Can I attend a non-local Tridentine mass instead of going to a local parish?

[Rich_C]

Yes, but being allowed to assist at an SSPX Mass does not mean that it fulfills their Sunday obligation. I would interpret as meaning that they could do so in addition to fulfilling their Sunday obligation at an available OF Mass in a Roman Catholic Church.

I should have said it was very clear that it fulfilled the Sunday obligation. They always state them in Q&A format so it’s perfectly clear, and the answer was “affirmation.”

 

[Mike30]

Summorum Pontificum says nothing, zilch about SSPX Masses. Neither does Universae ecclesiae. As for Una Voce, they are a good, loyal federation obedient to the Church and her authority and the website you gave reflects that. There isn’t a single mention of SSPX Masses fulfilling one’s obligation or the licitness of their Masses.

As for my source on the liceity of SSPX Masses, the very same site has Pope Benedict’s letter, and in it is this sentence:

The remission of the excommunication was a measure taken in the field of ecclesiastical discipline: the individuals were freed from the burden of conscience constituted by the most serious of ecclesiastical penalties. This disciplinary level needs to be distinguished from the doctrinal level. The fact that the Society of Saint Pius X does not possess a canonical status in the Church is not, in the end, based on disciplinary but on doctrinal reasons. As long as the Society does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church. There needs to be a distinction, then, between the disciplinary level, which deals with individuals as such, and the doctrinal level, at which ministry and institution are involved. In order to make this clear once again: until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and** its ministers – even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty – do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.**

unavoce.org/2009/03/20/benedict-xvis-letter-regarding-remmitting-excomm/

The bolded text makes it clear; that’s the very definition of “illicit.” And because confessions involve the power of jurisdiction, they can’t even validly absolve.

What the site does push for, and rightly so, are the FSSP, and rightly so for the FSSP are in good standing with the Church and you will be hard pressed to find better and holier priests around.

I think what the OP is referring to would be the case where there are no FSSP, Diocesan or other approved Extraordinary Form Masses in the Diocese and yes, you had best believe that there are such Dioceses that for one reason or another flat out refuse to allow Extraordinary Form Masses. In those cases, if the person is attending due to a love for the Extraordinary Form and the spiritual benefits that it brings them they can indeed fulfill their Sunday obligation at an SSPX Chapel. They cannot attend if they have a schismatic mindset and are cautioned that frequent or even regular attendance at such Masses could be problematic as it could possibly lead to the development of a schismatic mentality. They are even allowed to contribute financially if appopriate.

The availability of an Ordinary Form Mass does not enter into the equation if the above stated conditions have been met.

Now those are the facts. I know that some will argue the opposite and will present compelling arguments for their position. However, Rome has said it can be done so it can be. Isn’t that what we are told about everything else? Rome has spoken and thats good enough for me? I have seen that hundreds of times for all knind of things. Why should this be any different?

As far as absolutions, well, since very few people even make the effort to go to Confession anymore, at least at the Churches that I have attended recently, I see even bringing it up as kind of a red herring so to speak. I mean lets get real about this. If the sacrament isn’t a big deal in the Ordinary Form why should it be in the Extraordinary?

 

[Brendan_64]

There is also the issue of receiving Communion at an SSPX Mass. While you will be of course receiving the Holy Eucharist, you are, by taking Communion there, publicly expressing unity with an organisation that is not in good standing with Rome and is chronically disobedient to the Pope. Would you really want to do that just because you like their style of Mass?

 

[porthos11]

I think what the OP is referring to would be the case where there are no FSSP, Diocesan or other approved Extraordinary Form Masses in the Diocese and yes, you had best believe that there are such Dioceses that for one reason or another flat out refuse to allow Extraordinary Form Masses. In those cases, if the person is attending due to a love for the Extraordinary Form and the spiritual benefits that it brings them they can indeed fulfill their Sunday obligation at an SSPX Chapel. They cannot attend if they have a schismatic mindset and are cautioned that frequent or even regular attendance at such Masses could be problematic as it could possibly lead to the development of a schismatic mentality. They are even allowed to contribute financially if appopriate.

The availability of an Ordinary Form Mass does not enter into the equation if the above stated conditions have been met.

Now those are the facts. I know that some will argue the opposite and will present compelling arguments for their position. However, Rome has said it can be done so it can be. Isn’t that what we are told about everything else? Rome has spoken and thats good enough for me? I have seen that hundreds of times for all knind of things. Why should this be any different?

