This is refuted easily enough. Rome does not hold the position that the SSPX is in schism. Read anything from Cardinal Castrillon De Hoyos in the last couple years. Pope Benedict XVI has said the same, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger.
See this thread from Ask An Apologist.
Ecclesia Dei, the motu proprio promulgated by the Servant of God Pope John Paul II stated clearly that Archbishop Lefebreve and the bishops he consecrated were excommunicate, the priests of the Society were suspended *ad divinis *(and thus have no faculties), and the laity were warned against the grave sin of schism by association with them. Until Pope Benedict or one of his successors rules otherwise, then this is all we have to objectively go on. See the document at the following link, where the Pope clearly states that “The root of this schismatic act can be discerned in an incomplete and contradictory notion of Tradition.”
I came home to the Church about a month ago and I attend an indult Latin Mass.
I fully believe in everything that the Church teaches…but I feel like leaving the Church. I’m so disheartened.
DEAR DISHEARTENED>>>>>>>>>>>
Hang in there.Your biggest problem is the “University” those
places are loaded with anti-God, anti-Americanism, and very
liberal and socialist agendas. I know- I went through it.
You need to find another Church with conservative priests.
Yes, the Church is wounded but beautiful…the deposit of faith
is there by Jesus…And you have to separate this from the people who are trying to destroy her.
But you must keep your faith in her doctrine. THAT PART IS
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. Your faith should not be in the people of the Church but in the Church established by Jesus Christ.
CHANGE YOUR CHURCH…DON’T LEAVE IT!.:byzsoc:
Actually, Rome hasn’t really spoken to the majority of the SSPX in anything official from the Church save this:
This is a good point. It’s important to remember that Jesus said the tares would be allowed to grow alongside the wheat, because to rip them out could damage the tender wheat stalks. We can never expect the people around us to be perfect, or even to necessarily be truly God’s. They may be tares, or they may be wolves in sheep’s clothing. Our task is to keep our eyes on Jesus, hold firm to what He has taught us, and let Him take care of the people around us. And maybe He will bless us with the ability to lead others to His truth as well!
Thanks much! Guess I could have done my own homework, eh?
But thanks for bearing with me.Coach, just for the record, I’m also disturbed by some of the posts here. I’m glad Pax explained that we are in the traditional section and that may explain why some of the tone here is so rigid. I don’t mean to sound impertinent, but I really do not think God worries as much about which language we worship Him in as we think. He is looking at the heart and the spirit, not the law. Heaven forbid, New Testament writers certainly had plenty to say about how we should not be constructing rigid laws to live by–they were done away in Christ. Obedience to Church teachings is one thing, but allowing them to take precedence over such things as love, mercy, forgiveness, humility, etc., is going in the wrong direction.
I have felt like this many times in my endeavors at my university as well. My suggestion to you would be to really search out the people that are traditional Catholics because they are out there. I I would also suggest to try to do some active work in promoting traditional Catholic ministry because there are people that really thirst for truth and need a strong presence of Christ in their lives. You have a great responsibility because you have knowledge for your life, and if you feel comfortable to try to find others to grow with. If your current church does not work for you then you should probably try to find another church. Good luck with your journey and don’t lose faith, traditional Catholics are out there and we really need to support each other.I came home to the Church about a month ago and I attend an indult Latin Mass.
I fully believe in everything that the Church teaches…but I feel like leaving the Church. I’m so disheartened. Here’s the story:
Like I said, I’m a recent revert and I have been meeting with my parish priest for the last two weeks because I want to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I have spent about 4 years reading and learning about the faith; I wanted to make sure that I believe in EVERYTHING the Church teaches. I would never enter the Church and become a ‘cafeteria Catholic’. As a result of this study, I now have a pretty thorough understanding of doctrine and belief etc.
I was very excited about meeting with my priest every week but now I wish I didn’t bother.
It seems that every Catholic I meet is a liberal who is against the Church’s moral teachings. I recently started University and I visited the Catholic Chaplaincy. The Priest was great but the place seems very liberal, for example, the room where they say Mass has a gay pride flag pinned to the wall. One of the chaplains is an ex-nun (which seems strange). They also let non-Catholics worship there/use the facilities eg. chapel etc.
I’ve just came back from my weekly meeting with the Priest and I feel very demoralised. I decided that I would ask the Priest about everything that troubled me about Catholicism. I don’t think it went well. I asked him about ecumenism and the need for other Christians to become Catholics. He said that the Catholic Church is not the Church of Christ per se, but that the Church of Christ subsists in it. He said that the Church of Christ is actually the large fellowship of all Christians, irregardless of denomination. He did say that the Catholic Church has the fullness of faith however. He also said that the Roman Catholic Church had placed too much emphasis on the primacy of the Pope and that more needs to be done to accomodate the Orthodox.
