Let’s Talk About Why I go to SSPX

Secret’s out; I’ve been attending SSPX. It’s honestly not that big of deal to me, but it is to others so it needs to be addressed for various reasons. I totally realize that the decision to attend seems somewhat “out there” or even extreme, but I promise you that it’s nothing of the sort. The change was gradual and very well thought out. Despite those facts I’ve still faced some criticisms. For going to the Society I’ve been called not Catholic anymore, along with sedevacantist. To both I just laughed. See, I don’t get easily triggered and I’m not afraid of genuine discussions or debates, so I’m always open to talking about it. I’ve been called crazy ever since I started embracing tradition as a teenager, so it does’t faze me whatsoever. I don’t consider hiding behind the barbs of ad hominems and unprecedented accusations to be conducive to the veritable pursuit of truth, so let’s place our biases aside and simply talk about it. 

Prior to really getting into it, let’s first clarify what the Society is and is not. Before I go forward I need you, my readers, to understand what the Society is for what it is; not for what you’ve heard, have been told, or what you think it is. Information easily becomes false, misled, or erroneous, among both laypeople and even religious. It has become like a game of telephone; you won’t know exactly what it is until you find out firsthand, and I always make it of personal importance not to share anything that isn’t true. I won’t and don’t pretend to know everything about it, but I do know enough to continue to attend in good conscience.

Getting down to the basics, the Society of St. Pius X was founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, in 1970, in a diocese in Switzerland. Straight from the Society, here’s the mission: 

“The main goal of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X is to preserve the Catholic faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.” 

 
That’s it. There’s nothing crazy, wild, or not Catholic, or Protestant about it. My awesome priest put it this way, we are part of the Society especially because we want authentic Catholicism. I’m not sorry for attending, and I do not want some watered down version of our faith. I know I’m about to offend some people, but that’s what the Novus Ordo missae is; a watered down version of the Roman Missae, sometimes barely even Catholic. This isn’t a post bashing the novus ordo, yet it has to be said. It’s not well-known that several very important prayers, designed to garner us the graces our souls so desperately need, are totally and completely missing from the Novus Ordo missae, as compared to the traditional liturgy, (I believe only 2 or maybe 3 prayers are present out of the 12 in the TLM, correct me if I’m wrong). In less words, graces are choked out and it’s a fact. It’s not a fact just because I’m saying it is, or because a saint or pope has said it is, but because simply comparing the two liturgies will tell you it is. 

As sinners we need all of the graces we can get to overcome sin and to elevate our souls closer and closer to union with God. To me, there’s no point in attending a mass that has very little graces as compared to one abounding in grace. I dare you to ask yourself this, why are you letting yourself miss out on that? Notice that I’ve never once said that the Novus Ordo mass is invalid, so don’t even try to twist my words on that.  

Now I’ve heard the objection of remaining at Novus Ordo parishes to set the example of maintaining reverence, but I don’t buy that anymore in the slightest. I’ve tried it, and frankly it doesn’t work. It’s only working within the realms of your imagination. Hard to swallow but it’s true. When the altar is turned around with the priest facing the people, God isn’t the focus of mass anymore, it’s the people. Since it’s all about the people, no one is looking at the reverent ones; they’re too busy looking at themselves because that’s what taught and encouraged. My advice is to just stop going, get to a mass that’ll aid in saving your and your families souls, that’s what it comes down to. It doesn’t come down to “solidarity”, “unity”, or “fellowship”, with the parish community, that’s of no importance whatsoever. To me it is dangerous and foolish to be so presumptive that you don’t need the additional graces to save your soul. As they say, pride goes before the fall. I say this with love because I have been there, and because I care.

There’s also the controversy that SSPX is against the sitting pope or worse, sedevacantists. Before I started doing my own research or attending myself, I also thought it was sedevacantist. I couldn’t make the distinction between sedevacantism and SSPX because I was never correctly taught. Once about two years ago I stumbled upon an SSPX chapel where they were preparing for mass, and I falsely thought it was sede, since I didn’t know the difference, so I left in a hurry. The Society still remains under the pope, accepts him as Pontiff sitting in the Chair of Peter, and prays for him during mass. If anything I think the Society respects and honors the papacy more than others, but that’s just my opinion. At my parish we even have a picture of him in the hall, that doesn’t look like being anti-Pope to me. 

