Church Militant TV and the SSPX - Again

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JMJ

The old narrative used to be that the SSPX was 'schismatic' and 'excommunicated'.

Now the excommunication has been lifted for a number of years and the only ones who think it still has effect are the 'resistors'.

That leaves the other opponents of the SSPX with the label 'schismatic'.

Make it clear, the conservative Catholics have issues with the SSPX probably because they violate some of their assumptions about the Faith and this crisis of the Church.

Church Militant TV is one of these the exists along the Catholic thought spectrum.

They like the Traditional Mass but must ensure that they don't get tarred with the same 'schismatic' brush that the liberals use against the SSPX.  So what do they do, they use the same brush against the SSPX.

The funny thing is that even when the Church does speak, they don't want to listen and persist in calling the SSPX 'schismatic'.

Here's a transcript of the latest screed with my comments. Source: Church Militant TV

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The best description of the Church speak these days is vagueness. Day after day, various clergy in the Church speak in stridently UNCLEAR terms. There is a decided lack of clarity. Catholics know this.

I wonder if Michael is referring to the Pope?

They hear the absence of clarity Sunday after Sunday, press release after press release, and RCIA class after RCIA class. And there is a further problem with the lack of clarity: It is the near refusal to condemn what needs to be condemned, and the problem applies across a huge spectrum of issues. From the bogus visions of Medjugorge to the schismatic existence of the SSPX to the mad ramblings of dissidents in seminaries and Catholic universities, Rome rarely slaps down anything. And the problem is that as long as something isn't condemned, the followers or adherents of said issue can say, "Well, Rome hasn't said we're condemned, so we are okay."

This is a little funny.  I guess Michael is too young to remember the 'slap downs' on the SSPX 1988, FSSP 2000, FFI 2013.  The 'slap downs' are happening, just not to the people who (IMO) deserve it.

That sounds reasonable — but the issue is these problem cases that should be condemned are not, not because they are okay, but because the prevailing climate in Rome is to just wimp out and not offend anyone. So things that should have long since been slapped down are allowed to just hang around and fester and create confusion and more confusion added to even more confusion.

So, now Michael is Judge, Jury and Executioner.  Oh well ...

Back in the day, Rome was much more decisive, and with that decisiveness came clarity. No one was unclear once Rome had spoken. There was even the expression that "Rome has spoken, the case is closed."

I'm not quite certain how Rome could be more decisive in it early dealings with the SSPX.  First they 'excommunicated' them all - calling them schismatics (which you'll note has now been dropped from the official narrative).  Even though it didn't really stick since the canonical warning accidentally left that bit out.  Now they've called the SSPX Catholic (see Argentina) and dropped the 'Full Communion' canard.

Today, that expression needs to be updated to "Rome has not spoken, so the case is continually up in the air."

As noted, the problem is that Michael is unsatisfied (ie impatient) with the way things are proceeding with the liberals and the heretic oops - schismatic SSPX.  Well I'm glad Pope Francis has died and made Michael Pope ... oops there already is a Pope Michael - I wonder why Michael doesn't take a poke at the Sedevacantists?  Probably because everyone would say "who"?

This has caused some deep problems that continue to get worse, from schismatics feeling they are in good standing, to dissidents acting as though they are in good standing, to teachers of the Faith feeling they are allowed to teach their own personal opinions, to even bishops and cardinals taking the lack of slap down as encouragement to keep preaching their heresies.

Focusing on the 'schismatics feeling they are in good standing'.  I think Michael really needs to take a look at what happens when these people he calls 'schismatics' stand up for the Faith in a way that Michael hasn't had the graciousness to admit.  The 'schismatic' SSPX is the reason why the Summorum Pontificum was written. It was a pre-condition.  So while he sits in his ivory temple looking down upon the SSPX who have been slogging it out as best they can against the prejudice, the world has moved on and realized that hey, "the SSPX were right the TLM was never abrogated.  I wonder what else they were right about".

This is all done because so many in Rome simply do not want to give offense. They have forgotten, quite clearly, the line from St. Mark's Gospel wherein Our Blessed Lord had upset the leaders. Saint Mark tells us, "They took offense at Him."

Well, I think that Michael has really missed the point.  Rome offends Traditional Catholics all the time.  Its just the liberals et al that they don't seem to have the stomach to offend.

Rome needs to learn to grow offensive once again, and close a case or two — or even three or four.

I agree, I would love to see the SSPX in a no-compromise regularized situation.

I'm beginning to wonder if everytime the Pope makes a public mistake, such as accepting a communist 'cross' and not being offended, he has to take out his frustration on someone.

Source; Rorate

After all, Michael is on record as stating that he will never criticize an action of the Pope ... ever.  So when the Pope frustrates Michael, he turns on the easiest target: The SSPX.

Go ahead Michael, we've been in this fight longer than you and have been called names by people bigger than you.

We've developed thick skins for the truth and have recourse to these words:

Matthew
5:11. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake:
5:12. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

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Update:
Louie Verrecchio (How Michael Voris Rollsand Full Communion 101)  and Michael Matt of the Remnant have commented on the 'comments' of Michael Voris and CMTV.

The Tim of Angel Queen posted a letter sent from Mrs. Niles that contained the following:

People of good will can argue about the SSPX–but to smear the integrity of a man trying to live out the Faith simply because he refuses to support the SSPX is beyond the pale.

What she has missed is that this is not about Michael Voris refusing to support the SSPX.  This is about Michael Voris attacking the SSPX like the Liberal Catholics that he claims to be fighting.

It is about Michael Voris aggregating to himself the authority to claim that the SSPX is in a state of schism - that they are indeed 'schismatic'.

That is what this is all about.