal schism," which is quite a different thing.
Furthermore, a Catholic may fulfill his Sunday obligation by attending an SSPX Mass, if there is no licit Mass available within a reasonable distance, which for an ordinarily mobile American I suppose would be something like fifty miles round trip. I'm afraid that not wanting to go to a new Mass isn't a sufficient obstacle to meet the requirements of the very restricted permission. Here's something else from Msgr. Perl's letter:
1.) The priests of the Society of St. Pius X are validly ordained, but they are suspended from exercising their priestly functions. To the extent that they adhere to the schism of the late Archbishop Lefebvre, they are also excommunicated.
2.) Concretely this means that the Masses offered by these priests are valid, but illicit i.e., contrary to the law of the Church.
You must choose for yourself, of course, but given any other option I would hate to be in the position of having to defend my attendance at an illicit Mass celebrated by a suspended excommunicate.
If it comes down to attending a Mass that is illict, yet clings to tradition; and a Protestant inspired Mass that has the door for error and scandal kicked wide open (and in many cases, where downright heresy is preached)... I'll take illicit.
...and here's the bottom line;
1. The SSPX hasn't budged in their adherance to tradition.
2. The SSPX hasn't budged to their fight against Modernism within The Church.
3. With the Regularization, Archbishop Lefevbre and his Order will be vindicated for what they have held fast to for years and years.
4. ..just like St. Athanasius.
5. Archbishop Lefevbre was right all along. The Regularization will prove that.
As one who converted from Anglicanism to Tradition, having attended both SSPX and FSSP Masses, I am convinced that some day, long after most of us are gone, that Archbishop Lefevbre will be lifted up to the altar, just like another excommunicated bishop before him...St. Athanasius.
May God continue to bless the SSPX and all they have done to hold on to Tradition in light of the past forty years of disaster!
Semper Fi.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home