A Little Cultural Perspective on Traditionalism and the 'Four Points' - Part 3

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JMJ

While he has been silent for a while, I'd like to highlight an assertion made by Fr. Greiger:

Unfortunately, it is not only the progressives who have adopted this individualistic spirit.   Even in the name of Tradition, some today speak of a pre- and post-conciliar Church, thus creating a rupture between the past and the present.   In this way, they submit everything the magisterium has to say to a test that ultimately sets the Church against itself. (source)

In this assertion Father is laying the responsibility for the 'rupture' at the feet of Traditionalists. I think it is safe to assume that he is including the SSPX in that classification.

I've already discussed and exposed how the SSPX understands the phrase 'conciliar Church', so we can lay that accusation to rest.

As noted in part 2, as well as in Dr. Lamont's review, the SSPX bases its position on an understanding of the pre-conciliar magisterium that is not its own creation, but derived faithfully from the theological understanding at the time of the magisterial pronouncements.

The SSPX is caught in a position of being forced to choose between the clear pre-conciliar magisterium and the predominantly cloudy magisterium that has issued since the Council.

Further more as noted here, the SSPX realises that the solution to this crisis will only come from Rome.  The SSPX is not setting itself up as the Magisterium of the Traditionalists.  It is simply trying to hold fast and not compromise with the storm of heresy that is ravaging the Church.

While many seem to think that they 'know' what the SSPX thinks and its motivations, the surest way is to go the source, the SSPX. Collected below is a number of articles on the relevant topics.

SSPX: Two Interpretations of Vatican 2 - Myth or Reality?
SSPX: Religious Liberty Contradicts Tradition
SSPX: Archbishop Lefebvre and Religious Liberty
SSPX: State of Necessity Part 1
SSPX: State of Necessity Part 2
SSPX: March 2001 - District Superior's Letter Fr. Violette
SSPX: Is the New Mass Legit?

While some may still be in denial of the fact that the problem starts at the top (ie The Pope) and that it is systemic throughout the Church, thereby rejecting the SSPX's response to the crisis - they overlook one key point.

The root of the SSPX's canonical irregularity comes from their adherence to the formation of priests that ran counter to the objectives of the French bishops of the era.

Have those objectives really changed?

P^3