The Legal Status of SSPX and Its Former Members by Rev. Anthony Cekada (2006)
What type of organization is SSPX?
Do priests who leave it become public sinners?
QUESTION: The Rev. Peter Scott was recently asked, “What is one to think of priests who have left the Society of St. Pius X?”
Fr. Scott gave a variety of reasons for condemning such priests, including the following:
The “engagements” which priests make when joining the Society are “not in any way essentially different” from the vows one takes to join a religious order.
These engagements bind members to SSPX “under pain of mortal sin, just as a religious is bound by his vow of obedience.”
Priests who leave SSPX after making a “perpetual engagement” are “public sinners” and are to be equated with “a married person who has broken his vows and fallen into adultery.” One may not receive sacraments from such priests “except in danger of death.”
Priests who have made “temporary engagement” in SSPX are morally bound to join a diocese “or another religious community.”
A priest who leaves SSPX has also broken the “public vow of obedience” included in the ordination ceremony.
Such a priest also violates the pre-ordination Oath of Fidelity prescribed by canon law, and becomes “a hypocrite and a public sinner.”
An SSPX priest makes a “declaration of fidelity” to the “positions of the Society” (on the pope, New Mass, John XXIII Missal, etc.), declaring his desire to “show the obedience binding me to my superiors, as also the obedience binding me to the Roman Pontiff in all his legitimate acts,” so that no priest can leave SSPX if he becomes a sedevacantist, etc.
And that for all the foregoing reasons, priests who have left SSPX “are to be avoided at all costs.”
What is your opinion of Fr. Scott’s reasoning?
What type of organization is SSPX?
Do priests who leave it become public sinners?
QUESTION: The Rev. Peter Scott was recently asked, “What is one to think of priests who have left the Society of St. Pius X?”
Fr. Scott gave a variety of reasons for condemning such priests, including the following:
The “engagements” which priests make when joining the Society are “not in any way essentially different” from the vows one takes to join a religious order.
These engagements bind members to SSPX “under pain of mortal sin, just as a religious is bound by his vow of obedience.”
Priests who leave SSPX after making a “perpetual engagement” are “public sinners” and are to be equated with “a married person who has broken his vows and fallen into adultery.” One may not receive sacraments from such priests “except in danger of death.”
Priests who have made “temporary engagement” in SSPX are morally bound to join a diocese “or another religious community.”
A priest who leaves SSPX has also broken the “public vow of obedience” included in the ordination ceremony.
Such a priest also violates the pre-ordination Oath of Fidelity prescribed by canon law, and becomes “a hypocrite and a public sinner.”
An SSPX priest makes a “declaration of fidelity” to the “positions of the Society” (on the pope, New Mass, John XXIII Missal, etc.), declaring his desire to “show the obedience binding me to my superiors, as also the obedience binding me to the Roman Pontiff in all his legitimate acts,” so that no priest can leave SSPX if he becomes a sedevacantist, etc.
And that for all the foregoing reasons, priests who have left SSPX “are to be avoided at all costs.”
What is your opinion of Fr. Scott’s reasoning?
What type of organization is SSPX?
Do priests who leave it become public sinners?
QUESTION: The Rev. Peter Scott was recently asked, “What is one to think of priests who have left the Society of St. Pius X?”
Fr. Scott gave a variety of reasons for condemning such priests, including the following:
The “engagements” which priests make when joining the Society are “not in any way essentially different” from the vows one takes to join a religious order.
These engagements bind members to SSPX “under pain of mortal sin, just as a religious is bound by his vow of obedience.”
Priests who leave SSPX after making a “perpetual engagement” are “public sinners” and are to be equated with “a married person who has broken his vows and fallen into adultery.” One may not receive sacraments from such priests “except in danger of death.”
Priests who have made “temporary engagement” in SSPX are morally bound to join a diocese “or another religious community.”
A priest who leaves SSPX has also broken the “public vow of obedience” included in the ordination ceremony.
Such a priest also violates the pre-ordination Oath of Fidelity prescribed by canon law, and becomes “a hypocrite and a public sinner.”
An SSPX priest makes a “declaration of fidelity” to the “positions of the Society” (on the pope, New Mass, John XXIII Missal, etc.), declaring his desire to “show the obedience binding me to my superiors, as also the obedience binding me to the Roman Pontiff in all his legitimate acts,” so that no priest can leave SSPX if he becomes a sedevacantist, etc.
And that for all the foregoing reasons, priests who have left SSPX “are to be avoided at all costs.”
What is your opinion of Fr. Scott’s reasoning?