I asked him whether he believed in contraception and he didn’t give me an answer. He told me that most Catholics in this country do not have a problem with contraception and that it is not an infallable teaching. I told him that I was against contraception and he looked less than impressed. I told him that I could not in good conscience ever use a condom and he said that while this is ‘proper’ most Catholics disagree.
I told him that I will keep attending the Latin Mass and that I hope other younger people will attend. He didn’t greet that comment with enthusiasm either.
At the end of the meeting, he asked me whether I would like to keep seeing him. I told him that I still wanted to be confirmed but he seemed less enthusiastic than he was last week.
I’m starting to think that there are no faithful Catholics left. Everyone I meet seems so hypocritical. I’m gutted because I really believe what the Church teaches, but it seems that the church is infested with dissenters who look down on orthodox catholic teaching. I wish I met Catholics like the ones on this forum.
I feel like leaving the Church…everyone seems so hypocritical…even the Priests. I don’t know what to do. The SSPX is looking more and more appealing. I’m feel very upset at the moment.
I am sorry to say this, but the truth never changes and the Pope Benedict XVI said so himself, Extra Ecclessiam Nulla Salus, Outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation and to say that truth changes i s absurd. If outside the Catholic Church there is salvation then you dont really need the faith and the Catholic faith was just neccessary for just a little bit, and God did not really mean to change your faith that is why when you make statements like those. Its ok if you dont believe if you are a good jew, Good Muslim you will be ok. I am sorry to say Judy, but the Popes themselves said that speaking ex-cathedra under infallibility so I will take all of the Modern Popes and older Popes word for it. Catholics still have that point of view especially if Coach leaves the faith, because he would have no excuse. The Catholic Church does not say that you have to understand everything about the faith, but oyu have to believe in the Dogmas.
Yes, but sometimes that’s not possible. I’m in the same mess. The three parishes close enough for me to get to are liberal. It sucks. I have to keep one foot in a Baptist church just to be with people who actually take the Bible seriously. That’s not the way the world is supposed to be, but sometimes it is that way, and yes it does suck.
Also seek out an indult parish in your area. Even if you don’t go to the Tridentine, their Novus Ordo Masses are usually better than the average parish in my experience./QUOT
People have left the church because of all it’s hatred. No Compassion, Hypocrisy, as our Lord said “Full of Dead Mans bones”.
The Catholic Church is full of corruption. I wish my wife and kids would leave it.
You should not be going to a babtist church forYes, but sometimes that’s not possible. I’m in the same mess. The three parishes close enough for me to get to are liberal. It sucks. I have to keep one foot in a Baptist church just to be with people who actually take the Bible seriously. That’s not the way the world is supposed to be, but sometimes it is that way, and yes it does suck.
A Catholic Church is supposed to be a haven for people who take God and the Bible and seriously, but sometimes it’s not.
But Dempsey, if I can navigate my way through the mess, so can you. You’re not allowed to quit until I quit, and I haven’t quit yet.
“serious Bible studies”. I cant remember which saint said this, “Protestants understand the Bible enough to misinterpret it.” You will get your head hogwashed by a lot of this most used Bible quotes by Protestants. “Nobody comes to the Father but through me”. I know personally two Catholics who left the faith after some pastor read that to them. What people of little faith. THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of online books you could read that have Orthodox Catholic teaching. You can get books in the Ignatious Press, Roman Catholic Books, Angelus Press (SSPX) they have alot of good books that are 1920 reprints about the faith and so on so forth. If there are Catholic who dont care about the scriptures is because they dont even care about their faith at all, w/e the Pope says or a saint or a good priest ultimately it does not matter because they only listen “to their” consciousness. The Haydock Bible is the best I recommend if you are reading the Bible mostly alone. It is the Douay-Rheims Bible fully explained and with material on the side of what do the Doctors in the Church say about this or that. It is AWESOmE. Best Catholic Bible out there. It is about $120 dollars with a fancy cover in it. But if you just want it simple then it is prolly $80-$100. It is very good, but w/e you do dont attend a Babtist Church for your Bible studies, its the worst thing that you could and not only that it is prohibited for Catholic’s to go for instruction outside of the Church and attend their religous ceremonies regardless of what aynone tells you. Council of Trent and Vatican I and even Vatican II if you read it correctly say it so. And logic itself says it so if the Church is the truth why go for half-truths. 
“The root of this schismatic act can be discerned in an incomplete and contradictory notion of tradition”
4.There is no mention at all in Ecclesia Dei Afflicta (vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_02071988_ecclesia-dei_en.html) of the priests of the SSPX being suspended; so why is this being misstated as if it were in the document?
