WHAT ABOUT ATTENDING THE LATIN MASSES

APPROVED BY THE BISHOPS?

CAN WE ATTEND? OUGHT WE SUPPORT THEM?

It is certainly a cause for rejoicing that there is now a growing number of good priests who
celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.
However, especially for those travelling, there are a number of reasons why it is wise to assess
each available Latin Mass before attending. The following points are meant to help with this
assessment, and where issues like those below are a concern, it is better to travel further to
attend ONLY the Society of St. Pius X Masses, or stay at home and pray from your Missal, even
on a day of obligation.

1. The SSPX does not question per se the validity of the orders of all post Vatican II priests, but
there have been many reports of some dubious-priests out there. Some may be validly ordained,
but will teach some subtle heresy or simply not teach anything Catholic, or will deliver anti-
Catholic or pro-Modernist attitudes.

2. There is a question about church sharing with the other "Ordinary Rite" of Mass. Frequently
the Latin Mass priest will distribute Holy Communion from the tabernacle where the Hosts
were consecrated in the new rites. Receiving such Hosts is a way of participating in these new
rites.

3. Then there is the matter of vocations. Of those who go regularly to the traditional Latin
Mass, a good proportion (maybe one in three to five) of young men or girls will be likely to
consider a vocation, and where will the priest advise him/her to go? It is likely they will send
vocations to the conservative halfway houses (that always teach some elements of the Vatican II
novelties) of the current Vatican-approved Latin Mass congregations.

4. Regarding the collections taken at Mass. God’s Law requires lay Catholics to contribute to
the priest who provides you with the life-giving Faith and sacraments. This is also the fifth
commandment of the Church. By supporting these approved Masses, one is likely to be helping
undermine the schools with s_x-ed and other soul-destroying heresy, or paying off the
unspeakable abuse claims. Perhaps some of these funds will also go to supporting revolutionary
seminary training.

5. Many times we hear of “approved” Masses, otherwise good, where the priest or lay people
put pressure on newcomers to abandon the SSPX as if it were celebrating invalid sacraments
and/or splitting the Church. Some have nearly lost the Faith on account of the anti-SSPX
propaganda that they heard, as if there is no greater sin than to support the work of the late
saintly Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

6. Consider also the idea of putting yourself under the authority of a priest who sees nothing
wrong with the Novus Ordo, or who considers the novelties of the Second Vatican Council to
be “BINDING” (Motu, letter to bishops; 7/7/07) .

7. Finally, please consider not just your personal wish for a reverent Latin Mass, but the
Common Good for the future of the Faith. The SSPX has a WORLD-WIDE structure approved
by Rome in 1970, yet distinct from the control of the currently disoriented Vatican/diocesan
chanceries. The SSPX is a serious option for providing reliable clergy into the future. It is NOT
the Church, but is today arguably the healthiest branch at the service of the Church’s recovery,
due to its exclusive adherence to the Traditional Mass and Faith of our Fathers.
 WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LATIN MASSES
AT INDEPENDENT CHAPELS?
CAN WE ATTEND? OUGHT WE SUPPORT THEM?

Genuine Catholics are eternally grateful to the many priests who heroically held fast to the
Sacred Traditions, in spite of great opposition from the Modernists over the years. Many of
them set up independent chapels to help the abandoned faithful, and in many cases they paved
the way for the work of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX). In some cases, these priests passed on
the torch to younger priests, unconnected to any legitimate Society or Order, and the following
issues have shown themselves to be of concern.

1. Some chapels are served by priests of dubious validity. No-one can be sure of the valid
orders of many traditional bishops. Also, there can be a real problem in checking the validity of
the ordinations and background of some independent priests. With the SSPX, you know what
you are getting. No-one of serious scholarship has questioned the validity of the Holy Orders of
the SSPX priests or bishops. It is a branch of the Catholic Church that adheres to and maintains
the full Catholic Faith, not only the Traditional Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but also the entire
deposit of the faith and the traditional Seven Sacraments as well. No priest will ever be
permitted to work with the SSPX, whose background, theology and ordination have not been
completely checked and where needed, corrected.
2. Some chapels have priests who are good for a time, but if they stray there is no one to
correct or help them. The Society provides a true counterforce to the liberal diabolical
disorientation infecting the Church since the Second Vatican Council. Today they have with
almost 600 priests and 6 seminaries serving the faithful in scores of countries. Every priest
normally needs both supportive confreres and reliable superiors. These are found both in the
SSPX and associated religious congregations.

3. Catholics should follow the traditional Canon Law whenever possible. Some chapels
openly flaunt the Law. The Society of St. Pius X was founded with full canonical approval by
the Vatican by Archbishop Lefebvre on November 1, 1970. It is not some loose connection of
likeminded clergy, it can incardinate priests into itself like a diocese, eg. Fr Urban Snyder
(among others) was given Vatican approval to leave the Benedictine Order and join the SSPX.