I understand that people think the Society is sedevacantist or outside of the Church because of the ordination of the bishop’s by Archbishop Lefebvre. Or, because the canonical status is irregular. (However that is changing) I’m here to tell you that the “excommunication” was never formal, and more about the case of Supplied Jurisdiction, which is in Canon Law. Since Archbishop Lefebvre acted and the Society acts under supplied jurisdiction, the Society is not acting outside of the Church, since again supplied jurisdiction is permissible in Canon Law. The thing about VII (whoop there it is) is that as only a pastoral council, it was never meant to be a binding council doctrinally, except within the case of faith and morals. Yet not everyone understands or cares to understand Canon Law, or what is binding and what is not binding, so as a result we have this misunderstanding. 

Yes, there’s controversy over the Society, but much of it is misinformation or straight out slander. You can give me a hundred reasons not to attend the Society, but I won’t stop. I’ve already heard them, with the rebuttals close behind. To add to it, I won’t even go to diocesan Latin masses if I can help it, and I’m not sorry or ashamed to admit it. 

The main reason I love the Society is because of the way it approaches the priesthood. Far too many men are effeminate, and I’m sick of it, especially in priests. Every single SSPX priest or seminarian I have come across has been masculine, and it’s so refreshing. I have much to say about watered down and effeminate novus ordo seminaries, but for that topic I will digress. I’m already trying to be feminine, and I don’t need a priest to be effeminate right next to me. For my own parish priest I have such respect and admiration that I’ve never had for another priest. He’s truly a father to me, and he’s showed me what a priest is to be. Not distant or discontented from his parishioners, but masculine and down in the trenches with them, actually taking the time to be there for them, and know us outside of just a quick handshake, and “God bless you,” after mass. I don’t want a priest who is only pastoral and not available to the people. SSPX gives the priesthood and priests back to the people as they are sacerdotal and I wish it were something we could all have, since it’s such a blessing and treasure. I think it’s something everyone, Catholic or not, should experience. 

The Society of St. Pius X is for everyone, and it’s not something to be afraid of or intimidated by. There your soul will be fed, challenged, and healed in a truly Catholic way. It’s been such a huge blessing for my family, and even boyfriend. The experience isn’t something I can fully put into words because it’s something you have to experience for yourself. I’ve shared much of my faith journey here, and after searching for so long, my soul is at home there, and home is where it will stay. 

                                   

Why Teen Masses Should Cease to Exist

I’m totally serious, by the way. Wherever there is a youth group, chances are there’s going to be a youth/teen centered mass somewhere nearby. At first it sounds like a good idea; I’ve been to many a teen mass in my youth group days. Why not bring youth closer to Christ in a setting designed specifically for them? What could possibly be wrong with that? Like I said, on a surfacey level it sounds alright, but after digging deeper it’s not something to be admired.

The problem with the idea of focusing mass around a specific bracket is that it sets the stage to start believing and thinking that mass is about you, and about us. (It’s not.)

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is already universal; you literally cannot get any more universal than what it already is. We don’t need to set up masses specifically for a certain group of people, in this case for the youth. Of course we should always encourage our young people to go to mass, I’m not saying we shouldn’t. The problem with teen masses is that they tend to lose the sense of the sacred for the sake of appealing to the youth. For one example, the music will change. What ends up being played is cheesy (and heretical) Protestant songs, because they’re nice and they feel good to listen to. 
Nice, warm, and fuzzy for the teens. Not too intimidating and not too Catholic. 

Riddle me this; if we are Catholics at a Catholic mass, preparing to receive Christ in His True Presence as He instructed us to do as Catholics, then why oh why are Protestant worships jams being played to honor and recognize the sacrament? Especially when their teachings deny and reject His Church and His True Presence? 
It doesn’t and won’t make sense, because there is absolutely no reason for it, with or without youth. 

Highly emotional music doesn’t set up the proper foundation for firm faith. I know this because I experienced it as a teen. When the emotions faded and I longed for something more tangible and concrete, I was plunged into an existential meltdown, which was followed by a major crisis of faith. The emotional foundation I had set up came crumbling down, and I was ready to not be Catholic anymore. My skewed way of thinking was this, “I don’t feel good anymore, and if faith is about feeling good and high on the Spirit, then why I should keep being Catholic? What’s the point?” I did come out of it, but it was first by saying goodbye to youth masses. 

