Society of St. Pius X: More Catholic Than Catholic, or Schismatic?
Katolic Shinja is an excellent blog authored by an American who is a Catholic convert living in Korea (its author has also been kind enough to include this humble blog his blogroll). Twice recently Katolic Shinja had posts referencing the Society of St. Pius X, one where the Society is mentioned in a post about what some consider deficiencies in the Novus Ordo Mass, Thoughts on the Novus Ordo Missae, and another about the SSPX chapel in Seoul, Korea, SSPX Korea. Coincidentally, last Sunday a family friend, the son of my God-father, invited me to a Latin Mass. As it turns out, the Mass he invited me to was at an SSPX chapel.
For those who are unfamiliar, the SSPX was originally licit, founded by the late Archbishop Lefebvre of France. The Archbishop, protesting the Novus Ordo Mass and Vatican II, eventually defied the Magesterium of the Church ordaining four bishops without permission and going into schism. Lefebvre and his adherents originally made an argument that their actions were permissible under Canon law pursuant to the doctrine of necessity. Without getting into the nuances of Canon law, their arguments that they acted out of necessity were not well founded when originally made and today's Lefebvrites have even less ground to stand on. The Latin Tridentine Masses celebrated by the Lefebvrite priests are true Masses, but are performed in defiance of Church authority. Catholics are directed not to attend Mass at SSPX chapels.
I respect my friend's faith and his concern about the sometimes corrosive effects of modernity on Catholics, but he is in error.
Adherents of this schismatic movement, while claiming to be faithful Catholics, disparage the Pontiff, the successor to the seat of Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth. They vacillate between recognition of him and an outright sedevacantist view. They claim to be in communion with the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church but they also speak of "leaving" the Church.
To its merit, the Society encourages the understanding of the real presence in the Eucharist and other orthodoxies which are sometimes given insufficient attention, but it deviates seriously from orthodoxy in matters of no small detail. It also has a tendency towards paranoia with regard to things Masonic and has anti-Semitic leanings. I have read that the Society veers into a number of classical heresies, although I was not able to detect these myself.
I would urge my friend and any adherents of or sympathizers with this schism to consider Matthew 16:18: "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
For those who are unfamiliar, the SSPX was originally licit, founded by the late Archbishop Lefebvre of France. The Archbishop, protesting the Novus Ordo Mass and Vatican II, eventually defied the Magesterium of the Church ordaining four bishops without permission and going into schism. Lefebvre and his adherents originally made an argument that their actions were permissible under Canon law pursuant to the doctrine of necessity. Without getting into the nuances of Canon law, their arguments that they acted out of necessity were not well founded when originally made and today's Lefebvrites have even less ground to stand on. The Latin Tridentine Masses celebrated by the Lefebvrite priests are true Masses, but are performed in defiance of Church authority. Catholics are directed not to attend Mass at SSPX chapels.
I respect my friend's faith and his concern about the sometimes corrosive effects of modernity on Catholics, but he is in error.
Adherents of this schismatic movement, while claiming to be faithful Catholics, disparage the Pontiff, the successor to the seat of Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth. They vacillate between recognition of him and an outright sedevacantist view. They claim to be in communion with the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church but they also speak of "leaving" the Church.
To its merit, the Society encourages the understanding of the real presence in the Eucharist and other orthodoxies which are sometimes given insufficient attention, but it deviates seriously from orthodoxy in matters of no small detail. It also has a tendency towards paranoia with regard to things Masonic and has anti-Semitic leanings. I have read that the Society veers into a number of classical heresies, although I was not able to detect these myself.
I would urge my friend and any adherents of or sympathizers with this schism to consider Matthew 16:18: "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
posted by BarbariansAtBay at
2:59 PM