4. Some priests have a dubious training in moral or dogmatic Theology. SSPX priests have
the best Traditional formation program in the Church. The program was organized by
Archbishop Lefebvre based on the sound formation that the Church has maintained for
centuries, plus his own extensive missionary experience.
5. Some priests constantly rant about the errors and evils in the Church, without balance.
The Society prudently charts a middle course in Tradition, honoring and praying for his
holiness, Pope Francis, and avoiding the extremes of those who would set up their own “pope”
on the one hand, or on the other hand, compromising with novelties in doctrine, morals or
devotions. The seminary professors are all totally reliable, and many past papal encyclicals are
studied, to help build up Faith and virtuous living.

6. Catholics are bound by Our Lord to judge according to the fruits. Jesus Christ stated,
“You will know them by their fruits.” The fruits of the Society are apparent: great demand all
over the world for SSPX priests, full to overflowing seminaries and some genuine impact on
correcting Vatican policy. For example without the influence of the Society there would have
been no Indult (’84, ’88), nor Motu Proprio ( ’07), that to some extent have liberated and
restored the true Mass to the Church.

7. Independent priests and Chapels have no authority structures and therefore each
independent priest becomes his own authority, or worse, he is the servant of the LAY board of
directors. There is also the problem of succession and support of independent priests. Often a
battle ensues after an independent priest dies. Sometimes the Novus Ordo establishment will
try to steal the independent church property, or it will be delivered over to them by a
manipulated lay board. Many times when an Independent priest dies or leaves there is no one to
take his place and little chance of a traditional priest being ordained by the local Novus Ordo
bishop.
The SSPX bishops, who received the fullness of the Priesthood from the prudent consecration
of Archbishop Lefebvre and Bishop de Castro Mayer, can transmit all of the Sacraments and
ensure that the Church will have true priests to say Mass and hear confessions with supplied
jurisdiction, well into the future. Recall that Pope Benedict XVI nullified the unjust and invalid
decree of 1988 that alleged a false excommunication of the bishops (as was suffered by the
great St Athanasius):

FROM THE VATICAN ..."the censure of Lefebvre/Apologia/Vol_one/Appendix_V.h

excommunication latae sententiae declared
by this Congregation on 1 July 1988 while I
declare without juridical effects, as of
today’s date, the decree issued at that time.”
Rome, from the Congregation for
Bishops, 21 January 2009.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re; Prefect of
the Congregation for Bishops"
CARDINAL BURKE’S predecessor in the
Vatican's High Court (Cardinal
Dino Staffa 1969.03.26 – 1977.08.07) was
prevented from hearing the case of
Archbishop Lefebvre back in 1976. The
resulting suppression of the Society of St.
Pius X (SSPX) was thereby null in virtue of
both natural justice and Canon Law. The
late Michael Davies (praised by Cardinal
Ratzinger in 2004) gave the whole story
here:
http://sspxasia.com/Documents/Archbishop
- approved Society (SSPX) in 1976, along
tm
The Pope could sign a decree without any
conditions on the part of SSPX at any time,
such as the following:
WHEREAS
The case of the late and venerated
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was not
allowed to be heard by the Apostolic
Signatura (thanks to the late Secretary of
State Cardinal Villot) in 1976, we accept
that the case is still sub judice in a legal
sense, and hence the SSPX is still a
legitimate ecclesial body since its
foundation in 1970.
WHEREAS
The measures taken against the late
Archbishop in 1988 were based on the
irregular (extra judicial) suppression of his
with his conviction of necessity for
providing faithful-to-Tradition bishops to
continue the work blessed by God and His
Holy Church; hence these measures were
also legally null and void. The letter of July
3, 1988, Eccelsia Dei, is hereby modified to
overturn the mistaken excommunication of
both Marcel Lefebvre and Antonio de Castro
Meyer.
WHEREAS
The discussions inaugurated by the Holy
Father Benedict XVI with the theologians of
the SSPX, having come to an end in 2012,
have demonstrated beyond doubt that the
theological positions of the Society, and
its reservations regarding the Second
Vatican Council are within the genuine
rights of loyal Catholics.
WHEREAS
The pastoral and vocational response to the
THINK AND DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE CHURCH
http://www.holycrossseminary.com/Most_Asked_Questions_Question_10.htm
work of the said Archbishop have amply
demonstrated over 45 years of fruitful and
faithful service to the Mother Church.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED
All bishops of the dioceses where there is a
presence of any established operation of the
said Society, must forthwith be ready to
enter into discussions with the Superior
General or his delegate in the District (see
website of the SSPX) to facilitate the full
regular canonical mission to further the
work of the Society, now to be treated as
Society of Pontifical Right.
No bishop may consider those priests who
are authorized by the SSPX Superior
General, to be in any way regarded as less
than in full communion with the Roman
Catholic Church, in good standing, and
with canonical mission.