Rumours and Reality

JMJ

It is nice when the rumours prove true ... it restores (slightly) one's confidence in humanity and its fallen nature.

The rumour: The PCED was being eliminated.

The Truth: The PCED was being eliminated.

This is a nice alignment that can be contrasted with something else ...

The rumour: The SSPX is going to sell-out.

The Truth: The SSPX has not sold-out.

There is no alignment.

At least the resistance has been smart enough, like the other false prophets, to stop predicting the date of the sell-out.

In addition, like some 'religious' organizations that rely upon a prophecy to motivate their members, they are saying that the SSPX has compromised etc.

I know that the 'resistance' will point to the joy felt when Rome made the following concessions was in some warped version of reality ... a compromise:

Summorum Pontificum
The Tridentine Mass was never abrogated. Something that Trads have held for decades.

Universae Ecclesiae
Granting the laity the power to haul their local bishops into ecclesiastical court if they didn't grant them the Tridentine Mass.

Granting the SSPX jurisdiction to hear confessions
This was another piece of the puzzle, in that there are two sacraments that require some form of jurisdiction to be valid: Penance and Matrimony. When the Pope extended authority to the SSPX priests jurisdiction to hear confessions he made an enormous concession and ... cut out one leg from under the SSPX nay-sayers. The SSPX no longer needs to rely upon supplied jurisdiction for this sacrament.

Granting the local Bishops power to grant SSPX jurisdiction to receive wedding vows:
This was another big concession, but some were disappointed that the Pope didn't repeat the concession he gave for confession.

Humans gravitate towards simplistic solutions for complex problems.

Hence the fascination with 911 and various simplistic explanations that don't stand up to a more thorough examination of the facts.

There are a number of compounding factors on this topic.

In this case, the first fact that we need to contend with is that geographically based episcopal jurisdiction is of Apostolic origin. So we have to tread carefully in any action that undermines that pillar of the Catholic Church ... after-all we are Traditional Catholic ... aren't we?

So face it ... the local Bishop has authority over you. If you don't think so ... well that alternate-reality doesn't exist in the Catholic Church so good luck with that.

The second fact is that marriage has a social aspect.

In the Catholic Church that means that marriages have to be recorded so there is a way to confirm if a person has been previously married, parentage etc. In order for the local diocese to recognize a marriage, it has to have jurisdiction.

I know that the SSPX sends the local chancery marriage records. I also know that for years the local chancery has sent back letter saying that they don't recognize the marriages. This resulted in the 'Get out of SSPX marriages for free' card being played when one of the couple decided that they didn't really mean it when they said:

I, N. N., take thee, N. N., for my lawful husband / wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

This was an untenable situation and one that the SSPX has sought to resolve for a number of years. I am aware that within the structure for a canonical regularization the SSPX is seeking a sanitum for all marriages that they have performed.

Until the SSPX has a canonical agreement ... this is a good as it is going to get because Traditional Catholics shouldn't be going around undermining the teachings of the Catholic Church.

If you think they should ... well then ... bon chance.

P^3

References

http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2014/09/04/traditional-catholic-wedding-ceremony-vs-new-wedding-ceremony/
http://tradicat.blogspot.com/2018/03/has-sspx-canada-implicitly-admits-state.html
http://tradicat.blogspot.com/2018/03/update-on-has-sspx-canada-implicitly.html

Fr. Most on the Dubia of Archbishop Lefebvre

+ JMJ While the focus has been on the Dubia of the Cardinals for the last few months, there is another set of Dubia that should foremost in our minds: The of Archbishop Lefebvre. Before I transcribe the Dubia, I'd like to provide a critique of a criticism of the Dubia submitted by Archbishop Lefebvre. P^3 Source: EWTN

Sedevacantism and Heresy

+ JMJ I've observed three core reactions during this crisis of the Catholic Church. The Pope can't be wrong, therefore this is the New Springtime The Pope is infallible in certain conditions and there is a problem with many things that have been said, done and written, during and after the Second Vatican Council (even in the Council doc). The Pope can't be wrong, this stuff is wrong, therefore he isn't Pope. Of course there are a spectrum of responses in between, but these are the key elements. The 1st group holds the words of the Pope et al as impeccable. Here, let me get you a Koran to kiss... The 3rd group holds that they've all been heretics and lost their office. There is also a spectrum within this group. One answer is that they are very poor judges of heresy. The link below provides some reasoned thought that, I'm happy to say, is completely consistent with Church Teaching. Canon law blog: Its not impossible just very diff...

What does it mean "I'm a Traditional Catholic"?

+ JMJ I was visiting with a friend the other day when he said: "I'm a traditionalist". This surprised me because, while I could imagine him saying he was a "conservative or faithful Catholic", I didn't really think that the "traditionalist" label would stick. This got me to to thinking about what it means, or should mean when a person shakes you hand and says: "Hi, I'm a Traditional Catholic".

Rome and SSPX - Version 2026 Part 2

+ JMJ Part 2 Detailed Synopsis and Timeline (ChatGPT) At this point, I took the shortcut of uploading all of my previous links and the latest SSPX and Rome links to ChatGPT. This way we’ll see how ChatGPT interprets the world as presented on the internet. P^3 Briefing Memo Subject: Rome–SSPX Relations and Planned Episcopal Consecrations (July 1, 2026) Prepared for: Ecclesial / Academic / Media Briefing Date: February 2026 Issue Overview The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has announced its intention to consecrate new bishops on July 1, 2026 , potentially without a papal mandate . The Holy See has acknowledged ongoing talks with the SSPX and stated its desire to avoid rupture, but has not granted approval nor outlined canonical consequences. The situation revives unresolved tensions dating to 1988 and raises questions about schism, authority, and doctrinal continuity. Background Founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the SSPX seeks to preserve pre-Vat...

Schism

There is some question as to whether the Pope can be in actual schism as per the Cardinal Torquemada: Citing the doctrine of Pope Innocent III, Torquemada further teaches: "Thus it is that Pope Innocent III states [De Consuetudine] that, it is necessary to obey the Pope in all things as long as he, himself, does not go against the universal customs of the Church, but should he go against the universal customs of the Church, 'he need not be followed' . . . " [Cited from A Theological Vindication of Roman Catholic Traditionalism, Father Paul Kramer, B.Ph., S.T.D., M. Div. (2nd edition, St. Francis Press, India) p. 29. The full quotation from Cardinal Torquemada reads, "By disobedience, the Pope can separate himself from Christ despite the fact that he is head of the Church, for above all, the unity of the Church is dependent on its relationship with Christ. The Pope can separate himself from Christ either by disobeying the law of Christ, or by commanding som...

Tradicat

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