Open Letter to Bishop Michael Burbidge with Cover Letter to Apostolic Nuncio: We are are not excommunicated schismatics!

OPEN LETTER TO MOST REVEREND MICHAEL BURBIDGE, 

BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

July 13, 2026

Your Excellency,

How grateful I am for your vocation to the priesthood and the privilege of calling you my spiritual Father. We met only once several years ago after Fr. Clarence Trinkle's funeral at St. John the Baptist. I left by the front door thinking to slip away quietly, but you were standing alone next to the hearse only a few feet away. I stopped, genuflected and kissed your ring, introduced myself, and thanked you. I considered our brief exchange providential and was delighted to receive a personal blessing. I recall that meeting today as I write in grief over the recent decree of excommunication of the SSPX bishops. Since my purpose is not to defend the Society consecrations, I will not address that topic.

Fatherly Concern or Papal Politics?

A reader on Substack sent me a link to an interesting article from Integrity Magazine. 

Analysis suggests Leo’s last-minute ‘heartfelt letter’ to SSPX 

was sent to ensure harshest possible punishment

Sad thought, but in view of the pope's refusal to meet with Fr. Pagliarani or even reply to his letters.... Draw your own conclusions. Does Pope Leo act like a father to a flock he loves with a father's heart? Did Francis?

Sunday Meditation: Discernment, Disagreement, Conscience, and the Fullness of the Truth

I follow a gentleman on Substack, D. B. Doherty, whose views on the SSPX situation conflict strongly with my own. I think it's an intelligent practice to study both sides of an issue to help discern where the fullness of the truth lies. That's what I've been doing ever since COVID sent us to the SSPX in recognition and appreciation of their zeal for souls. Up to now, I've found the arguments for the SSPX more convincing than those against them. So I continue, in good conscience, to attend the chapel. But I also continue to examine the arguments presented by those who disagree who I see as people of good will. I ignore the others. Let them rage.

Doherty, describes himself as an "armchair theologian." He warns that all of us who continue to connect ourselves to the Society are in serious spiritual danger. Recently, he posted this article:

How to Defend the SSPX and Accidentally Risk Your Soul

Cancel Culture from Rome: Pope Leo and Archbishop Vigano

Yesterday I read Archbishop Vigano's letter to the pope. Like he did with the SSPX, Leo  dissed the archbishop first agreeing to a private meeting and then changing his mind and refusing. Hmm...first thing I thought of was "Say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no." 

What's Wrong with these Pictures? Say it ain't so, Pope Leo!

Just think! Pope Leo is gracious and welcoming to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church which has been in schism from Rome since the Council of Chalcedon in 451. He's welcome at the Vatican.

Are Francis and Leo the "Two Worm Ridden Popes"

The other day when I was doing bee hive inspections I was disturbed to pull out a frame filled with small white worms. They looked like wax moth larvae. That's no joke in a beehive. Wax moth can turn a hive into a horror movie scene pretty quickly. Only once have we had a serious infestation and we had to burn everything in that hive except the box which we treated with bleach. So when I hear the term "two worm-ridden popes" it's no joke!

The Schism is Coming! The Schism is Coming!

I hate what my first thought was when I read Vatican journalist Diane Montagna's article about the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and their plans to excommunicate the SSPX bishops if the consecrations go forward on July 1st. There is talk that the entire Society will be excommunicated, every single member, which includes all the clergy and I presume the seminarians, brothers, and nuns. 

The laity are not members of the Society so if rumors turn out to be true, I presume we will be told we cannot fulfill our Sunday obligation by going to Mass at SSPX chapels and that they do not have the authority to forgive sins so sacramental confessions will be invalid. And, of course, so will the sacrament of Confirmation and Matrimony. Whew! The sword of Damocles will be over our heads wielded by Cardinal Fernandez of kissing and porno book fame. Really, it boggles the mind. So while Pope Leo embraces and dialogues with Patriarch Bartholomew of the schismatic Easter Orthodox Church, he refuses to meet with the SSPX.

What a father, eh?

Those who embrace Sacred Tradition are uniting behind the truth: The SSPX is NOT in Schism!