It usually doesn’t end there. More often than not teens will be encouraged to take up unnecessary roles in the mass. “Inclusion” and “community” are important, you know. This could be in the form of being Eucharistic ministers, or even taking part in skits during mass, I’ve seen it all. I personally think we’re having a vocation crisis to the diocesan priesthood because priests are not being allowed to do their jobs with all of these liturgical ministries and whatnot intercepting and trying to act like they’re the consecrated religious souls. My theory is that because boys and young men are not witnessing their parish priests be the priests these unnecessary ministries and committee’s are allowing them to be, the said boys and young men are not inspired to the priesthood. Why should they be when it’s usually a bunch of older women and their peers running the show? Sure it sounds harsh, but it makes sense. Leave it to the priests and (male) altar servers to prepare for mass, not anyone else who isn’t absolutely necessary. And be masculine while you’re at it, examples of masculinity inspires masculinity.

You could read this and think I’m a crazy traditionalist who hates teens. The former might be slightly true, but I don’t hate teens, or bringing them closer to Christ. I’ve been a youth leader for years; I jumped at being a youth leader the first chance I got. Save your ad hominems for later, friends. 

The point is to encourage teens to attend mass, but let them inspired by the sacred, not the silly. I can guarantee you that a sacred mass will inspire teens to follow and live their lives for Christ in ways superior to any youth mass. There’s something just so inherently beautiful and inspirational about sacred masses, it touches your soul, not just the heart. If you haven’t figured it out, I’ve been referring to the Latin mass. Go ahead and try it if you haven’t yet, you’ve literally got nothing to lose. 
  

Source: Giphy

The One about the Seminary

Being a Catholic girl is hard. I'm not complaining since there's beauty in difficulties, I'm just stating the obvious. To be a Catholic girl in today's world is to go against the machine, and live for something way beyond ourselves. Most of the time it's great because we have all of Heaven on our side, cheering us on. Aside from the hassles of finding modest clothes, keeping up a consistent prayer life, randomly wondering if we're called to religious life and so on, I've found that there's one small, extra problem to add to the mix. It seems like all of the best Catholic guys either take off to the seminary, or have their hearts set on the priesthood. Sometimes it's both. What's a Catholic girl to do with this? But here is the catch. Note that I say "seems" and "problem." Now let's debunk these two. Although it seems that way, have no fear my sisters, because even if it seems that the best ones are hiding in seminaries or elsewhere, trust that our loving and generous Lord will provide your Mr. Right in His time, not yours. His timing is perfect; never too early and never too late. In the meantime, if you haven't met your Prince Charming yet, focus on God and He will be the light to your paths. (Ps. 119:105)

St. Gabriel Possenti,
patron of seminarians,
pray for us.

The second catch is the word "problem". Is it truly a problem that young (and sometimes older) men are interested in the priesthood? No way! Instead of lamenting or brooding, we should be rejoicing! Easier said than done, trust me, I know. But nevertheless we should be happy that the very best of men bravely decide to pursue the priesthood, because it requires just that; the very best. That's exactly what Holy Mother Church deserves. However this isn't to say that those who are not called to the priesthood are irrelevant or are the worst. Again, no way! While the priesthood isn't for every single man out there, that's okay. Remember Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati from my last post? He showed us that to be holy, you don't necessarily have to be called to religious life. It's common that most men who enter the seminary, don't end up becoming priests. Either way it's a win-win situation. As my friend said (you know who you are), we still gain a better Catholic. 

In my own opinion, I think the idea that the Church is gravely short on vocations is a little over dramatic. Just as many of us are not called to religious life, there are also many who are. The Church also needs holy families. Without holy families, we will definitely have an even more serious shortage on religious vocations. Fathers, Brothers and Sisters aren't made overnight, but our future ones are indeed on their way. The more passionate young people become about the Church, the more religious vocations we will have. But like all good things, it will take time and lots of prayer. With that being said, pray for our seminarians. Discerning can be difficult enough by itself, not to forget the spiritual warfare attacks that always come whenever we are working toward something holy or spiritually beneficial. While not all seminarians will eventually hear confessions or baptize adorable babies, it is imperative that you still pray for them in their priestly endeavors. Pray for their perseverance to their state in life, vocational clarity, chastity and docility to the will of God. Most importantly, pray for their courage to faithfully fulfill whatever God is calling them to do. 

Holy Mother Church needs good, holy priests who have the desire to save souls. I applaud and give my utmost respect to all men who give this wonderful vocation a solid chance. When discerning the religious life, you have nothing to lose, but all to gain, no matter what the final outcome is.

Until next time.

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,

-Yvonne Gemma