Category: Churchy Stuff

What about the SSPX?

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

I get a lot of questions about the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth (SSPX), from well-meaning Catholics.  The bottom line about the SSPX is this:

  1. They are a fraternity of Catholic priests in communion with Pope Francis
  2. Their orders are valid.
  3. Their liturgies satisfy your Sunday obligation
  4. Their sacraments are valid.

Some lay faithful have the desire to dig more deeply into the matter and/or have been misled by enemies of Tradition on one or more of the aformentioned facts.  For those who want to learn more about the details, I’m providing some very brief resources below.

Canon Law

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann1244-1253_en.html

Excommunication of the SSPX Bishops Lifted
http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apl_20090702_ecclesiae-unitatem.html

The Canonical Mission of the SSPX

Pope Francis personally granted the SSPX authority to ordain and discipline priests without needing permission of the local ordinary. He named Bishop Fellay named Canonical Minister of the First Instance, and then of the Second Instance also
https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=31663

https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/05/for-record-rome-has-given-sspx-right-to.html

Bishop Fellay given a canonical ministry with authority to discipline clerics.
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/06/for-record-ecclesia-dei-secretary.html

Permission to Ordain Priests

Pope Francis has authorized the SSPX to continue legally and licitly ordaining Priests, even without requesting permission from local Bishops (which, in some cases, they do anyway, and they always respect the Bishops, the Shepherds of the Church).

https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=31663

Faculties for Marriages

Pope … Read the rest

Examination of Conscience for a Wife

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

Examination of Conscience for a Wife

Material Responsibilities

  1. Provision
    • Have I consistently provided for the physical needs of my husband and children, including the marital debt, preparing meals, doing the laundry and other domestic responsibilites according to my state in life?
    • Have I managed our finances responsibly and with the intention of supporting the well-being of my family?
    • Have I been diligent and industrious in my work to ensure that our family’s needs are met?
    • Have I ensured that our home is a place of comfort and order, providing a nurturing environment for my husband and family?
  2. Protection
    • Have I ensured the safety and security of my husband and family?
    • Have I taken necessary measures to protect my family from harm, both physically and emotionally?

Emotional Responsibilities

  1. Love and Affection
    • Have I shown my husband love and affection unconditionally?
    • Have I been supportive, understanding, and compassionate towards my husband’s needs and concerns?
    • Have I made an effort to spend quality time with my husband first, before other members of my family?
  2. Respect and Honor
    • Have I respected my husband’s dignity and joyfully accepted his role as head of the household?
    • Have I valued my husband’s opinions and offered advice with humility and respect?
    • Have I honored my husband through my words and actions, avoiding any form of belittlement or disrespect?
  3. Communication
    • Have I communicated openly and honestly in private with my husband about my thoughts and feelings?
    • Have I listened attentively and empathetically to my husband’s concerns and perspectives?
    • Have
… Read the rest

Examination of Conscience for a Husband

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

Examination of Conscience for a Husband

Material Responsibilities

  1. Provision
    • Have I consistently provided for the physical needs of my wife and family, including food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities?
    • Have I managed our finances responsibly and with the intention of supporting the well-being of my family?
    • Have I been diligent and industrious in my work to ensure that our family’s needs are met?
  2. Protection
    • Have I ensured the safety and security of my wife and family?
    • Have I taken necessary measures to protect my family from harm, both physically and emotionally?

Emotional Responsibilities

  1. Love and Affection
    • Have I shown my wife love and affection unconditionally?
    • Have I been supportive, understanding, and compassionate towards my wife’s needs and concerns?
    • Have I made an effort to spend quality time with my wife and family?
  2. Respect and Honor
    • Have I respected my wife’s dignity and treated her as an equal partner in our marriage?
    • Have I valued my wife’s opinions and involved her in important family decisions?
    • Have I honored my wife through my words and actions, avoiding any form of belittlement or disrespect?
  3. Communication
    • Have I communicated openly and honestly with my wife about my thoughts and feelings?
    • Have I listened attentively and empathetically to my wife’s concerns and perspectives?
    • Have I worked to resolve conflicts in a loving and constructive manner?

Spiritual Responsibilities

  1. Spiritual Leadership
    • Have I led by example in living a life of faith and devotion to God?
    • Have I ensured that our family attends Mass regularly and participates
… Read the rest

How Our Lord Jesus Exemplified Each Order of Catholic Clergy

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

In traditional Catholic teaching, the hierarchy of clergy is divided into minor and major orders, each with distinct roles and responsibilities within the Church. These orders form a structured path for those pursuing a vocation in the Church’s ministry, culminating in the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Minor Orders

The minor orders traditionally include:

  • Porter: Responsible for the physical care of the church building, including opening and closing the doors, and guarding the entrance.
  • Lector: Tasked with reading Scriptures during liturgical services and often with instructing catechumens.
  • Exorcist: Charged with the duty of expelling evil spirits and assisting with catechetical instruction.
  • Acolyte: Assists in the liturgy, particularly by serving at the altar and helping the deacon and priest.

Major Orders

The major orders encompass:

  • Subdeacon: Aids the deacon and priest, especially in the preparation of the altar and the elements for the Eucharist.
  • Deacon: Assists the priest in liturgical functions, preaches the Gospel, and performs works of charity and service.
  • Priest: Administers most of the sacraments, preaches, leads the congregation in worship, and acts as a spiritual shepherd to the faithful.
  • Bishop: Possesses the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, overseeing multiple congregations, ordaining new clergy, and serving as the chief shepherd and teacher of the diocese

This traditional structure emphasizes a progression of service and responsibility, with each order preparing the clergy for greater roles in the sacramental and pastoral life of the Church.

The following sections provide examples of how Jesus Christ, the High Priest, fulfilled the roles … Read the rest

Cajetan Rebukes the Sedes (again)

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

Sedes are fond of citing Bellarmine and occasionally, Cajetan, to support their novel theories.  Phillip Campbell has a good article here explaining why this is a problem.

The article argues that sedevacantists misinterpret Cajetan’s views on removing a pope and can’t use his arguments to justify their stance. Cajetan, a 16th-century theologian, indeed discussed the removal of a pope but strictly under the context of heresy, seeing the pope’s authority as directly instituted by Christ, not delegated by the Church. His unique stance was that in cases other than heresy, the faithful should resort to prayer for divine intervention rather than seek human legal mechanisms for removal.

The Conciliarists of his time mocked Cajetan for believing in prayer just as the sedes today mock Catholics for begging God for mercy from evil prelates. This was his response:

It does not follow from the fact that the Church has not been granted the power to depose by human provision that it has not been granted [any] power to depose a pope; for it does so unfailingly by another means, namely, by persevering in prayer.

…Each polity, whether civil or ecclesiastical, can depose one who rules it tyrannically, but in different ways—thr civil one, being perfect and free, by means of power and by human provision, the ecclesiastical, however, by means of the Father’s own power, by perseverance in prayer when it is truly necessary. This mode, more excellent and unable to err as the former can, is better, and, therefore, the

… Read the rest