What Does The SSPX Believe?

JMJ

This is one gap that seems to pop up periodically ... for example:

Recently, Crisis Magazine published an article titled “A Catholic’s Dubia for the SSPX,” in which the author, Daniel Waldow, asked a number of questions regarding the status of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) as well as its views on some questions of concern in the postconciliar Church. The answers below were written by an SSPX priest and have been approved for publication by his superiors.

So the SSPX has published a response to the Dubia on 1P5. You can read it here: 1P5 SSPX Responsa Ad Dubia (link)

In addition, also on 1P5, a short article by Dr. Kwasniewski has been published that contains a copy of the SSPX Oath of Fidelity (link).

For information, chronicle and archival purposes I have attached the text below with some comments.

P^3

Declaration of Fidelity to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X
I, the undersigned (N.),
Recognize (N.) as pope of the Holy Catholic Church. That is why I am prepared to pray for him publicly as Sovereign Pontiff.

[Tradicat: This counters the Sedevacantists that still pop up in the SSPX periodically - for example the now Thuc Line Bishop Roy.]

I refuse to follow him when he departs from Catholic Tradition, especially in matters of religious freedom and ecumenism, as well as in reforms that are harmful to the Church.

[Tradicat: This comes back to the limits of obedience that I have discussed here (link). ]

I admit that not all Masses celebrated according to the new rite are invalid. However, in view of the poor translations of the Novus Ordo Missæ [Tradicat: NOM], its ambiguity, which favors its interpretation in a Protestant sense, and the plurality of the ways in which it is celebrated, I recognize that the danger of invalidity is very great.

[Tradicat: This reminds me of a discussion with a recently ordained FSSP priest who thought that the SSPX believed and myself by extension that the NOM was invalid. I quickly disabused him of that believe and bent his mind by stating my belief that a faithful modern Catholic attending the NOM probably obtains more graces compared with a Trad due to the deficiencies in the NOM and the way it is celebrated. Modern Catholics have a much harder time to practice the faith compared with Trads. It led to a good hour+ discussion.]

I affirm that the new rite of the Mass does not actually formulate any heresy expressly, but that it “departs impressively, on the whole as well as in detail, from the Catholic theology of the Holy Mass,” and that for this reason this new rite is in itself evil.

[Tradicat: Here Bishop Fellay once explained that evil is the absence of (IIRC) and it is obvious to many that problem with this NOM is not what is officially 'says' but what it leaves 'unsaid' in both form and actions.

Therefore, I will never celebrate Holy Mass according to this new rite, even under threat of ecclesiastical penalties; nor will I ever positively advise anyone to actively participate in such a Mass.

[Tradicat: I wonder if the FSSP has any policy or document that makes the same statement?]

Finally, I accept as legitimate the liturgical reform of John XXIII. I therefore receive all of its liturgical books as Catholic: the Missal, Breviary, etc., and I commit myself to use them exclusively, according to their calendar and rubrics, especially for the celebration of the Mass and for the common recitation of the breviary.

[Tradicat: I know that some Trads favour the pre-John XXIII liturgy. The principle I remember hearing back in the 80's for the above decision is that 'one goes to the point that things went off the rails and hold there until the crisis is over.' ]

In so doing, I wish to manifest the obedience that binds me to my superiors, as well as that which binds me to the Sovereign Pontiff in all his legitimate acts.

[Tradicat: So ... this brings us back to binding to the Pope and all his legitimate acts. Of which they were few and far between in the Pontificate of Pope Francis I.]

Source: 1P5 The SSPX Oath of Fidelity

The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II: Dr. John Lamont

+ JMJ This is the second article from Dr. Lamont from his lecture given in May 2014. P^3 Source Part A: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny Source Part B: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny 8 May2014 The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II By John Lamont To understand how the Jesuit conception of obedience departed from earlier conceptions, it is helpful to compare it with the teaching of St. Thomas on obedience. The fundamental difference between the two is that St. Thomas considers the proper object of obedience to be the precept of the superior (2a2ae q. 104 a. 2 co., ad 3). Obedience that seeks to forestall the expressed will of the superior does not bear on what the superior wants or thinks in general, but only on what the superior intends to command. St. Ignatius’s lowest degree of obedience, which he does not consider to be virtuous, is thus what St. Thomas considers to be the only form of obedience. St. Thomas holds that St. Ignatius’s alleged higher forms of o...

Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin - July 6, 1988

There has been some discussion (read lots) about the term 'Conciliar Church'. I have posted this letter written by the Superior General and District Superiors of the SSPX after the 1988 Consecrations. Of particular interest is that the 'Conciliar Church' being referred to as a system. My paraphrase would be that the SSPX regards the 'conciliar Church' as an error within the Church. Source Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Rome and the SSPX - Version 2026 Part 6b: Principles and Rules for Surviving this Crisis of the Catholic Church (Principle 1)

+ JMJ Principle 1: Realize that something is amiss in the Catholic Church The world in which I had my Traditional Awakening, is one in which practically anything pre-Conciliar such as liturgy, doctrinc, and even dogmas are either suppressed, ignored or re-framed to be acceptable to the ‘world’. What is more, the people adhering to these pre-conciliar teachings and liturgy are persecuted by other members of the Catholic Church. The things that non-Trads say about Trads can be quite extreme. For example, accusations against Traditionalists include that they are: A revival of the Jansenists (link) , Schismatics, Heretics, Uncharitable, Lefebrists Radicals Integrists When one group of Catholics is persecuted by the others for simply wanting to live as Catholics before them did for generations … well something is wrong. Further, we need to realize that when what was previously condemned is now promoted and what was previously promoted as the trut...

Forget the Reformation - It is time for Abrogation - Louie Verrecchio

Mr. Verrecchio has pointed out one solution to this crisis that is a dream of many Traditional Catholics of my acquaintance: The complete obliteration of the Novus Ordo Missae. If this were to occur, undoubtedly a revolt would occur within the Church, but the battle lines would be much clearer. I assume that a lot of material heretics would make the transition to being formal heretics. P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Courtesy of Louie Verrecchio A recent article by Fr. Thomas Kocik on the New Liturgical Movement website, Reforming the Irreformable? , is getting some well-deserved attention in traditional circles. (Do yourself a favor and read it in its entirety if you haven’t already.)

Tradicat

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