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:
- They are a fraternity of Catholic priests in communion with Pope Francis
- Their orders are valid.
- Their liturgies satisfy your Sunday obligation
- 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 Francisorders Bishops to witness SSPX Marriages (the Bishops already had the authority to delegate faculties if they chose, this letter makes it clear that the Pope wants them to do so)
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/rc_com_ecclsdei_doc_20170327_lettera-presuli_en.html
Faculties for Confessions
Pope Francis provides the SSPX with worldwide faculties for confessions, not dependent upon the permission of the local ordinary.
https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20161120_misericordia-et-misera.html
Faculties to say Mass are part of the ordinary or superior’s power
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05748a.htm
From Bishop Vitus Huounder, friend of Pope Francis
“I have had many contacts with the Holy Father, also on the subject of the Society. The question of schism was brought up, and the Holy Father himself said on several occasions: “This is not a schismatic community.” Pope Francis himself said this to me during a private audience. I just point that out in passing, also in order to reassure people who keep returning to this subject, or who suffer from this false accusation.”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/pope-francis-says-the-sspx-are-not-schismatics-retired-swiss-bishop/
From Bishop Robert Barron, who gave the SSPX permission to use one of his chapels:
Bp. Barron cancelled the TLM at a parish and moved it to a school chapel
Priests of SSPX allowed to say Mass in Vatican
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/08/sspx-priest-celebrates-mass-in-saint.html
History of Bishops ordaining Priests during times of crisis in the Church
From St. Newman’s “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine” that names two bishops in addition to St. Athanasius who traveled into the diocese of rival (Arian heretic) bishops and ordained priests there, specifically to combat the Arian infestation:
“The great Athanasius, as he returned from his exile, made no scruples to ordain in several cities as he went along, though they were not in his own diocese. And the famous Eusebius of Samosata did the like, in the the times of the Arian persecution under Valens… Epiphanius made use of the same power and privilege in a like case, ordaining Paulinianus, St. Jerome’s brother, first deacon, and then presbyter, in a monastery out of his own diocese in Palestine.” (An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, Aeterna Press (2015), p179)
Praise of Lefebvre from Cardinal Ratzinger:
I consider him to be the most important bishop of the 20th century with regard to the universal Church.”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/bombshell-as-a-cardinal-pope-benedict-reportedly-called-marcel-lefebvre-the-most-important-bishop-of-the-20th-century/?utm_source=top_news&utm_campaign=catholic
Praise of the mission of the SSPX from Pope Benedict:
“From my current point of view, I have to agree with Archbishop Lefebvre in retrospect about having his own bishops. Today after the experience of ’15 years of Ecclesia Dei,’ it is clear that such a work as that of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X cannot simply be handed over to the diocesan bishops.”
More in depth studies you might be interested in:
Kennedy Hall wrote an entire book examining the facts of the situation:
Crisis Magazine investigates the situation of the SSPX:
The Status of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) (Guest: James Vogel)
Abp Schneider, apostolic delegate from the Vatican, praises the SSPX, admits that they are Catholic and have the approval of the Pope:
Canon Lawyer from Archdioces of NY explains why the SSPX is not in schism.
I defend the priests of the SSPX from charges of schism on RTF:
I again defend the priests of the SSPX from the charge of schism on Pints with Aquinas: