SSPX & FSSP relationship now?

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This is kind of an odd subject but there’s a good reason for it. I’ve attended FSSP churches for about five or six years now. Formally I was in the SSPX (where I was conditionally baptized). There were reasons for the change to FSSP but I’m not going to go into that now. We never regretted the move and I’m happy we made it. We’ve now moved and, since there is no FSSP church where we live now, we are attending a Novus Ordo church where the regular priest has just started giving a Latin Mass once a month (every 2nd Sunday). We’re very thankful for that and also thankful that the Novus Ordo masses are very reverent at this church.

At any rate, so much for the introduction. The issue is my daughter is dating a very nice, young man (from a family we knew when attending the SSPX church). They would probably have been planning the wedding by now, except there is a hang up. His family thinks attending the FSSP church on Sundays would be “scandalous.” My wife and I occasionally attended this SSPX church after we moved to the FSSP church because it was closer, but we were eventually told we had to “pick one or the other” from the SSPX folks. (My wife and I were still doing the flowers once a month at the SSPX even after the “shunning” — and still did for a few months afterwards, but eventually gave that up).

And now (finally, sorry to ramble) the questions … Does the SSPX (in general) really think that it is “scandalous” to attend a FSSP Mass on Sundays? If so, why? What’s their justification for this view? It’s weird to think that this young man’s parents almost think of his dating of my daughter (and the prospect of engagement) as a potential “mixed” marriage. My daughter has asked me to call the young man and try to argue for a real compromise here (his parents have basically “demanded” my daughter exclusively attend the SSPX church, which she won’t do) . I know the SSPX is having issues with splitting (as a former Protestant I know how that works). I know there is the “mainstream” SSPX and the “Resistance” and (unless I remember incorrectly) a more “hardcore” “resistance.” I guess my point for bringing this up is that it seems like the SSPX is becoming more “rigorous” and hardened. I know when I attended the SSPX we didn’t see the FSSP churches as “scandalous” (though I wouldn’t say we were exactly on friendly terms), but at the time there were still a lot of older priests who had not grown up in the SSPX — so I think their was some moderating influence there.

At any rate, sorry to ramble again. If possible I would like to hear from both sides here. My goal is to understand how the two “sides” view each other now — so I can reason with the young man (and, eventually, his parents) on this. To me it’s ludicrous that two good Catholic kids with good intentions could be split up because they go to different “branches” of the Latin Mass church. It just seems insane.

Thank you.
 
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This shows that SSPX is not in full communion with the Catholic Church. It looks like your daughter has a hard decision to make.
 
ronb said:
we were eventually told we had to “pick one or the other” from the SSPX folks.
[…]
Does the SSPX (in general) really think that it is “scandalous” to attend a FSSP Mass on Sundays?
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It is my general experience that SSPX priests are much more “moderate” in their attitude towards both the postconcilliar Catholic Church and their Masses than the faithful who attend their chapels. I’m from an area where the SSPX is much smaller, and perhaps it makes them more humble about what to ask from their faithful, but the priest I know would never say “don’t go to Latin Mass outside the Society.”
poche said:
This shows that SSPX is not in full communion with the Catholic Church.
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I’m not sure that’s right. But it does show a cult mentality, one I never witnessed when I visited with them.

To answer the original question, a lot of the SSPX see the FSSP as outwardly similar (they celebrate the Latin Mass and the EF Sacraments, but they don’t uphold the truth of the faith, ie. they compromised to keep their full communion. I’m sure that some from the SSPX see the FSSP as traitors as well.
Hope this helps.
 
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Hasn’t the SSPX been granted jurisdiction by Pope Francis? Or has that expired?

But you’re right, my daughter might have a tough decision to make. But I was more concerned about SSPX view of the FSSP in this case.
 
Thanks. I think your view is basically the view we had when attending the SSPX church. It’s the current accusation of “scandal” that has kind of thrown me for a loop. That’s what I’m trying to understand at this point. I’m beginning to think this may be a local issue (hopefully). When I first attended the SSPX church there had been a contingent of Feeneyites there — some of that legalism might have rubbed off.
 
