By The traditionalist society published an open letter to the Vatican on June 24, ahead of the extraordinary consistory of cardinals and their episcopal consecrations without papal approval.
The traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) issued an open letter and a declaration of faith to Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals on June 24.
Ahead of the extraordinary consistory of the cardinals at the Vatican on June 26-27 and the SSPX’s upcoming episcopal consecrations on July 1 without papal approval, the group issued the letter as well as the declaration reaffirming their attachment to Church tradition.
“We are convinced that Tradition contains all the remedies for the deepest ills afflicting the Church and the world, for which solutions are sought in vain outside of it,” the SSPX stated in their open letter.
The accompanying declaration contains 154 statements defending traditional Church teachings, including on the sacraments, divine revelation, the Virgin Mary, the rejection of ecumenism, and fidelity to the Traditional Latin Mass.
These documents from the SSPX mark the latest development in a series of public disagreements with the Holy See over the SSPX’s planned episcopal consecrations without papal approval.
The Vatican stated on May 13 that the consecrations would be a schismatic act, resulting in automatic excommunication for the consecrating bishops and those consecrated.
On June 16, Pope Leo warned the SSPX that their planned episcopal conscrations risk schism.
“We have invited them, and I am still considering making another appeal, to say: ‘Do not do this. Let us try to live in communion in the Church.’ But it is their choice. They must understand what it means for them and for the Church,” the pope said, responding to journalists’ questions outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on June 16.
The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has rejected certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding religious freedom and the Church’s approach to other faiths.
The Holy See Press Office did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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This isn’t a “Declaration of Faith”
It’s nothing but a pathetic attempt to explain and justify their schismatic decision.
A couple things to consider: First half of quote: “We are convinced that Tradition contains all the remedies for the deepest ills afflicting the Church and the world”. No and no. The Holy Spirit guides the Church, and the Trinity contains all the remedies for whatever assails it. Tradition is to be upheld, but Tradition is not a god.
Second half of quote: “for which solutions are sought in vain outside of it,” Ironically correct. The SSPX will soon be outside full communion with “it”, the Church, so they cannot be the sought after solution.
The solution is remaining in full communion with the Roman Pontiff, and the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I hope & pray that things will be worked out for the best & for unity. We need each other.
I don’t think so. Your comments lack evidence of the honorability necessary to make an effort to understand what is meant by “Tradition” while exercising the hubris to condemn it.
What defenders of “Tradition” mean is an affirmation of all articles found in the Deposit of Faith. It is not a nostalgia party of the likeminded expressing barstool sentiments, nor is it a collection of museum pieces for the mentally ill as the uncatholic moods of Pope Francis characterized it. And Tradition upholds the imperatives commanded from many places in the NT to defend tradition and the Church from corruptions within the Church.
I know so.
Tradition is something I fully support. I’m not one of those 70’s liberal boomer Catholics. I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit guides the Church and protects it. Just because a group such as the SSPX supports tradition, along with the pro-life, and conservative viewpoints that I (and probably you) do, does not justify their actions.
Part of Tradition is adhering to the Roman Pontiff’s authority, and part of Church teaching. They can’t skirt Rome, yet pretend to recognize the Pope’s authority when their priests say the Roman Canon at their Masses. Once they are in formal schism, not only are they separated from Rome, they’re separated from the rest of the worldwide Catholic Church, including the 23 Eastern Rite Churches, the FSSP and the ICKSP. They’ll be off the Barque of Peter in the middle of a vast ocean. That’s a mighty big price to pay.
But your premises don’t correspond to the positions the SSPX takes. They do not reject legitimate authority, and the do recognize Jesus as the head of the Church. Any and all Catholics have an obligation to resist papal authority when a pope is wrong and/or heretical. And Francis, for example, was absurdly wrong about many things. Church authority does not have the authority to eliminate the TLM when the legitimate authority of Pius V declared it valid for all time and anathematized any future authority who would undermine it.
When the Barque of Peter is sinking, someone has to jump into the sea and patch the hole.
Baker, my premises DO correspond to the positions that the SSPX takes. They are rejecting Pope Leo’s legitimate authority by consecrating four priests to the episcopate without his approval, which is a schismatic action. If they really did accept Leo’s authority, they would not be doing this.
And yes, Pope Leo does in fact have the authority to end the TLM completely if he wanted to, or allow for complete, unrestricted usage, he’s our current, legitimately elected Roman Pontiff, and not Pius V, who died 454 years ago.
Pius V’s anathematization ranged from priests up to the rank of the cardinalate. In short, he didn’t “curse” a future pope. Francis definitely wasn’t my favorite, but I still recognized his authority.
The Holy Spirit guides Christ’s Church and the Barque of Peter. It gets rocked about in rough seas, but it will never sink, nor is it currently sinking. It’s not up to us to save the Church from “big bad Rome”. It’s up to us to remain faithful to God and trust that the Holy Spirit puts the right authority in at the right times.
And also, I have nothing against the Latin Mass. The liturgy itself isn’t the problem. Unfortunately, the liturgy itself has become a tool for the SSPX and other like-minded individuals to wage war against papal authority that they despise being subject to.
I think the SSPX should bless ice or kneel before a Pachamama as a remedy.
I’d have to say there’s plenty of confusion since VII about the Church’s position on ecumenism toward non-Catholic Christians (i.e. Protestants primarily, to my mind) and its approach to other faiths as well.
In the absence of clarity coming from the Vatican, I find it hard to dismiss the SSPX’s reservations out of hand.
The gut wrenching pain born of this disunity, which has been the devl’s goal since Christ’s resurrection, is that we, as Catholics, can do little to nothing about this schism. We must, therefore, pray without ceasing.
PL-XIV has worked himself into checkmate by his unwavering support for and complete continuity of everything PF-1 did.
In other words, how can Leo accuse SSPX of disobedience when he continues with unwavering support for all of the homosexuality within Holy Mother Church?
Because of the hypocrisy within the current Magisterium, I can easily envision a time when SSPX becomes a lifeboat, all that is left of the Barque of Saint Peter.
All of this mess with cardinals opposing cardinals, as our Blessed Mother foretold, and we haven’t even seen the antichrist yet.
SSPX rejection of Vat II is an issue. While they accept the majority of the council’s texts, they firmly oppose those they view as contradicting pre-Vatican II Catholic tradition. Nevertheless it is only Lumen Gentium and Verbum Dei that are dogmatic constitutions. We’re at liberty to disagree with aspects of the remainder.
An example is the text on the declaration of religious liberty, Dignitatis Humanae referencing the individual’s right to religious freedom as opposed to a State sponsored religion, or restraints on religious rights. SSPX believes the opposite, that a Catholic state has the right to forbid other religious practices.
Though we’re not living in Christendom. Furthermore, the premise of freedom of conscience does not permit a baptized Catholic to reject doctrine contained in the Deposit of Faith. We are obliged to believe what Christ revealed and what the Church teaches as binding doctrine. Unfortunately, many Catholics presumed they were thereby free to reject what they disagreed with. There should, in my view, be an addendum of clarification attached to Dignitatis.
As such it may be reasonable to negotiate an acceptable compromise. Like theologian Msgr Nicola Bux my position is that the Church should make every effort at retaining the SSPX within the Church.