+ JMJ I want to highlight / respond to two articles in particular: National Catholic Reporter: Former SSPX member says unity with Catholicism means more than valid ordinations : First, Louis Massett was not a member of the SSPX, only priests, religious and perhaps the Third Order members are actually members of the SSPX. Massett's experience regarding the cultural shift is aligned with my experience in that a change in belief is followed by a change in the artifacts - such as dress, music, association etc. There are extremes in each of these - to the point where belief exceeds what is actually required. Female dress is a key point and, for better or worse, Bishop Williamson's (RIP) series on slacks for women reflect a more extreme version of the modesty. "They're not Catholic. They're SSPX" actually reflects either the Sedevacantist or modern Catholic perspective. In general the Sedevacantists - and I've run into this belief system throughout th...
+ JMJ As long as you are ok with what happens in other Catholic Churches, Traditional Catholics will be left 'alone'. This is a paraphrase of words spoken by an Archbishop to Traditional Catholics (with a sprinkling of SSPX) who had requested the Traditional Latin Mass under Summorum Pontificum. This reflects that attitude of the Church towards anyone who takes issue with some of the ambiguities of Vatican II and the post-conciliar magisterium. If you reject the papacy but are ok with V2, the New Mass, and what Rome has stated since 1965 - then you are welcome. Question some of the more abiguous statements and ask for Rome to realise that a circle is not a square - then you are in for a world of hurt. This is where the SSPX exists and has existed from almost its very first moments. Pointing out contradictions with previous magisterium is not acceptable - under any condition. Why? Because it will cause the whole V2 house of cards to fall. I guess only when the contradic...