SSPX

[Cat]

I think that members who are associated with the SSPX should be required to post their affiliation in their identification.

Many of us who are converts post "Tiber Swim Team" and date of conversion in our signatures. I think this is helpful to those who are responding to our posts. They know that we have a non-Catholic background and upbringing, and this helps them to frame their responses to be helpful.

So why not require, or at least ask, the SSPX adherents to make their affiliation public so that the rest of us can either avoid reading their posts, or respond in full knowledge of their motives?

When I first joined this Forum, I didn't know what the SSPX was. It was mentioned in our RCIA class, but I must have missed the explanation.

Back when I first joined CAF, I posted a thread asking what SSPX was, but I received all kinds of answers ranging from, "The SSPX is the only true Catholic Church," to "the SSPX is a schismatic group."

I'm still not quite sure what to believe about them. I want to believe that they are Catholics who love the Lord and are just trying to serve Him according to their conscience. But our bishop teaches that they are a schismatic group and that true Catholics should have nothing to do with them.

Many of the posts on CAF from SSPX who have identified themselves convince me that our bishop is absolutely correct. These people seem to have no hesitation to divide the Church, and to me, that is grave evil.

Many many inquirers check out CAF, and I think that when they read posts by the SSPX, it could be very confusing to them, as it was to me and still is to me at times. I think people could be led astray, and I think they could end up rejecting the Catholic Church and being in danger of hell.

So I think that CAF should require all Catholics who are associated with SSPX to identify themselves in their signatures or in their bio information so that they can't masquerade as "regular Catholics" and trick non-Catholics, inquiring Catholics, and weak Catholics into believing that they represent the True Catholic Church and that their teachings are the only True Catholic teachings.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh. I'm not sure how to word it politely. I frankly find it appalling that CAF even allows SSPX teachings to be spread on their forums usually without any type of response or rebuke from official CAF apologists. This is supposed to be Catholic answers, but instead, we end up with more unanswered questions.

I realize that many of the Catholics who serve at SSPX Masses are just regular Catholics that have no other Mass options in their area, and perhaps that's why you don't put an outright ban on discussions regarding SSPX.

But it seems that all too often, the SSPX posters are allowed to post their teachings unchecked, except for a few brave souls who venture into their territory and try to refute their claims. Much of the time, these reasonable posters end up giving up for the sake of their own peace, or they are told by CAF to give it up and stay out of the Traditional Section. This doesn't seem right, to give a forum over to a group that is troublesome at best, and schismatic at worst, and allow them to post unchecked, without warning others that these posters are associated with a questionable group.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you will consider my suggestion.

[sheila0405]

Wow this posting is right on target. I am a 2004 convert who also ran into SSPX members without knowing a thing about SSPX. The SSPX was not ever mentioned in my RCIA class. I have a xanga account, and sad to say, some of the harshest rhetoric came from SSPX members. And, dare I say this without CAF booting me?!--the level of anti Semitism i encounter within SSPX is alarmingly high. I appreciate all the efforts by our Holy Father to build a bridge to the SSPX, but he is right in holding off on full restoration with them until they agree to recognize the authority of Vatican II and denounce the rampant anti Semitism espoused by its leaders.

This is a very brave post. I hope CAF reads it and gives it the consideration it deserves.
TWO THUMBS UP FOR THIS POST

[alforo]

A recent Catholic Q and A question was whether it was an obligation to attend and pray the Assumption of the Virgin Mary mass. The answer was 'no'.

If you knew that this comment was written by an SSPX member, whose obligation to observe the mass is mandatory, why would you have elected not to read it or why would you have been disturbed by it?

This is a time for denominational unity and understanding and not rancor.

[JReducation]

My question about CAF is similar to those above. Why not limit the scope of the SSPX to a sub-forum of their own? To open the entire Traditional Catholicism thread to the members of the SSPX is to hand it over to them and to make it very difficult for the average Catholic to discuss Catholic traditions without being told that the popes are wrong and the Society is right. In addition, why should anyone have the freedom to post derogatory comments about the popes, bishops, clergy and religious on a Catholic forum? I don’t believe that it really helps others learn their faith. Those who subscribe to this notion are not good educators. It has been proven by American education that debate and peer instruction does not work. Look a the American school system since they adopted this method of teaching. You have to defend truth and protect individuals.

Half of the comments made on these threads by members of the SSPX are not allowed to be made in the presence of a bishop or the Holy Father. You would be thrown out of his presence on your bottom. I have learned this from personal experience. Not that I have ever been thrown out on my bum, but I did ask our superior a question that he did not want to answer and he stood up and said, “I’ll speak to you later,” and left the room. That was my cue not to bring up the subject again. All I wanted to know was if he agreed with an opinion I have about a parish group, but signal was very clear. He did not want to hear my opinion and I was not to bring it up. If I had pursued the matter, I would have been ordered to be quiet. In that case, obedience is being invoked and I didn’t want to go there, because then we step into moral ground. It was better for me just to drop the question.

I believe that it would be a good idea for CAF to have a forum for SSPX discussions and like my superior, to place boundaries in what can be discussed, when and in what forums, just like we have forums to politics, news and other issues that do not interest the majority of Catholics. This would free up the Traditional Catholic sub-forum for the discussion of faith traditions instead of debates between the SSPX members and other Catholics. These debates are often very uncharitable.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

[tobinatorstark]

Originally Posted by Cat

I think that members who are associated with the SSPX should be required to post their affiliation in their identification.

Many of us who are converts post "Tiber Swim Team" and date of conversion in our signatures. I think this is helpful to those who are responding to our posts. They know that we have a non-Catholic background and upbringing, and this helps them to frame their responses to be helpful.

So why not require, or at least ask, the SSPX adherents to make their affiliation public so that the rest of us can either avoid reading their posts, or respond in full knowledge of their motives?

When I first joined this Forum, I didn't know what the SSPX was. It was mentioned in our RCIA class, but I must have missed the explanation.

Back when I first joined CAF, I posted a thread asking what SSPX was, but I received all kinds of answers ranging from, "The SSPX is the only true Catholic Church," to "the SSPX is a schismatic group."

I'm still not quite sure what to believe about them. I want to believe that they are Catholics who love the Lord and are just trying to serve Him according to their conscience. But our bishop teaches that they are a schismatic group and that true Catholics should have nothing to do with them.

Many of the posts on CAF from SSPX who have identified themselves convince me that our bishop is absolutely correct. These people seem to have no hesitation to divide the Church, and to me, that is grave evil.

Many many inquirers check out CAF, and I think that when they read posts by the SSPX, it could be very confusing to them, as it was to me and still is to me at times. I think people could be led astray, and I think they could end up rejecting the Catholic Church and being in danger of hell.

So I think that CAF should require all Catholics who are associated with SSPX to identify themselves in their signatures or in their bio information so that they can't masquerade as "regular Catholics" and trick non-Catholics, inquiring Catholics, and weak Catholics into believing that they represent the True Catholic Church and that their teachings are the only True Catholic teachings.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh. I'm not sure how to word it politely. I frankly find it appalling that CAF even allows SSPX teachings to be spread on their forums usually without any type of response or rebuke from official CAF apologists. This is supposed to be Catholic answers, but instead, we end up with more unanswered questions.

I realize that many of the Catholics who serve at SSPX Masses are just regular Catholics that have no other Mass options in their area, and perhaps that's why you don't put an outright ban on discussions regarding SSPX.

But it seems that all too often, the SSPX posters are allowed to post their teachings unchecked, except for a few brave souls who venture into their territory and try to refute their claims. Much of the time, these reasonable posters end up giving up for the sake of their own peace, or they are told by CAF to give it up and stay out of the Traditional Section. This doesn't seem right, to give a forum over to a group that is troublesome at best, and schismatic at worst, and allow them to post unchecked, without warning others that these posters are associated with a questionable group.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you will consider my suggestion.

I have been Catholic all my life and the most persecution I have come across from are from Pentecostals and members of the SSPX. Members of the SSPX have been so rude and inconsiderate of me. The way the blast the Vatican II council and the mass is total unacceptable. I respect the TLM and I feel that everyone should at least attend a TLM in their lifetime. Yes the SSPX are schismatic because they are not in full communion with Rome. Until then we can only pray the SSPX becomes in full communion with Rome. I would like them to be in full communion with Rome. Right now I even pray that the Traditional Catholic Sub Forum shuts down. They are downright disrespectful and uncharitable. (not all, there are a select few that are really nice and charitable). I am a reasonable man and for me to find that sub forum including the moderator so disrespectful makes upset.