Moral Consequences Of Attending Sspx Mass

[dells_of_bittersweet]

What are the moral consequences to attending an SSPX Mass on Sunday in a diocese where there are many nearby parishes that have licit Masses? Does it fulfill your Sunday obligation? Also, is it a sin to receive communion?

 

The Vatican does not seem to have an official answer on this, but my own opinion is that it does not fulfill your Sunday obligation and that reception of communion would constitute grave matter.

 

If an SSPX Mass can fulfill your Sunday obligation, then Rome has no moral authority to compel Catholics to actually attend Catholic churches. This would enable all forms of religious consumerism, making it perfectly okay to go to Mass at an Orthodox church or at a gay/lesbian affirming independent Catholic church such as this: http://www.holyredeemerrcc.org/

 

I can not see how it could possibly be morally permissible to receive communion with a priest who has separated himself from the local Bishop and from the rest of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, by receiving communion you are witnessing to both the validity and the licitness of the Mass, and since it is not licit, you are basically telling a lie through your actions by receiving. I view it as being morally equivalent to being a witness at an invalid marriage. Remember that I am speaking for cases in which plenty of other valid licit Masses are available, not extreme cases where SSPX Masses are the only ones available. I believe it would be similarly wrong to receive communion from an Orthodox church provided that a Catholic Mass was being celebrated nearby.

 

The purpose of this thread is to provide guidance to Catholics who might consider going to an SSPX Mass on Sunday instead of at a local diocesan parish. Please only reply from the perspective of how Rome would view such an action. This is not intended to be another of the perpetual SSPX vs. Rome debates. Mods, please delete any comments along the lines of "Of course its okay to come to a SSPX Mass because the modern Catholic Church has embraced heresy."

 

 

[ToJesusMyHeart]

SSPX has valid Sacraments....yes? Or no?

[dells_of_bittersweet]

SSPX has valid Sacraments....yes? Or no?

 

SSPX priests are validly but illicitely ordained. Therefore "“the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers cannot legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church” (Ecclesiae Unitatem, 4)." In any case where a priest needs explicit authority from the Church to perform a sacrament, the sacrament is invalid. This applies to their confessions and marriages. These are invalid. Your sins are not forgiven by an SSPX priest should you go to confession to one, and you would be living in a state of adultery should you be married by one. I would also argue that you would additionally be complicit in the sin of simulating a sacrament on the part of the SSPX priest.

 

In cases where the Sacramental character of the priesthood is all that is required to perform a sacrament, the sacrament is valid-it happens-but is gravely illicit. This applies to their Masses, Baptisms, and Holy Orders.

 

To the best of my knowledge, the validity of their conformations is a matter of debate right now. As far as I know, if one of the SSPX Bishops is the minister, it would be valid but gravely illicit, but if the SSPX bishop attempted to grant a priest the authority to perform the Sacrament in his place, as Diocesan bishops can do, the sacrament would be invalid since the SSPX Bishops have no authority to do anything.

[RCIA ~ Class of 09]

I know that the SSPX church closest to our home is not on the Diocese's website. I would think that if it were a valid Mass the Parish would at least be recognized by the Diocese (the Byzantine church is recognized and listed).

[Nihil Obstat]

It does fulfill your obligation. You do not incur sin or canonical penalty simply by attending. The CDF has confirmed this.

That said, an independent (i.e. not SSPX) Mass, which may or may not be SSPX-affiliated, does not fulfill the Sunday obligation.

Receiving communion... I am not sure. And I am not sure I want to have that discussion right now anyway. :sweat:

 

TJMH, the confessions are perhaps not valid. There is a lot of debate on the subject. Confessors require faculties from the ordinary for confessions to be valid - not licit, but valid. The SSPX argue that there is a provision in canon law which supplies faculties in an extraordinary way. Basically that debate is divided down party lines, so you can imagine who argues for what.

[Nihil Obstat]

Dells, I have a feeling that you are not here to ask questions and discuss, but rather to preach to us about the evils of the SSPX. Am I wrong?

[Nihil Obstat]

I know that the SSPX church closest to our home is not on the Diocese's website. I would think that if it were a valid Mass the Parish would at least be recognized by the Diocese (the Byzantine church is recognized and listed).

I doubt that they would. The diocese understandably does not want Catholics in that territory attending Masses celebrated by a society considered currently outside of canonical regulation. That is the case essentially everywhere.

[filius_angelorum]

Sigh...Here we go.

As I understand the law, the only requirement is that you attend a Catholic rite, regardless of location or circumstance.  Thus, attending an SSPX Mass does, in fact, fulfill your obligation. The question of whether or not to receive communion is a separate one. It would seem that there is no canonical bar to your receiving communion at a Catholic mass, and the Holy See has said, I believe, that Mass at an SSPX Chapel is a Catholic Mass and that it's priests are Catholic priests, even if they lack canonical standing and jurisdiction. So, receiving Communion at an SSPX Mass is not such a big deal. However, since jurisdiction is required for the administration of the Sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Matrimony, those two sacraments would be invalid under normal circumstances. 

