The Holy See has declared that, if the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) proceeds with the ordination of bishops in July without a papal mandate, those involved in these illicit ordinations are automatically (latae sententiae) excommunicated — that is, excommunicated by their own acts. One may, indeed one should, hope that it does not come to that. But even if the SSPX hits the brakes at the last moment and doesn’t commit formally schismatic acts, the grave problem posed by the SSPX will continue.
That was made rather clear by the May 14 “Declaration of Catholic Faith Addressed to Pope Leo XIV”, in which the SSPX leadership declares, wittingly or not, that it does not share the faith of the Catholic Church.
Take the Declaration’s very first sentence, in which the SSPX declares that “Our Lord Jesus Christ … rendered the Old Covenant definitively null and void.” That would have shocked St. Paul who, wrestling with the tangled question of the relationship between Israel’s election and the New Covenant incorporating the Gentiles into God’s plan of salvation, wrote, under divine inspiration, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises” (Romans 9:4). Not “belonged,” but “belong.” Two chapters later, Paul insists that “as regards election they [the Jewish people] are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28-29). God does not repent of his promises, and the Old and New Testaments form a unity, as the Church has consistently affirmed for two millennia. The SSPX Declaration denies this.
The Declaration goes on to claim that “every man must be a member of the Catholic Church in order to save his soul, and there is but one baptism as a means of being incorporated into her. This necessity concerns the whole of humanity without exception and embraces without distinction Christians, Jews, Muslims, pagans, and atheists.” SSPX hell is thus quite well populated, and includes your Lutheran, Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, and non-believing friends and relatives.
This, however, is precisely the extreme distortion of the old maxim extra ecclesiam nulla salus (no salvation outside the Church) for which Father Leonard Feeney was excommunicated in 1953, the theological ground for that sanction being laid by a 1949 statement of the Holy Office approved by Pope Pius XII.
Ironically, the SSPX Declaration affirms that “the denial of even a single truth of the Faith destroys faith itself and renders radically impossible all communion with the Catholic Church.” Yet that is precisely what the SSPX does in declaring God’s promises to the Jewish people “definitively null and void” and by giving the most extreme possible interpretation to extra ecclesiam nulla salus. The SSPX thus contradicts the teaching of such giants as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, the papal condemnations of Jansenism, and the teaching of Blessed Pius IX in Quanto Conficiamur Moerore on the availability of grace beyond the sacraments.
It has long been obvious that the root of the movement begun by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, which continues today in the SSPX, was not simply the archbishop’s rejection of the post-conciliar liturgy, but a rejection of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on the Church, salvation, religious freedom, Church-state relations, and the Church’s relationship to other religions. In this connection, it should be remembered that Archbishop Lefebvre was a supporter of Marshal Henri Petain and the collaborationist Vichy regime in France during World War II: a regime that rejected modernity root and branch. Elements of Vichy eventually careened into a lethal antisemitism that grew in part from the rejection of Romans 9-11 that the SSPX Declaration also rejects. To raise even the faintest echo of that tawdry history amidst today’s antisemitic outrages is, to put it gently, frighteningly obtuse.
In May, a distinguished Italian historian noted, with reference to the episcopal ordinations the SSPX intends to carry out and the excommunications that will automatically follow, that “what is set to happen in July will not be the building of a bridge but the creation of a new chasm between [the SSPX world] and the Holy See.” True enough.
That will only happen, however, if the 700+ priests, 200+ seminarians, and hundreds of thousands of laity involved in the SSPX continue to acquiesce, cult-like, in the heterodoxy of the SSPX leadership, whose claim to be the only true Catholics is what will detonate ecclesial bridges and create whatever sorry chasms follow. The people who find spiritual nourishment in SSPX Mass centers deserve better than that.
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The SSPX momentum to ordain bishops without papal approval reminds me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Chronicle of a Death Foretold.” It’s been many years since I read it, but as I recall, everone in the book sees a disaster (the murder of a young man) coming, everyone involved makes half-hearted attempts to avert the tragedy (even the killers have no desire to kill the victim), yet no one does anything definitive, and the killing goes as planned. A far fetched comparison? I’m not so sure.
SSPX should ask the Chicoms to make some bishops for them.
Hear, hear.
Nostra Aetate: yet another instance where the Documents of Vatican II must be read in their entirety. The overall meaning of Nostra Aetate is largely about the nature of God—such that while He works through the sacraments of the Eucharistic Church, His gratuitous work is not limited to the sacraments.