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I don’t really know much about the relationship between the FSSP and SSPX, but I will offer this observation:

His parents have demanded that your daughter attend the SSPX exclusively. Clearly they think there is something deficient with the FSSP (and, I assume, parishes that celebrate the Ordinary Form of the Mass). Sounds like they want to be calling the shots for their son and his potential future spouse. Huge red flag here.

Look at it this way: What if they said she had to attend the local Baptist church exclusively? Or Methodist? Or any other church outside the Catholic Church? I don’t think there would be any question how you’d feel about that. From an outsider, with this demand, it appears they are essentially saying that they don’t believe the FSSP or any other Catholic parish is truly Catholic. (And no, I’m not saying the SSPX are not Catholic or are outside the Catholic Church like the Baptists or Methodists…just that their attitude gives that vibe.)

Unless your daughter believes as they do, she should not pursue things with this young man.

(And what does the young man think? Mom and dad can’t call the shots throughout his life, can they?)
 
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ronb said:
Hasn’t the SSPX been granted jurisdiction by Pope Francis? Or has that expired?
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The jurisdiction you refer to is for the sacrament of Confession only (and marriage when the local bishop agrees). Any other SSPX sacrament doesn’t get that leeway from Pope Francis.
 
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Welcome to CAF! It can be frustrating at times, often very interesting, often informative. You will “meet” many good people here.
 
As an outsider it seems to me that the big difference between the organisations is that the SSPX considers the ordinary form of the Mass to be ‘evil’ and the FSSP considers it to be not evil. Quite a difference really.
 
ronb said:
Hasn’t the SSPX been granted jurisdiction by Pope Francis? Or has that expired?
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Consider what “jurisdiction” has been granted to FSSP:
  • They can have parishes, serve as pastors; they have jurisdiction for pastoral care;
  • They can participate in multiple activities as part of a diocese, with a bishop ordinary;
  • They can have Confirmation, through their bishop ordinary;
  • They can preach, teach religion, supervise catechetics in their parishes;
  • They can operate schools;
  • Through the bishop ordinary, they can have ordinations;
  • They can operate seminaries, retreat houses, other apostolic ministries;
SSPX lacks jurisdiction for any of those things. The FSSP can even establish chapels, which the SSPX can’t.
For the average couple starting out, having a parish should be
a big consideration. Having a Diocese is also important.
 
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The SSPX the OP mentioned could be the SSPX that boke off from the sspx for them being “too close to Rome” or whatever
 
I stopped going to SSPX because they are disobedient to the pope.
But then I started going to FSSP and slowly realized they use pre 1962 missals a lot which is also an act of disobedience thus I think they are aloud to do whatever they want as long as they sign off on the documents the SSPX won’t. Summorum Pontificum only allows the 1962 missal, the SSPX uses that. If the FSSP and ICKSP is using a pre 62 missal they are just as disobedient honestly so I just go to any of them without thinking the SSPX should be avoided or anything like that.
 
Pope Francis has granted a lot of jurisdiction for the SSPX. From what I have come to understand is that the SSPX see the FSSP as an order that was created to prevent people from attending the SSPX, so I guess I am saying IMHO they just had some disagreeable beginnings.
 
Whatever the outcome of the discussion which I know absolutely nothing about, I would be wary of marrying into a family in which my in-laws were telling me and my husband how to behave. I really think she should pray and discern, she should always remember she is marrying into a family system and marriage is forever.

If this amount of stress is happening now, what will happen if they decide to raise their children in a way the in-laws disagree with for example? Your vocation should bring you joy and peace. If she is not experiencing those she should discern if this particular marriage is really her vocation.
 
It’s SSPX speak for the Church as it stands after the Second Vatican Council.
 
Regrets but before you use initals would you mind putting the words first? No clue what a FSSP is and forget what SSPX is…Saint Pius something or other…Just would help others who might not be catholic or not too informed on these mass words…What’s a Novo etc too? Thanks 😶😮
 
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