There are some misconceptions here that in justice to all sides should be clarified.
The Society is not in schism.
The actions of the Archbishop were schismatic.
The excommunication had nothing to do with the form of the mass, but with the ordination of four bishops without the pope’s permission.
The mass is sacred, with or without the Society. The Society does not make it sacred.
The Society’s situation was influential in Rome’s decision to take a closer look at the status of the Tridentine form of the mass.
The abuses in the OF of the mass have nothing to do with Vatican II, but are the result of “creativity” in the minds of many priests.
The current status of the Society is that of having no canonical status in the Catholic Church. Therefore, their bishops cannot teach authoritatively except on matters that have already been established by the Church. In other words, they cannot make laws or rules for the faithful, because they are not Ordinaries.
Attendance at mass at an SSPX chapel is allowed to fulfill one’s Sunday obligation, but the faithful who attend are not to support the SSPX’s opposition to Church authority. The rule only sanctions the attendance at mass, not opposition to the authority of the pope and the local bishops. Catholics who attend mass at the SSPX chapels still fall under the jurisdiction of the local bishops, not the bishops of the SSPX.
The mass celebrated by the priests of the Society is valid, but illicit, because the priests are suspended. It would be the same as attending a mass by a priest who is suspended by the local bishop for other disciplinary reasons or who is on leave of absence. If you are suspended, you are not supposed to celebrate mass. If you do, the mass is valid, but your actions are illegal and those who deny the illegality of these actions are acting contrary to Church law.
The statements made about the Holocaust, racism, sexism, etc. are those of individuals and should not be attributed to the entire Society.
The members of the Society who claim that the OF is invalid or sacrilegeous are wrong. The Church cannot err in such matters. The OF was approved by the Church and the approval and appreciation for the OF was repeated by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Such approval does not include the abuses that people have committed. The approval is for the form, not the abuse of the form.
It would be rude and uncharitable to label and make disparaging remarks about the clergy of the SSPX as it would be rude and uncharitable to do the same about the clergy of any other orgianization or diocese. Like every human organization, I would imagine that the SSPX has lose canons, saints and people in the middle.
It would be prudent for Catholics to hold their speculation until the dialogue between the SSPX and the Sacred Congregation for the Faith to be concluded. Speculations often sound as if they were facts, which trigger arguments and hostilities. So far, none of the hositlities and arguments from either side has done any good for the spiritual life of Catholics.
On a personal level, I pray for a fraternal dialogue between the leadership of the Society and the Sacred Congregation and a solution that is just for all parties involved.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
