SSPX and Fr. McLucas

JMJ

So Church Militant is at it again - trolling the trads with an article that prove that the SSPX is "sheltering predators".

So let's look a the fundamental claim made by CM via their free-lancer:

Indulgence [shown by Rome] now being shown towards the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) by Church authorities can allow priests suspended from ministry on account of sexual immorality to function under the cover of quasi-legitimacy should they choose to associate themselves with the renegade organization. ... This is not just a theoretical possibility. It is already happening in the case of Fr. James McLucas.

So the first question is ... what is the crime of Fr. McLucas? Ultimately, he was accused of sexual and physical abuse. Now there are two things to consider here (beyond the Fr. Perrone vs Fr. McLucas parallels):

This single accusation was settled out of court. Meaning while we know the accusations, we don't know if it is true.
The lady involved was over the age of consent. To be specific in her 20's.

So ... even if true, the accusation that Fr. McLucas is a predator is way off the mark and Fr. McLucas is, at worst, a priest who fell into a 'natual' sin, and that is unproved.

Again, this is simply a case of Baresel trolling the trads.

So the next question ... is the SSPX sheltering him? In other words, does he live with them for a long period of time. Is he a member of the SSPX? Along these lines Baresel makes the accusation that:

Suspended from his priestly functions by the archdiocese of New York, McLucas turned to the SSPX, with which he was working by October 2016. ... SSPX priest Nicholas Stamos informed me by phone on July 18 that McLucas is still participating in the organization's work.

It would have been nice if Baresel had dug a little deeper to see the depth of the relationship between Fr. McLucas and the SSPX. Saying that Fr. McLucas works with the SSPX is far different than occasionally helping.

Fundamentally, Fr. McLucas isn't a member of the SSPX, he only visits periodically. Baresel's piece is simply sloppy click bait that implies much and proves nothing.

So what are they trying to do?

Simply two-way guilt by association:

SSPX is guilty for associating with Fr. McLucas,
Fr. McLucas is guilty for associating with the SSPX.

For a change, I have included links to CM's articles as an example of trolling, half-truths and inuendoes.

I have also included a link to Connecticut Catholic Corner for a sanity check from a non-SSPXer who asks all the right questions!

P^3

Links

Church Militant: Original Article - Is the SSPX shetering a sexual predator?

SSPX: Press release concerning Church Militant Article

Church Militant: Original Article Author response

Church Militant: Response to SSPX press release

Connecticut Catholic Corner Response

Comments

Count Capponi - RIP

+ JMJ I had heard of Count Capponi over the years and was happy to hear a voice crying in the wilderness. I suspect that his conscience was clearer than many. This part of the article caught my attention: Capponi defended the right of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to continue his work without the label “schismatic,” which term Capponi rejected, saying: “You cannot apply the standards of the new code of canon law and the mentality of the old code. According to the new code, Lefebvre could do what he did with a Catholic intention, and he did what he did in ‘sincerity’ and invoked the ‘state of emergency’ argument, which the new code permits. You might not like the new code, but it’s what governs the Church.” I know a few people who tried to stir up a fuss when the SSPX cited the New Code in one of the documents with Rome. Yet, the truth is what it is --- the New Code was promulgated by a reigning Pope and flawed as it is ... there are some benefits to its liberality. ...

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment. Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid. No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein. Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse? The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin. Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service. It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized ma...

Those who return to the past are not outside the Church - Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ I had been thinking about putting together a post explaining some of the history of how the SSPX has arrived at its current position. Now I see that Rorate has posted a translated editorial that shows the roots of the SSPX principles. In reading these words, I see patterns and themes that were put forward by Archbishop Lefebvre decades ago. Perhaps his sight was clearer than most. P^3

Fr. Burfitt on Fr. Pfeiffer's Attempted Consecration

+ JMJ Amidst the shadows cast by the publication of Traditionis Custodes, I am working on a map of the 'resistance' splinters to put their reaction in contrast with that of the SSPX. In the midst of this, I just came across Fr. Burfitt letter on the attempted consecration. Breaking it down (see below) items 2 and 3 are key. Just as the consecrating bishop is 'doubtful', even if he hadn't muffed the first attempt, Fr. Pfeiffer remain doubtful and therefore this impacts those men is attempts to 'ordain'. There were rumours that Fr. Pfeiffer was seeking episcopal consecration for years as he cast about for various bishops (also doubtful) to help him achieve this goal. I wonder how he convinced the 'doubtful' bishop to provide (twice) the doubtful consecration. What a mess! This creates a danger to the souls of his followers and wonder where it will end. Will he go full sede and have himself 'elected' pontiff as others have done before him...

SSPX Transfers

+ JMJ Eponymous flow posted the following list of transfers etc. Source: http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2020/04/castling-of-leadership-at-sspx.html The departures Bishop Bernard Fellay, the third Superior General until 2018, leaves the General House in Menzingen and moves to the Seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas in the USA. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, suffering from ill health, is being referred to the Seminary of St. Pius X in Ecene as a retreat. Fr. Christian Thouvenot, until now Secretary General of the General House, becomes a professor at the seminary in Ecene. Fr. Franz Schmidberger, until now Rector at the Seminary of the Heart of Jesus in Zaitzkofen, moves to the district of Germany. Fr. Jürgen Wegner, until now district superior of the DISTRICT USA, moves to the district of Austria. Fr. Philippe Brunet, until now Superior of the Autonomous House of Spain-Portugal, becomes professor at the Seminary U.L.F. and co-saviour of La Reja in...

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