Monday, October 24, 2005
FROM THE COMMENTS BOX ON THE "RANDOM THOUGHTS" BLOG DOWN BELOW
I've been trying to post a response to Kathy in the comments box, but Halo-Scan isn't cooperating, so I've moved it up here. My response to her comments will appear in red if Blogger cooperates. Her comments are in italics.
I too get a little nervous walking into the SSPX, but (and despite my inability to be a theologian here) we do have to get some facts straight.
SSPX Masses are valid. They are. They are not heretical and the priests are validly ordained. That does not cover confession or marriage, so be real careful in using them for that purpose.
Think about what you have written, Kathy. When a priest is ordained, he is ordained for all of the sacraments, not just some of them.
I've investigated the validity claims of the SSPX. There is tremendous controversy over this. To some extent you get the answer you seek by asking the people who think the same way you do on the subject.
However the priests are Roman Catholics all the way through as priests and that is not in question with the Church. The SSPX is not a separate religion. It is Catholicism--schism meaning separated from Rome. The SSPX is loyal to the Pope, vs. Orthodoxy which is a true schism.
One cannot be Roman Catholic and loyal to the Pope while at the same time being out of communion with the Pope. The concepts are mutually exclusive. What you have in the SSPX is another variety of wandering bishop, not unlike the Liberal Catholic Church and the Gnostic Catholic Church, both of which claim to be Catholic but not in communion with the Pope.
If you don't want to take my word for it, and there is no reason for you to do so, then please find a good authority you trust and ask him/her.
Yes the people at Latin Masses are mostly in long sleeves (which does beat the tank top), but is that what bothers you? Wear short sleeves. Wear a veil or DON'T.
When I attended the SSPX Mass I didn't wear a veil. I was promptly presented with one by a well-meaning lady.
You may get stared at. So what. Go. I wore jeans, nice jeans, tonight. (Oh the chapel is ugly is it. Hummmm. Is God there?
For your sake, I hope so.
Can you guarentee He is present with Fr. ? who lost his faith some time ago and doesn't believe in what he is doing, but has a much prettier church. I believe when a priest no longer believes in what he is doing, then matter is not changed into our Lord? Am I correct?)
Sure. But I have a strong sense that the priests at my church believe in what they are doing.
Look, We all want back our parishes. We all want what has been stolen from us. But you are not going to find it by leaving the church. Go where it is safe for now. Get some strength back. You can do that at a SSPX Mass. Do you travel? The FSSP Masses are all over. (Sacramento has its own FSSP Church--very active and actually quite lovely). There is one in NJ. Go on line and they are listed.
And if you want some in-your-face, no appologies Catholicism try Christ or Chaos website. No punches pulled, none at all.
I've visited their website a number of times.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you may lose your faith if you keep going where you know it is garabage homilies, lies and failure to be Catholic. I know I would be upset all the time. Others on this site say the same thing. You need to go where you won't be lied to about Catholicism. If you don't want to buy the polictical/social views of the SSPX parishoners, fine. But at least the Catholicism is rock solid. Honest, the Masses are valid. You fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending them.
Kathy 10.23.05 - 11:35 pm #
What if the Holy Spirit has been leading the 5 most recent popes? We believe that the Holy Spirit leads the popes. If He has led the popes, why did He change His mind about so many things? But if He was not leading these 5 popes, has God abandoned the Church?
It's easy to look at the documents and compare the ones prior to the Council to the ones post-Council, and note the transformation in the faith. But then we must adddress what is right, because they can't both be right when they are mutually contradicting.
If I reject the arguments prior to the Council, my faith is no longer built on Tradition, it is built on the work of a group of men who had a bright new idea. If I decide these men are right and the older men were wrong, what guarantee do I have that these men are right other than my own decision?
If I reject the arguments after the Council, I am no longer a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Gates of Hell have prevailed, which, of course, is incompatible with the teachings of the Church prior to the Council as well as post Council.
We have chaos. There is simply no way to sort out what has transpired. We are damned no matter where we turn. The chaos can only be diabolical. It is much to cleverly conceived to be human.
