SSPX vs ... everyone ... or so it seems.

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JMJ

In the battle of the Church vs the World, bet on the SSPX.

This is only tongue in cheek so please keep your sense of humour.

It would appear the Bishop Schneider's little interview has prompted the 'opponents' of the SSPX into action ... once again.

This is very similar to the time when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications.

First we had Mr. Voris' spin of the clarification provided by Bishop Schneider.  Interestingly, how Mr. Voris et al didn't refer to what the SSPX ACTUALLY stated concerning the interview. Instead, they decided to focus on people who don't speak for the SSPX.



Funny that ...

In fact, as usual, a discussion on the SSPX has resulted in many people stating their opinion on the matter.  Then the SSPX posted their pre-planned video on the New Mass.

• Corbinians Bear: Doesn't agree with the SSPX position on the New Mass
• Mr. Voris et al: Call them schismatic and  jumps on the easy target (don't go the New Mass).  There's a fallacy for this which is called a 'diversion'. 
• OnePeterFive: Clarifies his position on the SSPX (without discussing the New Mass)
• Fr. Greiger: Again misses the point, while trying to make his own point.

Let's examine the key points for Voris and Fr. Greiger.

Fr. Greiger first, because it is the most intellectually engaging (but not for the reason one may suspect):

They remain without a ministry because their own definition their ministry is to expose the Council of Freemasons, Modernists and Jews and oppose the New Mass, which they believe is valid but evil. - See more at: http://airmaria.com/2015/08/20/sspx-accept-them-as-they-are

Here Fr. Greiger says everything and nothing.  Which surprises me as I had expected someone pursuing a doctorate to put forward a better argument. In this paragraph he has attached a link in the word expose to a conference provided by Bishop Fellay.  In this conference Bishop Fellay stated:

Who during that time was the most opposed that the Church will recognize the Society? The enemies of the Church:  the Jews, the Masons and the Modernists. 

From this Fr. Greiger has deduced (wrongly) that the SSPX defines their ministry to expose a conspiracy theory that was perpetrated at the Second Vatican Council.  Actually, what Fr. Greiger has missed is that the SSPX's ministry is focused on the priesthood and everything that pertains to it.  It is because of this fidelity to the Priest, the Mass and Preconciliar doctrine that they are at odds with the hierarchy of today, but not 'yesterday' - meaning the pre-conciliar hierarchy.

What we have in Fr. Greiger's analysis is, simply, a confirmation bias. He is seeing what he wants to see, taking things out of context.  I find this interesting, because Fr. Greiger 'sees' crypto-lefebvrians elsewhere.  This has caused him to take action against his own religious family. The rest of his commentary reflects this narrowed perspective.

Now to the hottest or at least loudest, commentary on the SSPX.

Here's the highlights:

By the way, that assessment of the SSPX is that of Pope Benedict, merely repeated by ChurchMilitant.com.

Wow, I don't recall Pope Benedict saying that the SSPX was schismatic or in a state of schism.  As already demonstrated, when asked a direct question of formal schism - all the CDF would reply is the 'not full communion'.  So even though Mr. Voris believes that this phrase is "which is shorthand for schism", the facts don't agree with his opinion.

Then we get to the 'heart' of the matter:

Earlier the priest says the New Mass is a danger to souls.... Now stop for a moment and consider what this priest is saying: The New Mass, meaning the Mass of Pope Paul VI, the Novus Ordo, is an offense against God. A Mass approved by and offered by the popes of Our Blessed Lord’s Holy Catholic Church and nearly every single bishop is an offense against God. Further, you are instructed not to go to Mass on Sunday if you must go to a Novus Ordo, New Mass.

This is key for two reasons. First of which is that Mr. Voris presents a logical fallacy in that he appeals to the Popes et al saying the New Mass as (presumably) proof that the SSPX is wrong in its opinions and conclusions about the New Mass.

In essence he states that "The Pope and Bishops say it ... so it can't be flawed." therefore the SSPX is wrong and schismatic etc.

I don't know where Mr. Voris got his S.T.D., but I think he needs to get a refund.

The points that Mr. Voris doesn't address are the New Mass is:

• a danger to souls
• an offense against God

He forgot to mention evil.

What is the position of the SSPX against the Novus Ordo as promulgated?

1. It is evil in that there is an absence of a due good. Specifically, the rite (not the sacrifice itself) suppresses and makes ambiguous numerous aspects of the theology of the Mass.
2. This ambiguity is manifestly a danger to the Faith of those attending, as the rites are supposed to make clear and reinforce the truths of the Faith. ie. Lex Orandi, Lex Credidi.
3. As such, because the New Mass is designed to be acceptable to the protestants by the suppression of these truths - the rite is offensive to God because the rites of the Church are supposed to be a clear expression of the Faith.  

Sad that Mr. Voris didn't try to answer the actual issues. But that leads us to the second point.  Michael Voris et al have staked their claim (against all comers) that no one should ever publicly criticize the Pope.  Because of this, they are now defending the banal rite of Mass.

At the end of the tir he states the following:

Even in the face of the Pope himself, they say they pray for him and put his picture up in their buildings, and they obey him — until they don't. They decry the Mass. They encourage people to mortal sin. They defy the Pope. They refuse the obedience due him. ... If that doesn't constitute a schism, pray tell, what does?

So where does Mr. Voris' principles lead? Well, first of all a warped understanding of obedience, what constitutes sin, 'defiance', and lastly (as usual) schism.  I won't waste electrons discussing what actions are schismatic.

This is where Mr. Voris' principles have led him, I wonder what he will do when the Pope does something else  reprehensible - prompting Cardinals to criticize the Pope's actions.

 Life is going to be very interesting for Mr. Voris in October.  I think it will be pretzel time.

Pray for Mr. Voris and those like him who have nice ideas, but faulty principles.  Their faith will be sorely tried like the Sedevacantists who have an equal opinion, but have reached an opposite conclusion.

P^3

▬ Spectrum of Opinions ▬

Corbinians Bear

Church Militant (Mr. Voris et al)

AngelQueen w/ Commets on Mr. Voris et al

OnePeterFive