Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Has SSPX hurt the Latin Mass?

Patrick Archbold has a thoughtful and respectful post at Creative Minority Report about the Society of St. Pius X and the resurgence of the Latin Mass, particularly here on Long Island. In it, he gives credit where it is due, to Monsignor Pereda, whose loyalty to the Latin Mass AND the bishop have recently borne rich fruit in our diocese. And earned him some rather uncharitable criticism from SSPX members.
The more time I spend with members of this group (my daughters attend art classes at the local SSPX church) the more I agree with a commenter, that SSPX are like Anglicans who pick and choose what parts of the Church they want, and suffer from the corrosive effects of pride. Some of them DO think they are more Catholic than the pope, especially Pope John Paul II.
That being said, I love them as brothers in Christ, and pray for their full unity with Rome. A priest friend, now in residence with SSPX, told me when Pope Benedict was elected, "He is the one who will be able to bring SSPX back into the Church".
I certainly hope so, my dear friend Mary who died over two years from cancer, offered her sufferings up for this very intention.
Rorarte Caeli describes the diocese of Rockville Center, the seventh largest in the nation, as one with an exceptionally high interest in the Latin Mass, yet sadly with a number of completely schismatic Latin Mass chapels. I never realized this made us unique. Perhaps it's because, for many years we were one of the most liberal dioceses in the USA with rampant liturgical abuse, heretical teachings in catechism and the Pastoral Formation Institute, and clericalism which protected both for decades.
The 40 years of living in the desert are coming to a close,as we saw recently at the High Mass in Uniondale, thankfully, and as a sign of this, Bishop Murphy will be replacing our tabernacle to the center of the reredos in our parish this Sunday at the noon mass. Deo gratias.
If you live on Long Island, and love tradition, come and give Bishop Murphy support, there are countless tabernacles here which still need to come home to the center of their churches.
We have only begun the restoration. It's time to stop complaining and join in.

7 comments:

Nolan Reynolds said...

Leticia, what a very fair and balanced post this is. Great commentary. On both sides of the spectrum there are people who think they know better than the pope. And it just ain't right.

Leticia said...

Why, thank you, Nolan, I have strong opinions, but I do try to see both sides. And,you're right there are those who think they're better than the pope on both sides.

Patrick Archbold said...

Leticia,
I agree, let's stop complaining and start pitching in. While state of things in the diocese has been a frustration of mine, I have seen some glimmers of hope. We need to support Bishop Murphy wherever we can.

He has supported the Latin Mass community in a way we haven't seen before. Moving the tabernacle back to the center is another wonderful step. Baby steps maybe, but steps in the right direction.

Thanks for the link.

Leticia said...

My daughter is part of Our Lady of the Angels schola which sang at the High Mass in Uniondale. If you want to pitch in, you can sign up to sing in a schola or get young men involed in training to serve the Latin Mass. On Long Island we have a few boys in training, but there is a need for more.

Hilde said...

I have a serious question, I was babtized in a traditional catholic church in 88 and soon found out that they are outside of the pope. And the priest was orained by archbishop levebre. I am totally confused about all. I am wondering if my babtizm is legal in the catholic churches under the Pope. I would so love any response.
thankyou
Hilde

Anonymous said...

The novus ordo is leading catholics into the one world church with its false ecumenism,protestant new mass,etc. There is a catholic prophecy book about this and St. Pius X warned us about this coming world church. The SSPX know the truth and Deo Gratias for them!

Anonymous said...

There would be no motu proprio, no FSSP, very few Traditional masses being said without the stand of the SSPX.

The SSPX hasn't "hurt" the Mass handed down from the early Church, from St. Gregory the Great and St. Pius V. The liberal "Catholics" and "conservative" clerics are the ones who are 100% culpable for that.