In the thicket of human words (not quite the Word), easily read out of context and misconstrued and exploitable, we are informed on the one hand that “the Catholic faithful [are] to recognize the signs of the times [?]…” (n. 3), BUT THEN come the possibly needed and surely clarifying words:
“Nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a false conciliatory approach which harms the purity of Catholic doctrine [!] and obscures its assured genuine meaning [!]. At the same time, Catholic belief needs to be explained more profoundly and precisely [!], in ways and terminology which our separated brethren [!] too can really understand [!]” (n. 11).
In the secular world, many argued at the time that it was the absence of similarly clarifying words–on the meaning of “unconditional surrender”–that likely led directly to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, and within the Church, the nuclear option of schism.
Christ wept at Gethsemani…
Pope John said he was not calling a Doctrinal Council.
Pope Paul VI at the Council conclusion said it was not a Doctrinal Council.
The SSPX say they accept all doctrines prior to V II.
The Vatican says they must accept the doctrines of Vatican II.
Can the Vatican list the new doctrines of Vatican II that the SSPX must accept?
Can the SSPX list what new items of Vatican II they do not accept?
Can we then just sort out what is doctrine and what is policy and practice?
Policy and practice that contradicts Doctrine, such as The Catholic Church’s Teaching on The Ten Commandments including Christ’s Teaching on The Sixth Commandment “to protect the integrity of Marriage while affirming that all sexual desires must be ordered toward the faithful, lifelong union of a man and woman in marriage and open to the creation of new life”, would certainly constitute a rupture from Catholic Dogma on The Sanctity and Dignity of the marital act within The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony , and The Teaching of The Catholic Church on Chastity.
Mr. Weigel has gone to the heart of the matter. Ultimately the authenticity of the Catholic faith is based on the unified testimony of Scripture and Tradition, not on formulas spelled out in theological manuals. Unfortunately, the French hard-liners in the SSPX imitate their Rationalist and Gallicanist ancestors, thinking that whatever they think is best and ignoring Rome whenever convenient. The SSPX worldwide IS better than that and deserves better than such “elite capture.”
Dialogue is great, but it must be constructive. The Church is in the position to set the guidelines and conditions. The Church has been very patient with the Society for well over a half century and will probably continue to do so, but eventually the problem must be solved once and for all. Even if there is a split, as “separated brethren “ they would be much closer to us than most of the others are. While they would not likely accept us as brethren, we would accept them as part of the greater Church.
As always Mr Weigel, good job on an excellent article. Thank you sir.
Man is man and there will always be schism. Or as the Amish say “Only good wood splits!”
I wish this problem was limited to the SSPX but it’s not. I’ve been encountering it in other Catholic circles recently & it seems to be growing.
Back when we first began homeschooling there was only one Catholic curriculum provider I could find & it was associated with the SSPX. Their materials were good & solid. The illustrated Baltimore Catechism included with our textbooks clearly taught how those not formally within the Church can be saved.There was an illustration that helped in understanding how that works.
Fr. Feeney was not a well man & he took a wrong turn, perhaps in part because of that. I’d like to think so.
It was a real tragedy because he initially did so much good & at Harvard of all places. He had students crowded outside the building when he spoke because there was no room left inside.He was that popular a speaker. Imagine that happening at an Ivy League university today?
Fr. Feeney was excommunicated because of his refusal to go to Rome when summoned. But his going off the rails is what prompted that.
Sometimes I think Satan goes after the best & the brightest-those who could pose the greatest threat. The indifferent & lukewarm are less of a concern.
Thank God that there are so many who intercede with The Father to touch hearts that have become ‘rigid’ – including the good and holy Popes – Pope Leo X111 to the present name sake as we too can join in same intention to help do away with such attitudes in ourselves and many more .
https://en.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/news/the-divine-will-at-the-heart-of-holiness/2003
https://bookofheaven.com/2015-conference/pope-leo-xiv/ – May 8 – election of
Pope Leo X1V as anniv. of apparition of St.Michael here .
Pope Pius X , Luisa , St.Hannibale Di.Francia -latter to whom Pope Benedict XV1 also much devoted .
https://bookofheaven.com/who-is-luisa/pope-st-pius-x/
The remarks about The Church becoming ‘small’ -also likely having the prophetic meaning of the child like innocence & holiness that was in Adam being restored in many more in The Church and not to claim smallness in #s alone as a criterion of special holiness .
https://luisapiccarreta.co/?page_id=23475
Mercy !
