But that is not what matters. Our church has an organization based on ordained clergy. Bishops, dioceses and jurisdictions matter. When they are irregular, those bonds are weakened. At a SSPX church you are not attending a church established by your bishop who provides the masses there. The connection to the whole episcopal system is tenuous at best.
In the midst of heated arguments, debates and fights, we often forget that it was Christ who was the architect of the structure of the Church. The Church is His bride. The key to Heaven and the responsibility to feed His sheep were entrusted upon Peter—the Vicar of Christ on earth. Without the pope as its head, the Catholic Church ceases to exist. The only legitimate authority to determine who the pope is lies solely in the domain of the Holy Catholic Church—and no one else. It’s simply presumptuous, arrogant and wrong to say otherwise.
As an adult, I often remember the lessons I was taught by the faithful nuns during my youth: Even Christ Himself (fully human and fully divine) fell three times while carrying the Cross to his death; Peter denied Christ three times; and Paul was hunting down Christians. And so on… The good priests on Sundays often reminded us to pick up the Cross and carry it every day. Although popes are Vicars of Christ, they are indeed human (too human)—with the capability to do great things AND with the capability to do harmful things. Throughout the life of the Church and in recent years, the examples for these have been abundant, and perhaps even painfully disastrous.
What Catholics, of good will and of good conscience, should and must do is to be faithful to the Holy Father (despite their failings and faults), to pray for him, and more importantly to place our faith and trust in the Holy Catholic Church. In the past, I heard despicable and vile attacks on Pope St. John Paul and the Holy Church: “He is the devil, a heretic. The gates of Hell have prevailed over the Church. And this and that…” It’s just simply unacceptable, and is contrary to the promise of Christ to protect the Church from the gates of Hell. I say this with the understanding that Catholics are not papists.
In my humble opinion, the “internal and irregular” situation with SSPX needs to be settled sooner rather than later. We want them to be in full communion with the Church. Time is not on our side—although patience and prudence are needed. I fear that, as time passes on and space further pushes us further apart. SSPX might eventually become another Protestant Church. It would not be good.
