Full Vatican Approval of the SSPX Would Encourage Catholics about the Latin Mass

David Martin | The Daily Knight

Bishop Schneider Appeals to Pope Leo for the SSPX

The Church appears to be approaching a critical crossroads as the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) moves forward with its plan to consecrate new bishops on July 1 without Vatican approval. This has given rise to concerns that Rome might impose severe penalties on the Society.

For over fifty years the Vatican has scorned and criticized the SSPX for its rejection of Vatican II and its commitment to exclusively offer the Traditional Latin Mass. Unfortunately, this has prevented their full approbation by Rome.

Generally, the SSPX desires full communion with Rome but only on condition that no denials or concessions be made against the Faith. Deplorably, the Vatican has continually tried to tempt the SSPX to compromise its loyalty as a condition for receiving full regularization, which of course the Society is not about to do.

Absurdly, there are journalists and even ‘traditional’ Catholics who claim that the Vatican for the past forty years has extended the olive branch of peace to the SSPX to accommodate them. They claim that the Society has turned a cold shoulder to these “merciful” overtures of peace. Are they serious? Tempting the faithful to compromise their faith is certainly no olive branch. That’s like saying the devil offered Jesus an olive branch by promising him all the kingdoms of the world if he adored him (Mt.4:9).

What the Vatican has continually demanded of the SSPX is that they give up their autonomy to say only the Latin Tridentine Mass and that they honor Vatican II and the destructive changes it set in motion. Rome wants the SSPX to dignify modernism, ecumenism, and "manufactured" liturgy. It is because the Society refuses to do this that Rome has refused to grant them full communion.  

Ideally, it would be good for the SSPX to be in a position to make its influence more and more felt in the main body of the Church. This would edify the Church. The battle to retain the true Faith must be fought in the main body of the Church.  

Benedict Wanted to Bring in the SSPX as Special Forces

This was Pope Benedict’s approach in 2009. He earnestly sought to bring in the SSPX as special forces to help clean up the Church and to raise its doctrinal and liturgical standards, but unfortunately the enemies of the Faith interrupted the plan. However, he approved the idea of granting the Society full communion, and this is what Bishop Athanasius Schneider is now hoping to see from Leo. 

On February 24, the bishop issued a written appeal to Pope Leo that he allow the SSPX to proceed with its plan consecrate new bishops. On February 12, the Vatican warned that such a move “would constitute a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism).” Schneider says, “It would be a tragedy if the SSPX were completely cut off, and the responsibility would primarily rest with the Holy See.”

If the Vatican is enraged about the SSPX’s decision to consecrate new bishops, it’s not because it is somewhat illicit – that’s only an excuse – it's because it will enable the continued growth of the Society and its plan to work against Vatican II modernism.

Opposing and refuting modernism is the duty of every concerned Catholic, not just the SSPX. The priests today are misleading the flock with a new religion based on humanism, ecumenism, and modernism, so fellow Catholics need to be instructed to reject these errors. The SSPX could be effective in doing this if they were officially recognized as an integral part of the Church.

We pray that Pope Leo will bring to completion Pope Benedict’s initiative to fully recognize the Society of Saint Pius X as part of the Catholic Church.