How to Tell if a Parish is SSPX

  • Thread starter Thread starter Melodeonist
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Melodeonist

Guest
While I know for sure my parish is not SSPX, how might one tell if a parish is SSPX by merely looking at it? I know this might be a silly question, but I think this is good information to know when traveling.
 
Melodeonist said:
While I know for sure my parish is not SSPX, how might one tell if a parish is SSPX by merely looking at it? I know this might be a silly question, but I think this is good information to know when traveling.
Click to expand...
Mass in the old rite only.
Excessive use of the word “modernism”.
Hostility toward anything after Vatican II

All three of those together is usually a good indicator.
 
Melodeonist said:
While I know for sure my parish is not SSPX, how might one tell if a parish is SSPX by merely looking at it? I know this might be a silly question, but I think this is good information to know when traveling.
Click to expand...
By merely looking at it, It might be difficult. There are various Christ the King shrines which follow the missal of 1962 exclusively.
 
Go into the vestibule and look at their weekly bulletin. It will say right on it “Society of St. Pius X.” If they don’t have a Sunday bulletin displayed, they usually have a picture of Archbishop Lefebvre hanging on the wall.
 
Simply look online at the Diocesan website.
If it’s not listed there…that tells you something.
 
pianistclare said:
Simply look online at the Diocesan website.
If it’s not listed there…that tells you something.
Click to expand...
Or vice versa, look on the SSPX website. They’re pretty open about what their churches are and where. That’s another thing, look at the name of where you’re going. If it’s a St. Such and Such Parish, or something like that, it’s not likely SSPX. They tend to be Such and Such Chapel, Mission, etc…
 
Perhaps the sign in front of the church?

The only two that I know of around here say so on the sign. Otherwise as Clare says if it’s not listed on the diocesan website one can be pretty sure it’s not a parish in good standing of the diocese.
 
Thanks for the replies! I did not know that SSPX did not name their churches the same way as Catholic churches.
 
Melodeonist said:
While I know for sure my parish is not SSPX, how might one tell if a parish is SSPX by merely looking at it? I know this might be a silly question, but I think this is good information to know when traveling.
Click to expand...
Well if you are traveling and looking to go to confession it doesn’t matter and the way things are looking hopefully soon the SSPX will give increase and more access to the Traditional Latin Mass for all which will also benefit travelers.

catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=28034
 
johnnyc176 said:
Well if you are traveling **and looking to go to confession **it doesn’t matter and the way things are looking hopefully soon the SSPX will give increase and more access to the Traditional Latin Mass for all which will also benefit travelers.

catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=28034
Click to expand...
That is true, for now. There is a temporary faculty extended to SSPX priests to hear Confessions but it expires at with the end of the Year of Mercy (Nov. 20). We will have to wait and see if the faculty is continued.
 
Yes, look on the diocesan website to see their parishes. There are also some Anglican/Episcopal churches which will look very much like Catholic parishes but are not. SSPX does not claim to have any “parishes.” They have “chapels” or “missions.” They are essentially operating a parallel church.
 
Melodeonist said:
While I know for sure my parish is not SSPX, how might one tell if a parish is SSPX by merely looking at it? I know this might be a silly question, but I think this is good information to know when traveling.
Click to expand...
I don’t think you can, just by looking at the building.

I don’t think the SSPX chapel here in Pittsburgh even has a sign in front, I wouldn’t know its status if I hadn’t read the local newspapers. It looks pretty much as it did as a diocese owned ecclesiastical edifice.
 
Here in beautiful Sandy Eggo, the San Diego Reader publishes daily events. Among the entries for Every Sunday is the ad “Traditional Catholic Latin Mass, St. John Bosco Mission. SSPX”

Note the Mission, as others have noted, and the explicit SSPX. What makes it ambiguous around here is the abundance of “missions”, due to the influence of St. Fr. Serra.

Blessings,
Stephie
 
A quick phone call asking if they are part of the diocese could tell you a lot.

From what I’ve seen in travels, and what others here have posted, the SSPX chapels don’t usually hide their affiliation. I have seen other splinter traditionalist chapels that are a bit more shady when it comes to disclosing their status, though.
 
Generic_Name said:
A quick phone call asking if they are part of the diocese could tell you a lot.

From what I’ve seen in travels, and what others here have posted, the SSPX chapels don’t usually hide their affiliation. I have seen other splinter traditionalist chapels that are a bit more shady when it comes to disclosing their status, though.
Click to expand...
My local chapel has a sign, “Traditional Roman Catholic Church”, which is kind of vague. It could mean almost anything. I wish its identity (non-connection to the Catholic Church structure) were more explicit. The Polish National Catholic Church has parishes, which they now identify in small letters as “National Catholic Church” as they want to broaden their ethnic base (but still reaching out only to Catholics). Then there are liberal offshoots, like the American Catholic Church (pro abortion, pro SSM), which seem to advertise in an ambiguous way. They even have a Franciscan movement, not connected to the Catholic Church obviously. They don’t exactly say they are sponsored by the RCC, but don’t correct that assumption either.

These groups take advantage of a common assumption that anything with the word Catholic is more or less under the supervision of the Catholic Church. I wish all these entities would have signs, and much more activity, that might recruit non Catholics, or non Christians, inviting them into Christianity, rather than trying only to attract Catholics.
 
commenter said:
These groups take advantage of a common assumption that anything with the word Catholic is more or less under the supervision of the Catholic Church. I wish all these entities would have signs, and much more activity, that might recruit non Catholics, or non Christians, inviting them into Christianity, rather than trying only to attract Catholics.
Click to expand...
There’s a small chapel near me with the title “Liberal Catholic Church” with Sunday Eucharist at 10:00 am. Claims to be Catholic and has valid Apostolic Succession. Also claims to have some traditional form of worship. How’s that for confusing?
 
Corki said:
That is true, for now. There is a temporary faculty extended to SSPX priests to hear Confessions but it expires at with the end of the Year of Mercy (Nov. 20). We will have to wait and see if the faculty is continued.
Click to expand...
Based on the meeting between Pope Francis and Bishop Fellay last week, Bishop Fellay has reported that the faculty to hear Confessions will not expire, according to an exchange between the two. Apparently, the Pope is also looking into an extension of ordinary faculties to witness weddings. Bishop Fellay also mentioned that the Pope suggested the Society consider opening a seminary in Rome. Bishop Fellay has documented the points of his Pontifical meeting in a memorandum to the District Superiors of the Society.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top