 

What are the moral consequences for attending an SSPX Mass? The answer is subjective. If, by doing so, you are manifesting your belief that, despite the contrary declaration of the Holy See, these priests have jurisdiction and canonical standing, or even that these Masses are licit, then you are formally cooperating in sin. If, however, you attend merely out of a desire to attend the Old Mass, then it is likely that you are not culpable. The Holy See has said that, if you attend regularly, there is a likely chance of your "imbibing a schismatic attitude", meaning that you will slowly begin to base your Catholic and sacramental life around an organization that is not in full communion with the Holy See. This deprives you of the benefits of belonging to the unity of Christ's Church, even if you are not actually cast out of Christ's Church for doing so.

 

I would advise you, however, to stop looking for simple answers to complex questions (i.e., speculative moral theology questions). Not every action has the same consequence for every person. 

[Nihil Obstat]

Sigh...Here we go.

As I understand the law, the only requirement is that you attend a Catholic rite, regardless of location or circumstance.  Thus, attending an SSPX Mass does, in fact, fulfill your obligation. The question of whether or not to receive communion is a separate one. It would seem that there is no canonical bar to your receiving communion at a Catholic mass, and the Holy See has said, I believe, that Mass at an SSPX Chapel is a Catholic Mass and that it's priests are Catholic priests, even if they lack canonical standing and jurisdiction. So, receiving Communion at an SSPX Mass is not such a big deal. However, since jurisdiction is required for the administration of the Sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Matrimony, those two sacraments would be invalid under normal circumstances. 

 

What are the moral consequences for attending an SSPX Mass? The answer is subjective. If, by doing so, you are manifesting your belief that, despite the contrary declaration of the Holy See, these priests have jurisdiction and canonical standing, or even that these Masses are licit, then you are formally cooperating in sin. If, however, you attend merely out of a desire to attend the Old Mass, then it is likely that you are not culpable. The Holy See has said that, if you attend regularly, there is a likely chance of your "imbibing a schismatic attitude", meaning that you will slowly begin to base your Catholic and sacramental life around an organization that is not in full communion with the Holy See. This deprives you of the benefits of belonging to the unity of Christ's Church, even if you are not actually cast out of Christ's Church for doing so.

 

I would advise you, however, to stop looking for simple answers to complex questions (i.e., speculative moral theology questions). Not every action has the same consequence for every person. 

A very reasonable, thoughtful, and polite answer. I hereby declare filius_angelorum to be the type of pony everypony should know.

[RCIA ~ Class of 09]

I doubt that they would. The diocese understandably does not want Catholics in that territory attending Masses celebrated by a society considered currently outside of canonical regulation. That is the case essentially everywhere.

 

I was just trying to simply say that if they aren't even recognized by the Diocese how can we consider taking Communion there and expecting it to satisfy our weekly requirement.

[Nihil Obstat]

I was just trying to simply say that if they aren't even recognized by the Diocese how can we consider taking Communion there and expecting it to satisfy our weekly requirement.

Because they are Catholic, if in an irregular position canonically.

That part is simple. Most answers in the whole SSPX situation are not, but that one is.

[truthfinder]

Just to slightly wade in here - and then escape quickly: my diocese doesn't list the local Eastern Rite Catholic church on its website - doesn't mean it doesn't recognize it or that attending Divine Liturgy does not fulfill the obligation. I know the SSPX are a slightly different situation, but there are some similarities in comparison when referring to diocesan websites. 

[filius_angelorum]

A very reasonable, thoughtful, and polite answer. I hereby declare filius_angelorum to be the type of pony everypony should know.

 

Many thanks!

 

Something to remember is that there is no weekly requirement to receive Holy Communion, so there is no reason to receive or not receive Holy Communion if you are attending Sunday Mass at an SSPX Chapel. However, I would not receive, not because doing so would be a sin, but because by NOT doing so, I would be stating, very subtly, that I do not agree with the SSPX on the legality of their Masses. That would be a good thing (in my opinion). Receiving Communion at an SSPX Chapel is a missed opportunity, I should think, but that's probably all it is. 

[Nihil Obstat]

Just to slightly wade in here - and then escape quickly: my diocese doesn't list the local Eastern Rite Catholic church on its website - doesn't mean it doesn't recognize it or that attending Divine Liturgy does not fulfill the obligation. I know the SSPX are a slightly different situation, but there are some similarities in comparison when referring to diocesan websites. 

That is explained by the fact that it is not part of the diocese though- but rather part of the Edmonton Eparchy.

I see what you are getting at though, and it is a valid point: the informal recognition or lack thereof on the part of an individual diocese does not affect the Catholicity of an individual community. We must look higher up for such judgements and, surprise, we find that the SSPX certainly are Catholic, albeit canonically irregular.

[truthfinder]

That is explained by the fact that it is not part of the diocese though- but rather part of the Edmonton Eparchy.

I see what you are getting at though, and it is a valid point: the informal recognition or lack thereof on the part of an individual diocese does not affect the Catholicity of an individual community. We must look higher up for such judgements and, surprise, we find that the SSPX certainly are Catholic, albeit canonically irregular.

 

I was referring to a church in my *other* diocese - but same situation regardless, and I realize the problem of my example.  I think there is a lot of confusion about the SSPX because there are so many people who have so many opinions  - including higher clerics, but they remain as opinions. I believe it was the CDF who made it pretty clear that yes they are Catholic.