Two wrongs do not make a right, but Rome cannot credibly insist on disciplining the SSPX while tolerating (and even promoting) priests and bishops in “full communion” who publicly contradict or campaign against Catholic doctrine. Such inconsistency creates a perception of injustice, undermines the Church’s authority, and lends credibility to the SSPX’s argument that fidelity to tradition is treated more harshly than open dissent. “Fidelity for thee, but not for me” is no way to run the Church or foster genuine ecclesial communion.
As the Second Vatican Councils says, everyone gets into heaven, except the SSPX.
VII closed in 1965. The SSPX was founded in 1970. Remarkable work by the Councils (sic).
Laughing out loud inside.
(and let’s not forget the Hitler exception…so everyone but SSPX and Hitler.)
I don’t really dispute the argument made by Mr. Weigel so much as his decision to make it. He is on record over many years for disparaging the traditional form of the Mass and cheerleading Paul VI’s missal. Interested readers will know his opinions before they read them.
Christ Is The Messiah Who Fulfills The Old Covenant, thus to deny Jesus The Christ Is The Word Of Perfect Divine Eternal Infinite Salvational Love Incarnate, is to deny that The Sacrifice Of The Cross, The Sacrifice Most Holy, The Sacrament Divine, Is The Sacrifice Of The Most Holy Blessed Trinity, “For God So Loved Us, He Sent His Only Son…”.
Salvation is for all people to either accept or reject.
God Promised to send The Israelites The Messiah, and God Sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus The Christ.
The Catholic Church teaches that this is our Sacred Heritage, The Sacred Heritage of all human persons, from the moment of conception; Salvation Is Of The Jews, From The Father, Through , With, And In His Only Begotten Son, Jesus The Christ, In The Unity Of The Holy Ghost, The Spirit Of Perfect Divine Eternal Infinite Love Between The Father And His Only Begotten Son, Jesus The Christ., Who Proceeds From Both The Father And His
“The ambiguity of the moment is whether enabling an informal church-within-the-Church, while also affirming formal doctrine, constitutes an actual “public defection” from the Catholic faith.”
It does, because such ambiguity denies The Unity Of The Holy Ghost.(Filioque), and can no longer be claimed to be “ambiguous” because the SSPX is under threat of being excommunicated for holding fast to Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture , and The Teaching Of The Magisterium, grounded in Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, while those who desire to accommodate the denial of The Sanctity and Dignity of the marital act within The Sacrament Of Holy Matrimony and thus God’s Will that we respect The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life from the moment of conception are being affirmed and promoted within the hierarchy of the counterfeit magisterium that is anti Christ because it denies Christ’s teaching regarding lust and the sin of adultery, making it appear as if lustful sexual acts that deny the inherent Sanctity and Dignity of our beloved sons and daughters are acts of Love.
Father Leonard Feeney was excommunicated for”heresy and persistent disobedience, for denying The Catholic Church’s Teaching on The Baptism of Desire, and refusing to appear before the Pope”.
Are you suggesting that by recognizing that outside The Catholic Church, there is no Salvation, The SSPX is denying The Church’s Teaching on The Baptism of Desire that, at the hour of his death, in recognizing Christ In All Christ’s Glory, St.Dismas, The Penitent Thief, experienced?
CCC 846 “All Salvation comes from Christ The Head through The Church which is His Body.”
Sorry George, but you’re wrong. It’s the Conciliar Church that has left the Faith, not the SSPX. As during the Arian Crisis the Modernists are occupying the Vatican, the chanceries, and the rectories.
Thank you for a clear eyed assessment of the sad state of the SSPX and the society’s errors.
Mr Weigel, there is something a little disingenuous about your latching on to the Jewish issue, but it is also pretty important that you did.. As you know, the SSPX upholds the faith ad33-1962.
Before 1962, Catholic theology taught that the OT Covenant of Moses had been fulfilled and superseded by the NT.
For example, the Council of Florence in Cantate Domino (1442):
“The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and teaches that the legal prescriptions of the Old Testament… after the coming of our Lord had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began.”
ppPius XII was clear as day in Mystici Corporis Christi (1943):
“By the death of our Redeemer, the New Testament took the place of the Old Law which had been abolished.”
Taking issue with traditional Catholic teaching is one thing. Accusing the SSPX of antisemitism for simply upholding the 2000 year teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is quite another.
For the record, I personally respect the Ratzinger solution of two valid Covenants.
This single issue highlighted by Mr Weigel is one Solid Reason why the Vatican has no interest in blowing the bridge – for the Church needs the family silver of tradition – and the family silver needs the post-conciliar polishing of ppBXVI.
Please Holy Father, allow the ordinations and engage ecumenically with SSPX…