On the FSSP Chaplaincy in Front Royal and the SSPX

St. Francis de Sales advises the faithful to always put the best construction on other people's actions and the most critical on your own. So I will do that with Bishop Burbidge's decision to invite the FSSP to start a chaplaincy here in Virginia. Since it is being formed "to serve primarily in Front Royal," it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a primary purpose is to close (by attrition) the SSPX chapel currently in Linden "which remains in a state of irregular communion."

I can't read the bishop's mind but I will presume that he really does care about his diocesan flock and not just the money the diocese is losing which, in view of the on-going SSPX building fund donations, is approaching two million dollars.

Let's Get One Thing Straight. The SSPX Did Not Claim to Have the Papal Mandate!

I've read a number of posts by those claiming the SSPX lied during the consecration of the bishops by claiming the papal mandate. But, in the course of the consecration Mass, when asked if they had the papal mandate, Bishop Fellay did not say "Habemus," (We have it.) Instead he called on the notary, Fr. Foucauld Le Roux, to read a declaration of necessity which implicitly recognized the lack of the papal mandate. The sedevacantist site, Novus Ordo Watch, where I found the text of the document, says this indicates that the SSPX recognizes Leo as a legitimate pope and are living a contradiction by acknowledging the conciliar church but refusing to obey its pope. Hmm....

Archbishop Vigano: “''pastoralism' of synodal officials is a hypocritical rhetorical pretense."

Archbishop Vigano responded to the SSPX letter to Cardinal Fernandez outing him for hypocrisy. Really! 

Hypocrisy at the Vatican? Can you believe it? Or has that become the default position of many of our spiritual fathers? I personally wonder how many of the magisterium actually believe what the Church has taught for millennia. If they do, how can they abandon it so completely that they are ready to canonize a man I can only describe as a sexual predator, Bishop Alejandro Lbaka. What else can one call a priest who cavorted nude with young men and let them touch his genitals and bring about arousal? Is he going to be the patron of all the clergy sex predators who brought such scandal on the Church? Will his canonization be used to justify nudity and sexual play as natural?

An Argument about the Papacy that Matters

Do some popes lead us down
the "primrose path of dalliance?"

The debate between those holding the sedevacantist position and those who've adopted the refuse and resist position about the pope matters, if only as a lesson in theological argument. But there's a way to argue with grace and courtesy that is often lacking in discussions of this stripe. 

I've often felt beat over the head by sedevacantists who cannot possibly think their position may be in error. So they browbeat those who will not jump on their "The pope is a heretic so he can't be pope!" bandwagon. Are they correct? I don't know! 

The other side is often just as acrimonious in defending their belief. Who can see the issue for all the dust stirred up by the shouting?

Is Francis a Valid Pope? Bishop Schneider Believes So.

See Bishop Schneider's website 

One of the voices in the Church that I trust the most is Bishop Athanasius Schneider. Below, I reprint his statement on the validity of a pope, not simply Francis, but any pope. Is Francis a valid pope? He has certainly been accepted as one by most of the cardinals and bishops of the world. Is he a good and holy pope? Stop laughing. 

Refuting Sedevacantism! To Accept it Destroys the Papacy and Hierarchical Nature of the Catholic Church.

A few points from the video -- not my points, mind you, Fr. Tranquillo's:

• Heresies cannot come from the Catholic Church. That is true. And we must fight them. We agree with the sedevacantists on that.

Please! Don't Follow Fr. Altman into the Labyrinth!

Fr. James Altman

I received an email from a friend today who is disillusioned with the pope. (What serious Catholic isn't?) I was sorry to see her saying she totally agrees with Fr. Altman's recent statements and decision to embrace sedevacantism. I do not! 

Perhaps I misunderstood my friend's remarks, because she ended her email saying we all need to stick to tradition. I certainly agree with that! But I truly regret what Fr. Altman. is doing even though his criticism of the pope is legitimate. He is popular and many Catholics are likely to follow him -- but where to? 

The Sedevacantist Position Summarized and Opposed

Sedevacantism has never made any sense to me. But it certainly generates incredible fights between Catholics who presumably all want the reign of Christ the King and the salvation of souls. Because of arguments on the blog, I've been doing more research and I am even more secure in my rejection of the sedevacantist position. While I admire the zeal of these folks, I don't think their answer is viable. Once again, I'm going to shut off comments on this post. Anyone who wants to jump off the barque of Peter and swim around in the sedevacantist pool, there are plenty of websites out there for you to check out. As for me, I recommend the resources below. A little catechism on sedevacantism This was apparently written during the papacy of Pope John Paul II. While his errors were not as numerous or egregious as Pope Francis, they were still serious, particularly the Assisi meetings that promoted syncretism, the belief that all religions are paths to heaven on an equal footing. (For more go here and here (first of four parts, excellent historical background)

A Question on Sedevacantism and a Response

Several visitor to the blog are committed sedevacantists who work very diligently and sometimes more vigorously than chartitably to convince readers they are right. I'm pretty loose about comments as long as people are respectful, but the discussions are occasionally more than I want to deal with. For that reason I'm not allowing comments on this post. If anyone wants to know about the sedevacantist position they can ask Google or Alexa. I am simply posting my question to a priest friend and his response. Make of it what you will. He pretty much confirmed my opinion on the subject. Below is my email and Father's answer.