SSPX Possible Source For Traditional Bishops?

[IrishDude45]

So I was at the Tridentine Low Mass this afternoon and they had a visiting priest, his homily was brave, he railed against liberalism, those who attack the Holy Father, and defended Tradition.
Fr mentioned something I had not really thought of before, he said that one of the reasons our Holy Father is trying so hard to bring the SSPX back into communion is because their priests could be a good source for traditional bishops loyal to the Magisterium because so many of the priests nowadays are liberal and/or poorly educated, I believe Fr’s exact words were, “have more psychology and sociology than philosophy and theology”. I’m under the impression that the FSSP does not want its priests ordained bishops so do you think the FSSPX will be a future reserve for traditional bishops?

pax vobiscum

 

[I_Believe]

So I was at the Tridentine Low Mass this afternoon and they had a visiting priest, his homily was brave, he railed against liberalism, those who attack the Holy Father, and defended Tradition.
Fr mentioned something I had not really thought of before, he said that one of the reasons our Holy Father is trying so hard to bring the SSPX back into communion is because their priests could be a good source for traditional bishops loyal to the Magisterium because so many of the priests nowadays are liberal and/or poorly educated, I believe Fr’s exact words were, “have more psychology and sociology than philosophy and theology”. I’m under the impression that the FSSP does not want its priests ordained bishops so do you think the FSSPX will be a future reserve for traditional bishops?

pax vobiscum

You mean the FSSP does not want it’s own priests to become Bishops ? Or they don’t want SSPX priests to become Bishops ?

 

[Dempsey1919]

Fr mentioned something I had not really thought of before, he said that one of the reasons our Holy Father is trying so hard to bring the SSPX back into communion is because their priests could be a good source for traditional bishops loyal to the Magisterium because so many of the priests nowadays are liberal and/or poorly educated, I believe Fr’s exact words were, “have more psychology and sociology than philosophy and theology”. I’m under the impression that the FSSP does not want its priests ordained bishops so do you think the FSSPX will be a future reserve for traditional bishops?

If the talks between the FSSPX and Rome go well, I believe the FSSPX will be a great reserve for orthodox, faithful Bishops in the future. Furthermore, if the FSSPX does regain full communion with Rome, I believe that the FSSP may unite with the FSSPX. Afterall, the FSSP exists because of the FSSPX. Both the FSSPX and the FSSP are the fruits of Archbishop Lefebvre.

I agree with your priest. Many priests do not recieve an adequate education during their formation. Most modern priests do not even understand Latin! This fact is very disturbing when you consider that Latin is the official language of the Church. Many Church documents have never been translated into English, and priests with little or no understanding of Latin are unable to read them! Aside from this, many modern priests do not receive a foundation built upon the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Traditional Orders are forming excellent priests who are loyal to the Magisterium. If the FSSPX does receive canonical approval, this order will be instrumental in the defence of Catholicism in the future.

 

[IrishDude45]

You mean the FSSP does not want it’s own priests to become Bishops ? Or they don’t want SSPX priests to become Bishops ?

I have heard that the FSSP does not want FSSP priests to become bishops at this time because their main role is to have priests under a bishop of a diocese and restore the Tridentine Mass in that way. I don’t know if they will continue to hold this position or not, I hope they will allow their priests to be ordained bishops in the future.

 

[pnewton]

I think it is a possibility. I do not know that it will ever happen. If the desire is loyalty to the Magisterium, I would think that this would be a stumbling block since the started their priesthood, or chose, to go into an organization at the time it was not loyal. On the other hand, the time can change people.

 

[Dempsey1919]

If the desire is loyalty to the Magisterium, I would think that this would be a stumbling block since the started their priesthood, or chose, to go into an organization at the time it was not loyal.

But the SSPX thought that it was being loyal to the Magisterium. They truly believed that the Church was in crisis and that they had to do something to defend the Catholic faith. However, only time will tell whether they were right for doing the things they did.

However misguided the SSPX may have been, I think we can say that the intention of the SSPX was noble. Afterall, they genuinely believed that the faith was in danger; and they veiwed themselves as the last bastion of true Catholicism as taught from the beginning.

 

[pnewton]

But the SSPX thought that it was being loyal to the Magisterium.

I know that and understand. What I was thinking is that if I was assigning a bishop from which I wanted obedience, I would question the man about what he would do next time he thought he knew better than me what the Magisterium taught. Would he rebel and disobey me again? That is the very problem that the Pope now has with certain left coast bishops.

Don’t get me wrong. I think they would be a great asset. Perhaps with time there might be bishops from among them. Or perhaps with a greater availability of the TLM the FSSP priests might be allowed to advance.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I have heard that the FSSP does not want FSSP priests to become bishops at this time because their main role is to have priests under a bishop of a diocese and restore the Tridentine Mass in that way. I don’t know if they will continue to hold this position or not, I hope they will allow their priests to be ordained bishops in the future.

The Jesuits were also founded with an aversion to ecclesiastical preferment, but they pretty quickly dropped that, too (and *NOOOOOO *I’m not comparing the FSSP to today’s Jesuits). I think once the FSSP gets more firmly established the resistance to episcopal appointment will fade - especially now that Summorum Pontificum has led to much greater availability of EF priests; as it becomes easier to staff EF apostolates, they will be more free to use their solid ecclesiastical education in administrative and leadership roles, as well. At the end of the day, I like the idea of humility and devotion to a charism that comes with eschewing episcopal appointment, but at the end of the day I don’t think that should deprive us of the services of good priests (turned bishops) if that is where their superiors believe they are called. When they are older, someone else will bind them and make them go where they do not wish to go, but that, too, will be part of their calling to serve Holy Mother Church.