So, can I attend a SSPX mass or not?

[porthos11]

See…that is exactly what confused me in the first place!

That’s why it helps to know at least the basics of the law. Many other posters here can cite the relevant sections of canon law.

That advice was not only imprudent but potentially dangerous, since we know that with SSPX confessions invalid, one is not to approach them for that Sacrament. While the Holy See has stated that one may hear their Mass subject to certain conditions, one cannot in good conscience approach them for anything that also requires the power of jurisdiction (e.g. confession and marriage).

 

[CB_Catholic]

Why not warn the person first? If someone is new, they might not know they can’t speak highly of the SSPX or “prosyletize”.

The poster has been a member of CAF for 10 months.

 

[porthos11]

Amen…I totally recognize the Papacy…and attend Mass regularly…attended a SSPX Mass (the Mass of my childhood) and was moved by the reverence…it was 6 a.m, there was snow on the ground…Sunday morning Mass…everyone was very well dressed, infants also…there was no talking in church prior to Mass…incidentally I went to Confession the day before in this parish…(I was visiting this area) and it was beautiful…I didn’t get the usual 4/4…and I wasn’t told that what I was confessing WASN"T a sin…There is no ambiuity with the people in this parish…also…the individual administering the Sacrament of Holy Communion was the Priest…not some woman wearing a sleeveless dress/short skirt…I don’t make it a habit of attending Mass at this church…but if I were in the area I would definitely attend Holy Mass there…I love Pope Benedict and believe that he is sensitive to this entire ongoin situation with the SSPX owing to his recent actions allowing the Latin Mass be offered to the faithful who request it…PAX

Except that unfortunately, if you were not in danger of death at that time, you weren’t absolved, good advice notwithstanding. I would state that if you haven’t done so, you should find a priest in good standing and repeat that confession, but take the good counsel of the SSPX priest. If the priest in good standing gives bad advice, disregard it, but accept his penance and absolution.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

Mass: as long as you are attending the Mass at an SSPX location and not an “affiliated” location, and as long as you attend Mass for a want to attend the EF Mass and not to “protest the Pope” or some business, and as long as there are no licit parish EF Masses within reasonable distance, then yes, you may attend.

What might constitute “reasonable distance”? For example, in my diocese, there is a licit EF Mass about 40 minutes away. The SSPX Chapel is a 15 minute drive. Does the 40 minute drive qualify as ‘unreasonable’, or simply ‘inconvenient’?

 

[ProVobis]

Marriage: Extremely mostly sure that this is invalid, because you need canonical faculties to marry a man and a woman.

Technically the man and woman marry each other. The priest or deacon witness it.

The FSSPX wedding would be recognized by the state but it would not be sacramental.

That said, I believe the Church requires annulments for those who wish to remarry after their “FSSPX marriage” fails in divorce. So there seem to be some gray areas (uncertainties) involved.

 

[ProVobis]

What might constitute “reasonable distance”? For example, in my diocese, there is a licit EF Mass about 40 minutes away. The SSPX Chapel is a 15 minute drive. Does the 40 minute drive qualify as ‘unreasonable’, or simply ‘inconvenient’?

Tough to say. Maybe in this case alternating between the two would show that at least you accept the diocesan Mass as valid. (Some don’t.) In any case as long as you don’t develop a schismatic mindset, it would be okay to attend the FSSPX according to the statements I’ve read from the Vatican.

 

[Melchior_1]

Technically the man and woman marry each other. The priest or deacon witness it.

Ah yes, I recall this now. You are correct!

That said, I believe the Church requires annulments for those who wish to remarry after their “FSSPX marriage” fails in divorce. So there seem to be some gray areas (uncertainties) involved.

Yeah, I have no idea about the FSSPX marriage thing really.

 

[babochka]

Too much conflicting information! At least in my 2 days of reading internet posts.

Mass?
Confession?

As a catholic (loyal to the Pope) can I go to SSPX for sacraments?

Thanks

I wanted to go because a friend had invited me to attend. She accepted my invitation to attend Divine Liturgy and I reciprocated. We do have an FSSP parish nearby, so there is no lack of a traditional Mass. Having also heard conflicting opinions of this forum, I asked my pastor and he said that it was fine to attend and fine to receive Communion.

