The Gullible Theme - Part 3: Examining the Calgary SSPX School Policy

The Gullible Theme - Part 3: Examining the Calgary SSPX School Policy - Context

JMJ

Context

The SSPX School in Calgary (St. John Bosco Private School) has been in operation in various forms for around 20 years. I am aware that the school has, like many Traditional Catholic schools, faced challenges - such as how to pay for professional teachers and navigate the Albertan education system at the same time.

With a long history of conservative governments there was little to fear from accepting government funding for the school.

However, that changed dramatically in 2015 when an NDP government was elected (Wikipedia).

Just a quick refreshers on Catholic Doctrine on this point: Lawful Governments, even those elected by the governed, receive their authority from God. It would be the height of liberalism to believe that, just because they pass illegitimate laws we can disregard the laws of the land. That would lead to anarchy. Government ministers are our superiors and their laws need to be assessed with the same principles as religious superiors.

In other words, we have an obligation to be ready to obey the lawfully elected authority.

If you don't think so, then you're following neither the Catholic Faith, nor the path of Archbishop Lefebvre. As I once told a modern Catholic, I'm talking about Catholic Teaching, you don't like it find another Church.

As far as I've been able to reconstruct, the inclusion of 'alliances' was first put into the School act in 2015 (CANLII link to Alberta School Act). In 2017 changes were made to the act in order to close loop holes being exploited by Christian and Catholic schools.

The following is the guidance that I found on the Alberta website.

Now, as St. John Bosco was supported by government funding (as noted in part one of this series) and as noted in the first line (above) it DID fall under the legislation. Gullible's statements to the contrary are now demonstrated to be false. He should have done his research.

It was at this point in time that the SSPX school in Calgary incorporated the text into its policy, along with a number of caveats that bracket the mandated text as well as provide more context as to the purpose of the school and its education of the students.

To round out the context, Fr. Couture stayed in Calgary for about a year prior to the arrival of Fr. McMachon (sp). I cannot recall if his stay pre-dated the updated policy, but I am aware he was there to try and resolve some issue(s) with the school

I believe that this sets the stage for us to assess the key points of the St. John Bosco school policy in the light of Catholic principles and the context.

P^3

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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