STATE of EMERGENCY: Is the Society of St. Pius X In Schism?

Michael Matt's video is a must see. He presents the situation very well. 

"The faith must survive in someone!...The thing that unites us is the Catholic faith itself.....God has given us, even in the midst of this darkness, He has given us oases of light....God has not left us orphans. He has not abandoned us, Yes the shepherd has been struck with the sheep. Maybe we don't need to scatter as much as we thought. Because God has provided us faithful shepherds....So what do we do? We support them.

The Games Have Begun! How Long Can the Vatican Stall the Consecrations with their Fake Dialogue?

BREAKING: Cdl. Fernandez urges SSPX to drop plan to consecrate bishops

OR ELSE!

So...Shall We Talk About Schism and the SSPX?

With the announcement of the SSPX plans to ordain new bishops this summer, we return to the question of schism. That question has to begin with whether Archbishop Lefebvre, Bishop de Castro Mayer, and the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre without pontifical mandate in 1988 actually committed a schismatic act. If they did, they were excommunicated automatically (Latae sententiae). If they did not, they committed an act of disobedience not an act of schism. There's a world of difference.

Are Some Catholics Fomenting Schism?

Some commenters on my blog insist that I take a position on whether Francis is or is not the pope. I've always replied that to make that decision is definitely "above my pay grade." In fact, it's above the pay grade of almost every Catholic on earth. And if it isn't, if someone is truly competent to come to that determination because of his ecclesial or scholarly position, he should bring his argument privately to those with the competence to act; that is, the college of cardinals. 

Whether Francis is a valid pope will soon be a moot point. He is clearly not going to live much longer. Then we will see the next conclave and, since Francis has nominated a majority of the current voting bishops, 78% in fact (Source), it is likely that the next pope will be cut from the same cloth. Hopefully, the cardinals are sick of the confusion and chaos of the past decade and will make a better choice. We need a holy, faithful pope. Will we get one? Let's pray for him and those with the electoral duty to protect the Church.

Of Graduation, the Christendom Chapel, and the SSPX

Christendom College chapel on college graduation day.

Our granddaughter graduated last Thursday from Chelsea Academy in Front Royal, VA. Mass and ceremonies were held at Christendom College on a beautiful sunny Spring day under a Mary-blue sky. My husband and I arrived about twenty minutes before Mass and entered the new church for the first time. It's very impressive from the outside, more like a European cathedral than a humble college chapel. It has a large foyer, a high choir loft, and and an imposing altar almost dazzlingly white. 

Play it again, Sam: The SSPX is NOT in Schism!

 Read Maike Hickson's article at LifeSiteNews. 

Pope Francis said SSPX priests ‘are not schismatics’: retired Swiss bishop

Here's a bit from the article:

Take Heart: The Crisis in the Church is Terrible, But We've Seen Others!

Some say we face today the worst crisis the Church has ever experienced. Perhaps it's true. Horrifying things occur on an almost daily basis. Satan's influence pollutes the Church in many places. But take heart. The Church rose and grew in the midst of crises in the first century and has seen one after another ever since. Has there ever been a time of universal peace without difficulty and persecution? Church history overflows with periods of crisis.

Fr. Z Weighs in Again and Reiterates that the SSPX is NOT IN SCHISM!

Editor's Comment: Fr. Z has been consistent in saying that the SSPX is NOT IN SCHISM. Can anyone out there produce a "proper decree properly composed and promulgated?" I have yet to see one! I suggest people read the blog post and then read the comments which are interesting and present both sides of the question. 

ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to contribute for a side altar at an SSPX chapel?

Posted on 16 January 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Is making a sponsorship to an SSPX church a sin, if one doesn’t support being in Schism.  I have a deep love for Our Lady of Guadalupe for example and would like to support the side altar in her honor.

I assume that the SSPX chapel has a plan to create or renovate a side altar and a collection is being taken up.

A couple things.

First, we cannot accept the premise.  The SSPX, the claims of dilettantes notwithstanding, is not in schism.  When proper authority issues a proper decree properly composed and promulgated, we can review this.  Until then, charity dictates that people should back off and attend to their own affairs. [Read the rest at Fr. Z's blog.]

