From sedevacantism to communion with Rome

[AndyP2010]

Here is an article how a group of Sedevacantist nuns returned to communion with Rome. The SSPX could learn a lot from these ladies.

Mother Teresa Christe of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa discusses her journey from sedevacantism to communion with Rome and the establishment of a community of sisters devoted to prayer and Catholic education.

**CWR: You became a sister with the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculate), a group that identifies itself as Catholic but is not in union with the Holy Father. You were one of about 50 sisters at Mount St. Michael in Spokane, Washington. You later returned with 14 other sisters to full communion with Rome. How did you make this decision?
**
Mother Teresa Christe: Conversion comes in many layers. In the traditional community I entered, we never thought of ourselves as out of full communion with the Church. But the grace I received in baptism acted as a homing device that called me to full communion.

I loved my life in the traditional community. But, it was the saint for whom I’m named, St. Teresa of Avila, who said, “In the end, I die a daughter of the Church.” I realized that to have the fullness of the Catholic faith, I need to be in union with Rome. We have to trust Our Lord; where Peter is there is the Church.

My former community believes that due to confusion and heresy, the popes after John XXIII lost their authority. It’s really a hopeless outlook.

Part of my process of coming into full communion with the Church was recognizing the authority of the Holy Father at the time, Pope John Paul II. Privately, I prayed for him, and asked the Lord, “Please make it clear to me when you want me to move and come into full communion with Rome.”

To me, if the SSPX where really interested in full communion their priest would submit to their local ordinaries and their bishop would submit to the Pope. A group of sedevacantist sisters would have a much bigger bridge to cross than the SSPX and yet these ladies humbled themselves to get it done.

 

[Cojuanco]

Well, the problem is a bit more complicated. Many communities are exempt from obedience to the local ordinary IIRC. Take the Jesuits for example. They are to commemorate the Bishop in the Mass, but unless they are engaged in diocesan ministry, their superiors are independent of the Bishops, and answer to the Pope. The problem is that the SSPX has no legitimate ministry in the Church, so we do not know if they are exempt or not. Perhaps they are not given when they were still In good standing they were of diocesan right. But I do not know.

What we do know is that they should submit to the Successor of Peter, whether it is someone like Francis, someone like Benedict, or even, God forbid, a total scoundrel.

 

[janeway529]

Here is an article how a group of Sedevacantist nuns returned to communion with Rome. The SSPX could learn a lot from these ladies.

To me, if the SSPX where really interested in full communion their priest would submit to their local ordinaries and their bishop would submit to the Pope. A group of sedevacantist sisters would have a much bigger bridge to cross than the SSPX and yet these ladies humbled themselves to get it done.

The main difference between these sisters and the SSPX is the realization that their mindset is mistaken. Until this happens, I don’t think the SSPX will be ready for reconciliation with Rome.

 

[RPRPsych]

The main difference between these sisters and the SSPX is the realization that their mindset is mistaken. Until this happens, I don’t think the SSPX will be ready for reconciliation with Rome.

Unfortunately, this mindset is not going to change without a singular grace from God.

Just look at the comments below most of the news articles on that site and you’ll find that it’s alive and well:

• allegations that these sisters are pawns of the LCWR
• calling the Holy Father “Frank” and “a cheap politician”
• baseless accusations that there are two “parties” in the Church - pro-Francis and pro-Benedict…

…and so on.

 

[Lormar]

A group of sedevacantist sisters would have a much bigger bridge to cross than the SSPX and yet these ladies humbled themselves to get it done.

Speaking from years of experience in both the sedevacantists and the SSPX, it is the latter that causes more harm. The sedevacantists are pretty cut and dry, but the SSPX put the diabolical question mark in your mind.

 

[corsair]

The story of these Sisters reminds me of this one; sistersofmarymc.org/

 

[Catholic_775]

** A Catholic totally destroys the protestant arguments in this recent Youtube debate. Here is the link…

youtube.com/watch?v=Qn1vC1Ez-OI **

 

[Cojuanco]

The story of these Sisters reminds me of this one; sistersofmarymc.org/

That’s because to a large extent they were founded from members of that institute.

 

[RPRPsych]

Speaking from years of experience in both the sedevacantists and the SSPX, it is the latter that causes more harm. The sedevacantists are pretty cut and dry, but the SSPX put the diabolical question mark in your mind.

A case of “I would that thou were hot or cold”? That’s an interesting point of view.

