Bishop Barron and the SSPX from Fr. Z

More about Bp. Barron, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, and the SSPX

So....Bishop Barron is letting the SSPX say Mass in the beautiful chapel he's authorized for the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). 

This will make some people happy and some people angry. Those with the mantra, "The SSPX are in schism!" will seek to explain it away and criticize the bishop for letting those schismatics enter the church. Those who are happy will be sending accolades galore to Bishop Barron.

All I can say is that it appears, as Fr. Z says, to be a kind and pastoral decision. Here's some of what Fr. Z wrote:

I do not think that Bp. Barron wants to hurt anyone. I am not entirely convinced that he gets what they [the TLM community] desire, but I am pretty sure he doesn’t want to break people’s hearts.

Another thing that caught my attention in this was the statement that I received from a priest who seems to know what is going on. Bp. Barron is also trying to navigate good relations with the SSPX, who have a presence in Winona....

As the priest wrote to me:

Barron also granted the SSPX permission to celebrate mass and sacraments in the same chapel, and assigned the priest responsible for the traditional community with the task of ensuring good relations with the SSPX.

I decided to reach out to a couple of priests of the SSPX who are in a position to know what’s up. Here is what I’ve learned. I’ll rewrite this for the sake of their anonymity.

A priest of the SSPX had a wedding coming up and they normally don’t like to do weddings at their former seminary, now novitiate. They asked the diocese for delegation and a church. They got the church but not the delegation. Bp. Barron wanted his priest to do the marriage and the SSPX priest to celebrate the nuptial Mass in that diocesan church, the chapel (above). It was a one-time event for that church on that day. One can assume that it will could be repeated for future weddings.

I note that the SSPX normally gets delegation for marriage in over 40 US dioceses.

This is encouraging, though less than one might hope for. Bp. Barron should simply give delegation to SSPX priests for witnessing marriages. Still, it is a good step.

The sad part in all this is that the people who used to have the TLM nearby now have no access without driving a long distance to the new location.  A woman from that community who was grieving was apparently attacked uncharitably on social media as Dymphna wrote on her blog. 

Charity seems to get short shrift these days. If someone with cancer had a beloved doctor and he moved to a town hours away wouldn't you console the woman mourning over his departure rather than beating up on her?

The new location is beautiful and it's wonderful that young people will have easy access to the TLM, but a little sympathy for those who have lost access is also appropriate. 

Let's pray for Bishop Barron and the bishops and priests of the SSPX and, please, can we all act with a little charity towards one another. We are not enemies, but allies trying to bring all men and women to the Kingdom of Christ. Stop with the circular firing squads!