A Textual Analysis of the Vatican Response to the SSPX Episcopal Consecrations

Introduction

This work concerns the decree from Victor Cardinal Fernandez, acting as Prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, excommunicating the bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. Refer to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X variously throughout this work as “the Society of Saint Pius X,” “the SSPX,” or merely “the society.”

I regularly attend a Novus Ordo Mass, even though I fully recognize the inherent superiority of the traditional Mass (the TLM). This failure to exclusively attend the traditional Mass is because of a character flaw on my part: I'm a slave to convenience. I will further point out that all of my children are grown and out of the house, each living his own spiritual life. I say this to make clear that, when it comes to the SSPX, I really don't have a dog in the fight¹. I'm not ideologically tied to the idea that the Novus Ordo is invalid (which the society doesn't claim), nor am I concerned, any more, with either the catechisation or sacramentalization of my children. But I do, as a matter of love for the Church and as a matter of wanting the world to have as little hostility as possible towards the salvation of my children and grandchildren, have a dog in the fight of wanting clear and right thinking and writing to prevail in what comes from the Vatican. Unfortunately, on that score, there is nothing but disappointment to be found since the Second Vatican Council.

Read more: A Textual Analysis of the Vatican Response to the SSPX Episcopal Consecrations

The silliness of concelebration

I was in Liberty Townhship, Ohio, north of Cincinnati, for the party to celebrate the Confirmation of my neice and god-daughter. This was a Saturday evening, and I had an event to attend the following Sunday, so I went to the 4:30 Mass at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, a short distance from where the party was to be held.

I'm not sure why (and didn't bother to take a bulletin to figure out why), but there were three priests who concelebrated the Mass. I have to wonder: Has any priest ever observed concelebration from the pew? If one did, hopefully he would realize how disjointed and (frankly) idiotic it looks.

Consider this: Priests are permitted to offer private Masses; for example, a traveling priest might set up a little altar and offer daily Mass privately in his room. Is there any priest out there who, when traveling with some companion priests, would say, "Hey, let's get together in one of our rooms and concelebrate Mass?" I think not, and I certainly hope not. If I'm wrong about that, then it means priests lack the sense of humor that would allow them to feel silly when doing something silly. But if I'm right, then it means the core motivation of concelebration, as a mode of offering Mass, is performant rather than worshipful - which makes it silly.