SSPX bishop, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, took a serious fall about a week ago and has not regained consciousness. Please pray for him and for the SSPX bishops and priests.
Since last Spring the rumor mill has been churning with questions about whether the SSPX will be ordaining new bishops. Obviously the situation is approaching that faced by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988. In order to have priests, one must have bishops, validly ordained bishops. There is no question that Archbishop Lefebvre was a validly ordained bishop. He had the canonical ability to validly ordain priests and other bishops. There has never been a question of the ordination of the four bishops by Archbishop Lefebvre being valid. The ordination was illicit, done without papal permission, but valid. There have been numerous arguments back and forth since then about whether justification from the crisis in the Church provided jurisdiction to legitimize Archbishop Lefebvre's action.
Archbishop Lefebvre has often been vilified for his action, but the reality is that he requested permission over and over and finally received it for the ordination of one bishop. However, the date of the ordination was pushed back numerous times until Archbishop Lefebvre concluded that the Vatican was waiting for him to die. And so he took the serious action he did to protect the institution of the priesthood and the Mass and Sacraments of the Ages.
The current situation for the SSPX is becoming critical with the same decision facing today's SSPX bishops as Archbishop Lefebvre faced in 1988. Of the four original bishops, Tissier is critically ill, Williamson is out of the picture, and the two remaining bishops, Fellay and de Galarreta, are in their late 60s. And the society has grown considerably. Will the leadership wait or begin to make plans to ensure its future. I imagine the demands of growth must be a serious consideration for the SSPX leadership.
God only knows whether the excommunication of the bishops by John Paul II was legitimate, but that question is moot since it was lifted in 2009 by Pope Benedict. His action caused so much controversy he addressed it in a letter to the bishops posted on the Vatican website. It's an interesting letter and illustrates the crisis in which we find ourselves. Things have only gotten worse since then with Francis who resembles a spinning top confusing doctrine and practice. His actions often conflict with his words which often are contradictory. He resembles Humpty Dumpty in Wonderland, not a good endorsement for one whose master said, "Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no." Russell Shaw had something to say about that after the confusing document on blessings came out!
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| Put this sculpture in a white cassock and zucchetto and what do you see? |
On Sunday our pastor raised the question of the possible ordination and simply urged us to pray, both for Bishop Tissier who appears to be on his deathbed and for the situation. He mentioned that the seminary in Dillwyn, VA recently welcomed twenty seminarians entering formation there. How many will be entering in Econe I wonder.
My husband and I are incredibly blessed by the priests of the SSPX. They are unparalleled in preaching and as confessors. On Sunday Father urged us not to be anxious; all is in the Providence of God. That is good advice at all times and in all circumstances. I intend to follow it.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
6 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
ReplyDelete7 Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct?
8 But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.
9 Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?
10 And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.
11 Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
(Hebrews 12: 6-11)
The worst calamity for a Christian is to live our days without any suffering, trials, chastisement; to float through every day in a feather bed of ease and comforts. We are soldiers of Christ, and being a soldier means fighting. Heaven will not be given to us, but must be won for ourselves and for those in our particular orbits. For “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.” (Eph 6:12). This life is combat, and if we are not fighting every day, in the evidence of spiritual suffering, then that is a serious barometer of our condition as Christians.
The Society of St Pius X recognized from their beginning that the fight Catholics are in is within, rather than without. The heresy and faithlessness is in high places. And so they met the enemy on that ground in the Name of Christ, as their ultimate “Superior”. It doesn’t matter as much what one’s opinion of the Society is. What matters is that a Catholic recognizes the nature of battle for what it actually is and act accordingly. The Society must act to protect itself - fearlessly and in the Name of Christ, with boldness and love, but not rancor. But even those outside the Society must make similar choices and respond to the current crisis as soldiers in a war that stand their ground and take the fight to the enemy, not as cowards who flee to comforts and safety.
The enemy of Christ is within the Catholic Ark. That is an objective fact. We must now do our duty. That is what God’s providence demands of us. Save the ship!
Bishop Tissier has fought the good fight and is firmly in the line of Blessed Apostles. May the Society be blessed with new Bishops just like him, holy in their life, brave in their choices and faithful in their duty to Christ. God bless Bishop Tissier and may he see the face of Jesus according to the providence of God.
Thank you for this; sad news
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