SSPX’s Canonical Status?

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CorAdCorLoquitur

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What is the SSPX’s canonical status? Is it improper at all to attend Mass at an SSPX parish?
 
It’s irregular. As for attendance, here is EWTN’s take (tl;dr - don’t go). Here’s also a Catholic Answers response. The tl;dw of that is that it is OK if the intent is to just attend traditional Latin Mass. It should not be done as some statement against V2 or in agreement with anything that keeps SSPX in irregular canonical status.
 
I believe the church should accept them into union with Rome. If the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church is in full communion with Rome then the SSPX should be too. There bishops do not preach anything false which goes against the teachings of the church.

To answer your questions
They are canonically irregular and while it’s not recommended if that is the only church in your area then you can go. I am pretty sure there sacraments are performed validly too.
 
Kolbe1 said:
If your primary reason for attending were to manifest your desire to separate yourself from communion with the Roman Pontiff and those in communion with him, it would be a sin. If your intention is simply to participate in a Mass according to the 1962 Missal for the sake of devotion, this would not be a sin."
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Keep in mind regardless of your intention, your attendance helps attract other persons here. I am not always aware of my own intentions, let alone others. The SSPX has many other things besides TLM.

Not everything that is permissable is prudent. Prudence is the forgotten virtue in an era when people are obsessed with just making the bare minimum obligation. Prudence and our impact on others are also required.

A better course of action is to discuss your concerns with your pastor.

Also, check online the Coalition for Ecclesia Dei to see if there is a diocesan Latin Mass nearby. If not, you may find ways to bring one about.
 
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Their canonical status is irregular…

I think Pope Benedict said that the SSPX does not exercise a legitimate ministry in the Church. That is more than enough for me to avoid them.
 
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A few posters have been quoting parts of the code of Canon Law. But they don’t know what the particular sspx chapel is like in your city, and they vary a lot. You also aren’t getting the context or purpose for those quoted sections.

Ask to meet with your pastor. He may know you, he would know your local situation, and very likely knows the Canon Law better than we on this forum.
 
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Yes, Pope Benedict did say that, but Pope Francis allowed them to hear confessions and perform marriages.
 
ProVobis said:
Yes, Pope Benedict did say that, but Pope Francis allowed them to hear confessions and perform marriages.
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Yes, true… a great gesture of mercy by Pope Francis… hopefully, this generous act will attract the SSPX back to communion with the Church
 
The interview, 3 years ago with the former head of the Society, described the pope as reaching out to the persons in SSPX. Keep in mind that:
  • These discussions have been going on for decades.
  • They often say the resolution is “imminent”. For decades. Even in the 1980s.
  • Pope Francis has also urged the Church to Reach Out to others in irregular situations, leading people to jump to conclusions the Church will make imminent changes on Marriage, etc.
  • Prudence should guide individuals. Don’t go jumping at loose ends, hints, inferences. Avoid irregular situations, but, the pope says, love those already in those situations. Don’t use conscience to justify your actions.
 
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Where I live attendance at the SSPX chapel does not fulfill your Sunday obligation.
 
The performance of marriages requires the cooperation between the diocese and the SSPX.
 
The pope says we should love, not judge, those who are caught up in irregular canonical situations. There should be Pastoral visits, care and concern for the woman who is living with her boyfriend, raising children, in very confusing times. Perhaps after a failed marriage. The Church loves her where she is at.

But it would be wrong to give the impression to her younger sister that this irregular canonical situation is harmless, for her to enter into, or for her sister, to remain in indefinitely.

That’s how I interpret the Pope’s Reaching Out to SSPX, etc. He’s not saying all choices are equally prudent. A kindness offered to individuals who have never known any other church but this chapel does not mean all choices are harmless or equally prudent for others; or even for them.
 
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Kolbe1 said:
What is more, is that it is ironic that you have people here wanting state the Orthodox are somehow part of the Church and that they don’t need to convert to the Catholic Church
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No one said that. Literally the only mention of the Orthodox Church was my post, and I said:
Fauken said:
If there’s no other Catholic Church in town, then I’d definitely go to them before finding an Orthodox one.
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Which in no way implies that the Orthodox don’t need to convert or are in better standing than the SSPX.
Kolbe1 said:
In fact very fact that they accept the faculties granted to them by the Holy See shows clearly that they are part of the Church and are ready to work in union with the Church in all things lawful.
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They have the faculties to perform at least one Sacrament, two if they ask the local Ordinary for faculties. That does not automatically grant them the rest.
 
Kolbe1 said:
“Which in no way implies that the Orthodox don’t need to convert”. - There are plenty on this forum who it seems would disagree with you on that point. This is why for me, I can see a clear double standard.
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So? I don’t care what they think, to be honest. What they think affects nothing.
Kolbe1 said:
What is more, is that the very fact that they have the ordinary faculties to hear confession, is sufficient to confirm that they are Catholic and part of the Church. Please cite any example in Canon Law, or Church history where a group/congregation has been granted ordinary faculties to hear confession or perform any other sacrament (as part of the Church) but are themselves not regarded as part of the Church.
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I said their situation is irregular. Not that they were not apart of the Church. It is a gross oversimplification to say either statement – that they are out of the Church or that they are completely in it. To my knowledge, the fact remains that they do not have the faculties to administer Holy Orders, or Confirmation to name two.

If they were perfectly reconciled with the Church, it would have been sung from the rooftops. This has yet to happen.
 
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