 

[bcuster]

Thank you for posting this. I taught in Spokane in 1981-1983. At the time I was a member of a religious community. We had discussions about what was happening at Mt. St. Michael. Very sad indeed. I am also fond of Bishop Vasa, one of our “Oregon” bishops. It is true that he speaks his mind and is most faithful to the Teachings of the Church.

 

[Credo_in_Deum]

Here is an article how a group of Sedevacantist nuns returned to communion with Rome. The SSPX could learn a lot from these ladies.

To me, if the SSPX where really interested in full communion their priest would submit to their local ordinaries and their bishop would submit to the Pope. A group of sedevacantist sisters would have a much bigger bridge to cross than the SSPX and yet these ladies humbled themselves to get it done.

May God bless these sisters and may there lives and sacrifices help convert there fellow sisters some day. IMHO we should not muck up this story by talking about what we think the SSPX should do. What we need to ask is what can we do to help them? We can offer prayers and sacrifices for their unity with Holy Mother Church. After all it is these types of prayers and sacrifices which helped these sisters come back to the fullness of the Catholic faith.

 

[sebastian1213]

Here is an article how a group of Sedevacantist nuns returned to communion with Rome. The SSPX could learn a lot from these ladies.

To me, if the SSPX where really interested in full communion their priest would submit to their local ordinaries and their bishop would submit to the Pope. A group of sedevacantist sisters would have a much bigger bridge to cross than the SSPX and yet these ladies humbled themselves to get it done.

I beleiev the leaders of the SSPX know that in doing so they place themselves in a precarious position and by that I mean that their traditional seminaries could be forced to close if…if a local ordinary were of a mind to do so, and for that reason alone, I beleieve they are hesitant. Their objective is to preserve tradition and to form priests educated in the Extraordinary form, and that could be compromised if they are not on guard and accept an agreement with Rome.

 

[Cojuanco]

But if a religious society was one of pontifical right, while a bishop could prohibit the presence of such a society entirely (though doing so is very, very rare IIRC) he could not interfere in their ministry except where they enroach upon his jurisdiction; seminaries for educating seminarians for that exempt society would not be such a place where the bishop has the right to interfere. It’s the same reason, for example, that the Archbishop of Boston cannot directly intervene in the affairs of Boston College, were Boston College to, say, allow a certain Taoiseach who is known for having pushed for the liberalization of abortion to speak at their commencement ceremony. The only one allowed to interfere would be the superiors of such a society (in my not-so-hypothetical, the Jesuits), and of course, the Holy Father and those he entrusts with power over societies of consecrated life. IIRC, Benedict offered the SSPX such an arrangement, which was rejected.

Closing a non-diocesan seminary is pretty hard to do.

 

[Denise1957]

In reading the entire article from the link in the OP, I’m struck by the charitable attitude of Mother Teresa Christe toward every question that’s put to her by the interviewer. For instance, she mentions that at the high school where she now teaches theology classes, there were some teachers who thought that her classes might cause problems, but as it turns out, there’s not been any disunity at all. She’s likely strives to make sure that doesn’t happen. And it seems that the bishops who have been helping her and the other sisters since they reconciled have been very gracious toward them.

It’s a win-win situation. The sisters are now working with and for the diocese, and in turn, the diocese can reap the rewards of having faithful, obedient, charitable and orthodox sisters in their midst, who are helping to form faithful Catholics, and who also set a good example.

 

[Lormar]

A case of “I would that thou were hot or cold”? That’s an interesting point of view.

And that is a succinct way you had of putting it. Yes. I think that is what it comes down to: let your yes, be yes; and your no, be no.

 

[RPRPsych]

And that is a succinct way you had of putting it. Yes. I think that is what it comes down to: let your yes, be yes; and your no, be no.

That’s an equally good (and Scriptural) way of putting it.

However, I don’t think all Sedevacantists are necessarily going to go down this road. I’m just reading a “book” (actually a hodge-podge of out-of-context quotes) by one Richard Ibranyi, and it’s hard on both the soul and the stomach.

 

[Cojuanco]

That’s an equally good (and Scriptural) way of putting it.

However, I don’t think all Sedevacantists are necessarily going to go down this road. I’m just reading a “book” (actually a hodge-podge of out-of-context quotes) by one Richard Ibranyi, and it’s hard on both the soul and the stomach.

Ibranyi? The one that goes further than even most sedevacantists, and claims that every Pope since the publication of Unigenitus is a false Pope? Ibranyi the Jansenist? You are much more patient than I am - a few paragraphs in and I see myself throwing the book hard against the wall.