As far as absolutions, well, since very few people even make the effort to go to Confession anymore, at least at the Churches that I have attended recently, I see even bringing it up as kind of a red herring so to speak. I mean lets get real about this. If the sacrament isn’t a big deal in the Ordinary Form why should it be in the Extraordinary?

I was responding to a specific post claiming that SSPX Masses fulfill the obligation according to Summorum Pontificum, which I know to be false because SP says no such thing. I’m not arguing the satisfaction of the obligation; I’m arguing the illicitness of SSPX Masses.

Those who are concerned about the ars celebrandi of the Mass are the same people who go to confession regularly. It IS a big deal, especially if these same people bring mortal sins to a priest who cannot even validly absolve them.

 

[10thCrusader]

There is also the issue of receiving Communion at an SSPX Mass. While you will be of course receiving the Holy Eucharist, you are, by taking Communion there, publicly expressing unity with an organisation that is not in good standing with Rome and is chronically disobedient to the Pope. Would you really want to do that just because you like their style of Mass?

I think the clarification of that position was succinctly stated in post #19

 

[johnmann]

If there is only an SSPX Mass available, are you obliged to attend? What if it’s the Easter season and you’re obliged to receive Communion?

 

[Brendan_64]

As far as absolutions, well, since very few people even make the effort to go to Confession anymore, at least at the Churches that I have attended recently, I see even bringing it up as kind of a red herring so to speak. I mean lets get real about this. If the sacrament isn’t a big deal in the Ordinary Form why should it be in the Extraordinary?

Confessions by SSPX priests are not valid. Rome has made this very clear. A confession to an SSPX priest will not give you absolution.

And as for confession, as you know all Catholics are required to confess, at least once per year. Many Catholics may not go more than this, but failure to confess a mortal sin will put your soul in very grave danger (and I doubt there are many Catholics who do not commit mortal sins). Confession is a big deal, and SSPX confessions are not valid.

From the Council of Trent on the Sacrament of Confession:
“… this Council affirms it to be most true, that the absolution which a priest pronounces upon one over whom he has not either ordinary or delegated jurisdiction, is of no effect” (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, c. 7).

SSPX priests do not have either ordinary or delegated jurisdiction. Their confessions are not valid.

 

[Brendan_64]

I think the clarification of that position was succinctly stated in post #19

No it wasn’t. It didn’t address the issue of an individual publicly expressing unity (by receiving Communion) with an organisation that is chronically disobedient to, and not in good standing with, Rome.

 

[10thCrusader]

If there is only an SSPX Mass available, are you obliged to attend? What if it’s the Easter season and you’re obliged to receive Communion?

It’s not an obligation to attend the EF Mass, but if you prefer the EF Mass, and there is none available in your locality under the diocese, you may attend a SSPX Mass and validly receive communion. Summorum Pontificum is a fairly new document and people are still getting used to the regulatory changes. Naturally, there’s a lot of misunderstandings. That’s why there have been several letters of clarification from the Vatican concerning it.

 

[corsair]

I attend an EF Mass every Sunday. Sometimes it is in Seattle, sometimes in Tacoma and sometimes in Kelso. I have not attended the local parish for several years now.

Simply stated, I attend only the EF Mass.

 

[Mike30]

Confessions by SSPX priests are not valid. Rome has made this very clear. A confession to an SSPX priest will not give you absolution.

And as for confession, as you know all Catholics are required to confess, at least once per year. Many Catholics may not go more than this, but failure to confess a mortal sin will put your soul in very grave danger (and I doubt there are many Catholics who do not commit mortal sins). Confession is a big deal, and SSPX confessions are not valid.

From the Council of Trent on the Sacrament of Confession:
“… this Council affirms it to be most true, that the absolution which a priest pronounces upon one over whom he has not either ordinary or delegated jurisdiction, is of no effect” (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, c. 7).

SSPX priests do not have either ordinary or delegated jurisdiction. Their confessions are not valid.

Yes I know their confessions are invalid. And yes, I think Confessions are important. However, from what I have seen over the past forty or fifty years, mine is most definitely a minority opinion.

With that being said I doubt that many people who sincerely love the Extraordinary Form and who cannot attend one in their Diocese will stay away from an available SSPX Chapel even if they cannot confess there. Lets remember it is not as rare and unusual in the Extraordinary Form for people not to receive regularly as it is in the Ordinary Form where almost everyone goes up.

Besides they could get to confession at their local Parish and then head over to the Chapel for Mass. I somehow doubt their Priests will be overworked in that area.

 

[devoutchristian]

If there is only an SSPX Mass available, are you obliged to attend? What if it’s the Easter season and you’re obliged to receive Communion?

You would only be obliged to attend if it was the only mass period.