Much As I Respect Cardinal Burke, He Isn't Infallible!

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, La Crosse, WI

I respect Cardinal Raymond Burke and have a number of his books in my library. His writings have helped me in my formation as a Catholic. My husband and I visited the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse on one of our cross country camping trips. What a delightful experience! And how grateful I am to Cardinal Burke for its creation. But building a beautiful shrine honoring Our Lady and writing some great books, doesn't make one infallible. Even Peter is infallible only when he speaks ex cathedra or speaks in union with the magisterium, not just the current magisterium either. He and they may not "make a mess" with the immutable Doctrine and Sacred Tradition of the Holy Roman Catholic Church passed on from the apostles. Novelties that conflict with Doctrine and Sacred Tradition are anathema!

Rooster Looster Mike Voris is Crowing in the Barnyard Again! "The Schismatics are Coming! Run for Your Lives!"

Check out Susan's article, Once Upon a Time in Detroit!

A friend of mine, a long-time sidewalk counseling partner from the past, sent me an email linking to Mike Voris' latest attack on the SSPX. Good grief! Give it a rest, Michael!

Ho-hum and yawn. Mikey has definitely become Rooster Looster one note, one long, screeching, discordant note. Like a cockscomb-clad court jester, he calls us all to dance to his crowing. He screeches that the SSPX is damaging the faith and driving people out of the Church. 

What nonsense! 

A Compelling Defense of the SSPX by Fr. Denzil Meuli, S.T.D., U.J.D., Ph.L, LL.B., Advocate for the Roman Rota

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

Editor's Note: There were so many mistakes and irregularities in the attack on the SSPX it would take an encyclopedia to list them all. Lefebvre was denied a fair hearing or even to be given the charges. Like so many cases in the Church where good priests have experienced kangaroo court proceedings, this was the case for the Archbishop. He defied the modernist takeover of the Church, so he was guilty.Take a look at the credentials of Fr. Meuli at the end of the article. His opinion weighs very heavily in terms of his expertise as both a canon and civil lawyer. As I have said numerous times, the SSPX is NOT in schism. I base that not on my own opinion but on the legal opinions of those with impeccable credentials. At the very least, the situation is confusing enough with varying opinions from canon lawyers that charity calls for the benefit of the doubt to be given to the accused. Fr. Meuli died in 2019 at the age of 92. His letter is a blessed gift to the Church and defends very well the fact that the SSPX is NOT IN SCHISM! [My comments are in red, although I feel a little silly to even think of adding to this brilliant canonist's writing. I hope the few comments I've made help clarify.] And, by the way, if anyone is in schism it's the modernists in the Church who are running the synodal horrors undermining the faith.

LETTER FROM REV. DR. DENZIL MEULI, S.T.D.,U.J.D., Ph.L., LL.B., Advocate for the Holy Roman Rota, Barrister for the High Court of NZ REGARDING THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE SSPX WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
JULY 21 2001

Extracts from lengthy reply to a slanderous e-mail:

Church Militant Is at It Again! NO, the SSPX is NOT in Schism!

I won't be saying much about this yet because I haven't had a chance to do enough research, but the latest assault on the SSPX by Church Militant has risen to a new level of vicious attack. (If you watch the episode, note Michael's snide comments throughout.) Their assault weapon in this case is a "former" 32nd degree mason, John Salza, slandering Archbishop Lefebvre and the SSPX. One Peter 5 has an interesting article on Salza (John Salza Replies to John Salza) by Rudolph West. Included in the article intro is this:

Get to Know Archbishop Lefebvre, Enemy of Modernism, Faithful Son of the Church

Stop listening to all the attacks on this holy man. He deserves our thanks for saving the Traditional Latin Mass and defending the priesthood. One day I think he will be a canonized saint and a doctor of the Church. Watch the documentary, read his biography and study his writings. It may open your eyes. And if you want to watch a debate about the SSPX being in schism, go here. Jeff Cassman argues like an adult; his opponent, despite all his credentials, argues like a kid.