About the SSPX

The following timeline will demonstrate a little history of the Society while presenting a sketch of what the Society is.

1969:

A “retired” archbishop, Mgr. Marcel Lefebvre, agrees to help a handful of young seminarians who are disconcerted by the direction being taken in post-Vatican II seminaries in their priestly formation. He does this, not only by undertaking their training, but also by founding a Society aiming at fostering a priestly life according to the wise norms and customs of the Church of previous days.

November 1, 1970:

The Society of Saint Plus X is officially recognized by the Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg, Bishop Charriére. It is therefore truly a new little branch pushed forth by the Church.

February 18, 1971:

Cardinal Wright, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, issues a decree praising the wisdom of the Society’s statutes.

June 10, 1971:

Archbishop Lefebvre announces, together with the staff of the Seminary of Saint Plus X at Ecône, the refusal to adopt the Novus Ordo Missae

1971 - 1974:

Following on Cardinal Wright’s letter are other sure signs of Rome’s full acceptance of the Society of Saint Plus X:

1. allowing its houses to be erected canonically in one Italian and two Swiss dioceses.

2. allowing three outside priests to join the Society and to be incardinated directly into it.

(During the same years, the French Episcopal Conference was maneuvering to have the Society and its seminary suppressed.)

November 1, 1980:

By its tenth anniversary, the Society of Saint Pius X has 40 houses on two continents.

November 1, 1995:

By its 25th Anniversary, the Society of Saint Pius X numbers four Bishops, 332 priests, 50 brothers, 120 sisters and 53 oblate sisters, all living in 140 houses in 27 countries. Together they seek the goal of the priesthood: the glorification of God, the continuation of Our Lord’s redemptive work, the salvation of souls. They accomplish this by fidelity to Christ’s testament-the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As of September, 2003, 454 Society priests offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in 55 countries across the globe. Of this number, 18 are located in the District of Australia and New Zealand. Five priories have been established throughout the District, with the District Headquarters remaining in Sydney, under the direction of Fr. Edward Black. From these priories, the priests travel to approximately 35 locations to celebrate Mass.

June 29, 1987: Archbishop Lefebvre, experiencing failing health and seeing no other way of assuring the continued ordination of truly Catholic priests, decided to consecrate Bishops and announced that, if necessary, he will do so even without the Pope’s permission.

June 17, 1988: Cardinal Gantin, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, officially warned the Archbishop that, in virtue of canon 1382 (1983 Code of Canon Law), he and the bishops consecrated by him would be excommunicated for proceeding without pontifical mandate and thereby infringing the laws of sacred discipline.

June 30, 1988: Archbishop Lefebvre, together with Bishop de Castro Mayer, consecrated four bishops.

July 1, 1988: Cardinal Gantin declared the threatened excommunication (according to canon 1382) to have been incurred. He also called the consecrations a schismatic act and declared the corresponding excommunication (canon 1364 §1), as well as threatening anyone supporting the consecrations with excommunication because of “schism.”

July 2, 1988: In Ecclesia Dei Afflicta, the Pope repeated Cardinal Gantin’s accusation of schismatic mentality and threatened generalized excommunications.

Now, the excommunication warned of on June 17, for abuse of episcopal powers (canon 1382), was not incurred because:

1) A person who violates a law out of necessity1 is not subject to a penalty (1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 1323, §4), even if there is no state of necessity2 :

if one inculpably thought there was, he would not incur the penalty (canon 1323, 7°), and

if one culpably thought there was, he would still incur no automatic penalties3 (canon 1324, §3; §1,8°).

2) No penalty is ever incurred without committing a subjective mortal sin (canons 1321 §1, 1323 7°). Now, Archbishop Lefebvre made it amply clear that he was bound in conscience to do what he could do to continue the Catholic priesthood and that he was obeying God in going ahead with the consecrations.4 Hence, even if he had been wrong, there would be no subjective sin.

3) Most importantly, positive law is at the service of the natural and eternal law and ecclesiastical law is at that of the divine law. No “authority,”5 can force a bishop to compromise in his teaching of Catholic faith or administering of Catholic sacraments. No “law,” can force him to cooperate in the destruction of the Church. With Rome giving no guarantee of preserving Catholic Tradition, Archbishop Lefebvre had to do what he could with his God-given episcopal powers to guarantee its preservation. It was his duty as a bishop.

4) The Church’s approving the Society of Saint Pius X allow it what it needs for its own preservation. This includes the service of bishops who will guarantee to maintain Catholic tradition.

Yes.

Our critical view of the FSSP does not relate to their Mass, but to their doctrine. Indeed, on many points they have agreed to current deviations. [Especially the way they mislead good souls into thinking the SSPX is outside the Church, or administers some invalid sacraments - added by a Society priest in Australia]

In normal circumstances, of course we are subject to diocesan jurisdiction. But as long as the situation is what it is, we will not submit to it. Once again, either there is a severe crisis and we must fight it with what means we have as strongly as we can. Or there is no crisis, and we are very guilty.

Yes.