Should I Go To SSPX?

[ProVobis]

I would have to leave my current parish

In a perfect trad world with all parishes having the EF, you would have no problem. However, if you really want the EF, you’ll have to be realistic and go outside your parish, whether it’s a diocesan Mass, an independent chapel, or an SSPX service.

You could also go to more than one Mass per Sunday.

 

[Diak]

In order to agree with the church 100% you must avoid sspx for the time being - would you agree?

Unless one wants to support clergy whom the Holy Father himself has decreed “do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church”.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I already attend the EF Mass weekly. I am considering the SSPX for other reasons. I have to strongly disagree with your statement that the SSPX are protestant! They are far from it!

If you attend the EF already and that is your preference, then may I ask what the other reasons for considering attendance at the SSPX which is outside of the Church and has made some very problematic statements concerning the Church and what it Teaches.

I would say that if you did not have access to the EF and you were careful to protect yourself fromt the errors of the SSPX that attendance there for the EF would not be a problem and could be good for you spiritually as you have stated that you feel you are growing spiritually with attendance at the EF.

As for it fulfilling your Sunday obligation, this is not a give, as most people use a letter to a single individual where it is stated that this individual may do so becasue of the issues in his life which are not spelt out in the letter. They have never posted the actual letter from the individual asking if this is ok.

The granting of a dispensation to one individual does not mean that everyone gets this dispensation, it must be requested and granted.

 

[ProVobis]

The SSPX is essentially a protestant church in a mirror.

Even the secular press wouldn’t make this leap.

 

[cathguy]

You probably won’t. Try finding a traditional mass at your parish instead. The SSPX is essentially a protestant church in a mirror.

Why is this forum so lacking in charity?

The Pope has made clear this isn’t the case. This is an internal matter for the Church. Why are so many here a) so uninformed, and b) think they are Pope?

 

[Dempsey1919]

In order to agree with the church 100% you must avoid sspx for the time being - would you agree?

I accept the teachings of the Church in their entirety; I believe in the doctrines of the Faith. So does the SSPX. The SSPX are a valid priestly society who currently have an irregular canonical status. I don’t think attending the SSPX chapel will put me at odds with the Church; i’ll still be a Catholic in good standing.

However, and this is a genuine question, would I be committing the sin of disobedience by attending SSPX chapels? I am very loyal to the Holy Father and I would hate to be disobeying his orders.

 

[CDNowak]

OK, we need the definitive answer here.

From the Una Voce site(dated 1999)

3. The situation of the faithful attending chapels of the Society of St. Pius X is more complicated. They may attend Mass there primarily because of an attraction to the earlier form of the Roman Rite in which case they incur no penalty. The difficulty is that the longer they frequent these chapels, the more likely it is that they will slowly imbibe the schismatic mentality which stands in judgement of the Church and
refuses submission to the Roman Pontiff and communion with the members of the Church subject to him. If that becomes the case, then it would seem that they adhere to the schism and are consequently excommunicated. For these reasons this Pontifical Commission cannot encourage you to frequent the chapel of the Society of St. Pius X. On the other hand it would seem that you are among those who attend Mass in chapels
of the Society of St. Pius X because of the reverence and devotion which they find there, because of their attraction to the traditional Latin Mass and not because they refuse submission to the Roman Pontiff or reject communion with the members of the Church subject to him. At the same time it must be admitted that – this is an irregular situation, even if the circumstances which have caused it have come about through no fault of your own, and it should be remedied as soon as circumstances permit.

In 2003, the PCED reaffirmed that the SSPX masses (being valid Masses celebrated according to a Catholic Rite), ** do fulfill the Sunday obligation**.

As to the OP’s situation, I guess I have to stand with PCED. He may go to the SSPX, as long as he is not going for the sake of adhering to the schism, but it is not recommendable if he has another option available (ie the weekly EF he already attends).

 

[ProVobis]

Also consider that what you are asking from the church is by no means as unlikely now as it was just a couple of years ago. It is definitely moving along. Wouldn’t you feel rather awful if you started going to SSPX - knowing that you were being unfaithful - and then have it become perfectly ok just months later. Would those months really be worth it?

On the other hand, if no one were to attend there at all, then there would be no purpose in having talks with Rome at all, would there? I’m not urging anyone to go there, but some of us prefer an EF said properly to one where the priest struggles with it or to an OF.