SSPX

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It is really exciting to be able to write to you all this time. I often wonder what most of you think about the SSPX? That is, the Society of Saint Pius The Tenth!

Its an interesting reaction to Vatican II and the desire to keep the tridentine mass. It makes sense in that a lot of reverence people will feel does come from having a sort of sacred language, ie. Latin, as separate from the everyday language of either English, Spanish, or whatever other country of origin they practice in.

Obviously they have a breech of obedience the RCC on this and have been condemned as illegitimate but I don't really think that's an issue if they really believe that what they're doing is how they'd choose to worship.

The SSPX is really interesting, nonetheless!

What do you find interesting about SSPX?

I am Catholic and therefore have some strong opinions about the Society, which means I am incapable of being objective on this. Basically the SPXX rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, both in form and in substance. With regards to form their main area of activism is the return to a Tridentine liturgy. I agree with techstepgenr8tion that the use of Latin and the presence of certain rituals imbue more mystery, which attracts people to Mass. This liturgical activism for the most part isn't problematic, since different people may prefer different forms of worship (albeit within the bandwidth of Catholic liturgical tradition). The only problematic point with this is their insistence that the Mass of Paul VI (also known of the new Mass or Novus Ordo Missae, introduced by him in 1969 as a result of Vatican II) is corrupt and invalid. This has everything to do with their theology.

And I have grave misgivings about both the theology and the attitude of the SPXX. It should be noted that the SPXX is Traditionalist and antimodernist. Vatican II's greatest shift in theology has been on the subject of ecclesiology (the way a church community defines itself). Prior to Vatican II the Roman Catholic Church defined itself with the theological term Communitas Perfecta (Perfect Community). This means that the Church considered itself to be self-sufficient in Truth and had everything it needed to secure the salvation of mankind. In practice this meant that the Church considered itself to the be only true church and regarded other religions and political ideologies that didn't accept Catholic teaching with suspicion. Since Vatican II the Church has come to view itself as the People of God, meaning that the Catholic Church as a group is on a journey to salvation, with hurdles that need to be overcome. It also recognises that some spiritual truths can be found in other religions, especially in other branches of Christianity. It also looks on contemporary culture with less suspicion.

The SPXX considers the eccesiological shift of Vatican II to be heretical and fears that to open oneself to other faiths and cultures will distort the Gospel and dilute the faith and the religious life of the faithful. Since the SPXX rejects Vatican II and has ordained bishops and clerics without the permission of the Vatican, they are considered to be schismatic and some members are sedevacantists (meaning that they don't recognise John XXIII and his successors as valid popes). More worrisome is their outlook. Personally I consider SPXX to be dogmatically anti-modernist and (pardon the word) narrow-minded. They scorn those who don't believe or worship the way they do, including Catholics, and are adverserial towards non-Catholics. Most damning however is the commitment of many members to antisemitism. The Second Vatican Council is a response of the Catholic Church to the horrors of the Holocaust. Even though the antisemitism of the Nazis was racial rather than religious in nature, Catholicism has a long and painful history of antisemitism which no doubt was a fertile breeding ground for other forms of antisemitism. The change in ecclesiology reflected the desire to remove antisemitism from the Catholic faith. Not only does the SPXX have difficulty in dealing with Judaism and other religions, some members seem to revel in antisemitism and Holocaust denial.

To me the breach with the Vatican goes further than differences in worship. It's a difference in outlook. If a Catholic is a liturgical traditionalist, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) would have much to offer without the difficulties associated with the SPXX.

I wish to conclude that in spite of my strong and critical opinion, I am still interested in hearing your own thoughts on the Society (and the reasons why you find it interesting).