 

[Thomas_Casey]

REMINDER

Until the SSPX is normalized, no one may use TC Forum to promote, encourage or support attendance at the SSPX chapels, especially when there are valid and licit masses in every diocese in the world. Licit does not mean you have to like it or that every action is by the book. It means that the priest celebrating the mass has the permission of a legitimate ecclesiastical authority to do so, all other interesting things that people do not withstanding.

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Confession though, is another story. SSPX confessions and marriages are invalid (not merely illicit), so no matter what anyone says to the contrary (all that “supplied jurisdiction because of the crisis” stuff), you should not go to them for Confession.

How can a marriage be invalid? The bride and groom confer the sacrament on each other.

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Confession: Invalid.

Even if no other priest is available?

Marriage: Extremely mostly sure that this is invalid, because you need canonical faculties to marry a man and a woman.

As I said here before: Marriage is conferred by the bride and the groom, not the priest, so how could a marriage be invalid?

Anointing of the Sick: Tough to say. I think the actual anointing is valid, but a lot of people get “bulk Sacraments” with this, and if that’s the case then any of the above applies to this one.

The SSPX doesn’t do “Anointing of the Sick.”

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Why would one want to attend, since the spirit of disobedience (currently) animates them?

They are obedient to all the pre-Vatican II popes for sure. Just because it seems the SSPX originated in disobedience does not make those now in the SSPX automatically disobedient.

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Oy. Reported for promoting this nonsense.

What nonsense?

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Why not warn the person first? If someone is new, they might not know they can’t speak highly of the SSPX or “prosyletize”.

Why not?

 

[per_Mariam_Dei]

Amen…I totally recognize the Papacy

All valid papacies or just the recent one(s)?

 

[Faithdancer]

I wanted to go because a friend had invited me to attend. She accepted my invitation to attend Divine Liturgy and I reciprocated. We do have an FSSP parish nearby, so there is no lack of a traditional Mass. Having also heard conflicting opinions of this forum, I asked my pastor and he said that it was fine to attend and fine to receive Communion.

This pertains to a question I had as well. I would like to attend an SSPX Mass, not to be disobedient but to attend EF Mass more frequently and perhaps be, in a small way, a bridge between our diocese and the SSPX congregation (I work for the diocese). I would certainly plan to attend a diocesan Mass on Sundays, even if I attend an SSPX Mass the same day. Brother JR here on CAF, who has expertise in canon law, has attended SSPX Mass and made a friend out of the priest there, as related on another thread in this forum. I’m sure he wouldn’t have attended their Mass if there was any real problem with that.

That being said, I’m absolutely allegiant to Rome and love our current Pope. And I pray for reconciliation of SSPX with the Magisterium.

 

[thistle]

Too much conflicting information! At least in my 2 days of reading internet posts.

Mass?
Confession?

As a catholic (loyal to the Pope) can I go to SSPX for sacraments?

Thanks

1. Yes but it does not fulfill your Sunday obligation if there is another Mass in your area.
2. No. The SSPX priests’ faculties are suspended.

 

[Rich_C]

REMINDER

Until the SSPX is normalized, no one may use TC Forum to promote, encourage or support attendance at the SSPX chapels, especially when there are valid and licit masses in every diocese in the world. Licit does not mean you have to like it or that every action is by the book. It means that the priest celebrating the mass has the permission of a legitimate ecclesiastical authority to do so, all other interesting things that people do not withstanding.

I agreed to the user contract so I will not promote attendence at an SSPX chapel, but I would like to point out that the Church in her wisdom does not hold Catholics to such a strict standard as CAF does, in this regard.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

All Catholics should also remember that they should never contribute financially to the SSPX or other schismatic groups.

 

[PJM]

=Armor of Light;9849240]Too much conflicting information! At least in my 2 days of reading internet posts.

Mass?
Confession?

As a catholic (loyal to the Pope) can I go to SSPX for sacraments?

Thanks

No! and NO!

Why?
because they are in “schism” which is a theological term meaning SEPERATED [by thier choice] form Rome and thee Catholic Church:thumbsup: