SOCIETY ALLIES

Up to now comments have, for the most part, been reserved to the operations and policies of the SSPX.  But there are others that promote its Jansenistic parody of Catholicism.  Most notably among these fellow-travelers of the Society are the Dominican Nuns at Post Falls, Idaho.  I was reminded of this by an article I read in the November 1993 Angelus, pages 25 through 27.  The article was entitled "Parent's Meeting."  It is quite apparent that at least the leadership of these nuns embraces the same distorted view of human nature as the SSPX.  These pathetic women have been infected with the same Jansenistic spirit that pervades the Society - not surprisingly.  I was originally going to go through the article paragraph by paragraph when I began to realize that just the reading of it will show the bizarre outlook held by these nuns.  So get an Angelus reprint (if they'll send it to you) and read it (it's too large to reproduce here).  When you do, you will realize what a serious mistake it would be for anyone to place their children in the hands of these cold, unfeeling women.  The article will show that these women lack, or suppress, the natural human warmth, feelings, and emotions normal women hold for children and their families.

That being said, then, if you know of anyone considering handing their children over to the tender mercies of the Society you must do what you can to prevent it least they imbibe serious errors.

A LISTING OF THE ALLIES - Names and Addresses of organizations aligned with the SSPX.

If you have the name of a group and its contact information, check it against this list.  If you get a match, then this is an organization you will want to avoid.   Different names for different groups may have the same contact address which is why it is important to compare the addresses.  Also, organizations often share the same or similar names, which is why, again, it is important to check the addresses in order to avoid groups which are out of communion with Rome.

Renegade Male Priest and Religious Communities

Association of St. John Mary Baptist Vianney - Uniao Sacerdotal S. Joao Baptista Maria Vianey / Centro de Estudos Maria Imaculada / Rua Riachuelom, 169 / 28015 Campos / Brazil

Benedictine Monks (Brazil) - Caiza Postal 96582 / 28601-970 Nova Friburgo RJ / Brazil

Benedictine Monks (USA) - Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe / 142 Joseph Blane Rd / Silver City, NM 88061 / USA

Capuchins - Couvent Saint François / Morgon / F-69910 Villie-Morgon / France / Morgon is in Beaujolais about thirty-seven miles north of Lyon.

Dominican Brothers - Congregation of St. Dominic / Friary of La Haye aux Bonshommes / 49240 AVRILLE / FRANCE

Helpers of Christ the King - Maison St. Joseph / Le Treillou / 82300 Caussade / France

L'Oeuvre De L'Etoile - L'Oeuvre de l’Etoile / Route de Generac km 7 / F-30900 Nimes / France

Redemptorist Fathers - Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary / Warden Road, Eastchurch, / ME 12 4HD / England

Society of St. Pius X

        St Bernard Pre-Seminary / Barangay Daga / Santa Barbara, Iloilo / Philippines

        St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary / Route 1, Box 97 A-1 / Winona, Minnesota 55987 / U.S.A.

        Holy Cross Seminary / P.O. Box 417 / Goulburn NSW 2580 / Australia

Society of the Transfiguration - Le Bois / Merigny / F-36220 Tournon St. Martin / France

Third Order of Mount Carmel (Brazil) - Third Order of Mount Carmel / Rua Miranda Pinto, 26 / 28040 Campos  / Brazil

Renegade Female Religious Communities

Benedictines - Monastère Notre-Dame de Toute Confiance / Lamairé / F-79600 Airvault / France

Carmel of the Holy Trinity - S 4027 Wilbur Road / Spokane, WA 99206 / U.S.A.

Carmelites - Carmel de Sacré Coeur / Rue des Wagnons, 16 / B-7380 Quiévrain  / Belgium

Consoling Sisters of the Sacred Heart - Suore Consolatrice del Sacre Cuore di Gesu / Via Flaminia Vecchia, 20 / 05030 Vigne (TR) / Italy

Disciples of the Cenacle - Le Discepole del Cenacolo / Via Madonna degli Angeli 14 / I-00049 Velletri, Roma / Italy

Dominican Contemplative Sisters - Monastère Saint Joseph / Moniales Dominicaines / F-49240 AVRILLÉ / France

Dominicans Teaching Sisters of Brignolles - Cours Saint Dominique / Saint-Pré du Coeur Immaculé / F-83170 La Celle  (France)

Dominicans Teaching Sisters of Fanjeaux - Cours Saint Dominique de Cammazou / F-11270 Fanjeaux / France

Franciscan Sisters of the strict observance - The Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi / "Lanorgard" / F-29380 LE  TRÉVOUX / France

Franciscan Sisters of the Perpetual Help of Mary - Av Xochiquetzal #249 / Santa Isabel Tola / Del. Gustavo A. Madero / 07010 México, D.F. / Mexico

Immaculate Heart and St. Michael Association - Rua Miranda Pinto, 26 28040 Campos / Brazil

Le Rafflay - Le Rafflay / F-44690 Château-Thébaud / France

Oasis - Oasis de Jesus Sacerdotale / Lista de Correos / E-08310 Argentona BARCELONA / Spain

Poor Clares - Monastère Sainte Claire / Morgon / F-69910 Villié-Morgon / France

Precious Blood Sisters - Toechter Mariens vom Kostbaren Blut / Anbetungskloster Marienberg, / Haselwies 10 / D-79837 Häusern / Germany

Saint Cecilia Sisters - Rua Miranda Pinto, 26 / 28040 Campos / Brazil

Sisters of the Helpers of Christ the King - Maison St. Joseph / Le Treillou / 82300 Caussade / France

Sisters of the SSPX

    Noviciat Notre-Dame de Compassion / F-36300 Ruffec le Château / France

    Sacred Heart Noviciate / 540 W. 8th Street / Browerville, MN 56438 / U.S.A.

    Oblates of the SSPX - Noviciat Ste Thérèse / 1922 Salvan (VS) / Switzerland

Transfiguration Sisters - Maison des Soeurs / 11, Place de l’Église / F-36220 Mérigny / France

SSPX HYPOCRISY

In the middle or late eighties the Society began complaining about the tactics of the "Conciliar Church" - a euphemism the Society uses (rather than "Catholic Church") to indicate that somehow Christ lied and is no longer with His Church as He said He would be until the end of time (this Society attitude is heretical).  The Society complained that the "Conciliars" were setting up Indult Mass locations in areas which, coincidentally, the SSPX had missions and chapels.

The Society was upset because they saw this as attempt to draw people away from the Society by tempting them with the Tridentine Rite which would now be legitimate and under Rome.  They also viewed it as an effort to destroy Society Mass locations and hurt the SSPX in general.  Maybe this is what prompted such a fanatical reaction against the restored rite and Society priests began to asininely call the Indult Masses "Satanic."

So the Society cried "foul" - that Rome wasn't playing fair - whenever an Indult Mass sprang up near an SSPX Mass location.  So one would naturally expect the Society to avoid the same type of actions that it decries in others.  But guess what?   Its flip-flopped again, even though Fr. Scott says they don't do no such thing.   Well that's not what I've found out.

About May of 1993, I spoke with a gentleman in Minnesota who told me an interesting story.  It seems that where he lives, the area is served by several independent priests not associated with the SSPX (if these are not under local diocesan authority, as it appears to be the case with most "independents," their activities are just as illicit as the Society's).

These priests didn't exactly see eye to eye on everything among themselves and probably not with the Society either (or they'd probably be part of the Society).  In any event, guess who decided to move into the area for a slice of the pie?  The SSPX established a Mass location and started to draw off people from the other locations.   They would, of course, prefer to eliminate, or greatly reduce attendance at the other locations in favor of themselves.  Now if the Society isn't doing all this for the money, though I suspect it is, then they are control freaks and want all of these hotbeds of "traditionalism" under their control - if at all possible.

About the same time I spoke with somebody at a former Society location in Arkansas and got this earful.  It seems the Society decided to put the squeeze on these people and demanded that the property being used for Mass be signed over to the SSPX. But, it seems that the property was owned by a private party, and, indeed, contained their living quarters.  The demand was refused.  So, the Society picked up its marbles and went home leaving these people high and dry.

Having been left in a lurch by the Society they began to look for an alternative.   One was the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSP). This is the group my friend, Bob from Schaumburg, said Fr. Scott told him was a branch of the SSPX.  So the FSP was contacted, arrangements made, and priests brought in to say Mass.  Now not all these people wanted to sign on with the FSP. The SSPX, however, decided that they had been double-crossed by these people they had stabbed in the back. "How dare they bring in someone else to serve them!"

In the economic system of this country if you can get a product under better circumstances the consumer will usually go for it. So the Society, having shot itself in the foot again, it was fitting that the SSPX, so well known for its America bashing policies, was eclipsed, in a religious manner of speaking, by the same concept which impels the American free enterprise system.

Being upset that these people would have the effrontery to reject the idea of begging him on bended knee to return, Fr. Scott apparently decided to try to salvage the situation (after all, there was money and property at stake) by organizing those who opposed the idea of the FSP coming in.  The next thing you know, I've been told, a five digit check (for around $30,000.00) arrives as a down payment on some property and a check for an undisclosed but lesser amount followed.  So the Society has set up a counter chapel if you will. Where there was one group, there now are two - and both suffering the economic consequences of such an action.

What's amazing to me is how the Society can keep demanding increased contributions because they're so poor, and yet, can come up with the money to counter their perceived opposition.  Somebody once suggested that in Europe the SSPX has boxcars full of money.

But if that's not the case, then I wonder which other chapel got the shaft - like maybe the one in Campbell, California.  Those people were saving their money to build a new chapel in the same town with the full blessing of the SSPX leadership only to have the Society take the funds away from them, despite Society promises to the contrary, so the site at Los Gatos could be purchased.  They too made the mistake of trusting the Society.  To add insult to injury, the Society sold the existing chapel, forcing these people to go elsewhere for Mass. Not only did the Society double-cross them, but Los Gatos is twenty miles away.  Additionally, from the standpoint of safety I've been told the Los Gatos roadway is extremely dangerous to get into and out of, besides the property being located on an earthquake faultline.  The Society, typically, uses a double standard and does what they criticize others for doing; and that, by any definition, is hypocrisy.

AND NOT JUST ONCE, MIND YOU

Apparently this happened before. One instance of which I have been informed occurred in Charleston, South Carolina.  From what I've been told, without notice or warning the SSPX decided to drop this smaller mission from its circuit.  The District Superior (Fr. Scott) apparently refused to say when, if ever, these people might be picked up again.

But get this.  When the members of this abandoned group recruited a couple of independent priests to provide the Mass, in true hypocritical fashion the Society tried to claim jurisdiction over these folks.  I've been advised that the Society proceeded to tell these people which of the recruited priests were acceptable and which were not.   Apparently, when Fr. Scott was challenged on his right to claim jurisdiction over their selection of priests it is reported that he claimed that the Society had dossiers on all traditional priests in the USA.  It takes a lot of chutzpah to claim jurisdiction over a territory that it (the Society) had abandoned.  The Society act as if they are the Church and that they alone have authority over all priests - another indicator of a schismatic sect.

Little Rock was forced to take matters into its own hands when the Society pulled out because they couldn't get title to the property.  Quoting from the September 1993 issue of the newsletter Coalition In Support Of Ecclesia Dei:* "the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has been welcomed into the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, by Bishop Andrew J. McDonald, and Sunday Tridentine Masses are now offered by Fr. Karl A. Claver in Little Rock and Mountain Home (Arkansas), and of course, daily Mass as well."

*Coalition In Support Of Ecclesia Dei, P.O. Box 2071, Glenview, IL 60025 (847) 724-7151 http://www.ecclesiadei.org/

So where the Society could not be content to just come in to provide the Mass and the sacraments, it appears that their imperious decision to withdraw set the stage for not just one "indult" location for the traditional Mass, but two. I have also heard that more of the people in the Little Rock, Arkansas, parish of the SSPX are attending these "satanic" indult Masses and that the SSPX serves probably less than half the group that was originally there.

In 1987, in Cleveland, Ohio, a independent priest had left a parish there and again the Society came in. Of course the parishioners were happy to have them as no other priests were available. Again, the Society made the demand to give up the property to the SSPX.   Due to Providential intervention the deal didn't go through, though, when the priest who left and later returned then died, the Society got the property anyhow.

BUT WHY THE CRAVING FOR PROPERTY?

A casual observer of the SSPX wonders why the Society seems to have this fetish about obtaining property. Wherever we have enquired, we've heard the same thing over and over again - "the Society wants us to sign over our property," or "What should we do? The Society wants to incorporate our Chapel," and "The Society won't send us priests to say Mass if we don't give them our property."

So the question remains, why the need to obtain property? What did Archbishop Lefebvre have to say about the SSPX and the ownership of property?  In reality, it is evident that Lefebvre had no problem with the laity owning the churches and chapels served by the priests of the Society.  He felt that the SSPX should, however, own seminaries, priories and other such places where religious would normally live.  I don't think that anyone would seriously quarrel with that.  He recognized that the ownership of property entailed responsibilities and problems that the clergy didn't need.  In fact, in at least one location that I've been made aware of (I was told it was St. Athanasius Church in Vienna, Virginia) the property was returned to the laity after a dispute.   But the present leadership of the Society has apparently parted company with their excommunicated founder on this.

But it seems they may have good reason to do so. Most everyone has by this time heard of the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSP) - the group formed in the wake of the Motu Proprio by Pope John Paul II, called Ecclesia Dei, after the illicit episcopal consecrations performed by Lefebvre in June of 1988 and which earned him his excommunication. Besides the numerous and increasing number of Indult Mass locations as well as the FSP, it now seems that there is another group functioning similarly to the FSP which may be providing a very good reason for the Society to look over its collective shoulder. According to an article in the Remnant newspaper --

"On Sunday, August 29 (1993), at St. Augustine's Catholic Church in south St. Paul, Minnesota, Fr. Timothy Svea celebrated his first Mass in the United States.  The newly ordained priest is from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Gricigliano, Italy.  The Mass, which was celebrated by Fr. Svea who was assisted by Fr. Patrick Perez (as deacon), was that of Pope St. Pius V.  It was a solemn high Tridentine Mass, complete with a deacon, sub-deacon and a master of ceremonies.  The rubrics and ceremonies were executed with a reverence and perfection seldom witnessed in the Church in our day.  The Institute of Christ the King is a society of apostolic life founded by Msgr. Gilles Wach (formerly a secretary of Cardinal Oddi and also a priest in Genoa under Cardinal Siri). Remnant

The point of the article was that "traditionalists" should not give up hope; that there are positive signs that maybe the Church is emerging from it "thirty year nap" and is "perhaps preparing to rout out the invaders who have taken control of Her City."

"God has not abandoned us!  We are seeing more and more evidence that we are truly not alone; evidence from the monastery at Randol, to the Pentecost Pilgrimage to Chartes, to the monastery at Le Barroux, to the monastery at Fontgombault, to the Fraternity of St. Peter, to those legitimate Indult Masses which are said only by priests with good intentions and according to the old rite and readings which are offered in many (not all) Indult parishes all around the world, and now to the Institute of Christ the King, -- there is great hope for all of us.  We must stop hanging our heads and lamenting our situation -- there is evidence all around us to suggest that our "cause" is far from defeated.   Traditional Catholicism is on the rise and our resistance is taking definite shape." Remnant

So what does all this mean?  If the Society had owned the property of those locations that they had abandoned then there would be no possibility of the laity calling in other groups to service a particular church or chapel - as happened here in Chicago, the faithful who disagreed with Society policies and practices would be driven out.   But in a chapel owned by the faithful it would be the Society which would be asked to leave in favor of a group under Rome or possibly independent priests.  Ownership = control.  The name of the game and the real reason for wanting to own property - permanence and control.

It would seem that the Society rightly fears the influence and growth of such Rome approved groups as those mentioned - and with good reason; and especially in light of the un-Catholic and sometimes bizarre behavior exhibited by the SSPX leadership.  Well, if that's the case, then that's good news for all of us.  Not because it has anything to do with the demise of the SSPX, but because it means that Rome is serious about trying to accommodate those of us that have an attachment to the older and more venerable rite.   It also means that there may well be an accommodation with Rome for the priests, whether Society or independent, who also wish to continue saying the Tridentine Rite Mass and its associated liturgical celebrations.  While only time will tell for these priests, for the Society as a whole, it will never happen.  They've seen to that.

The one thing predictable about the Society is that once they have property, any leverage the faithful had to keep the Society honest will be out the window.  They should only invite the Society in to provide the Mass and sacraments and to perform other liturgical functions, but purely on a contract basis.  But even in this there is a major problem regarding annulments and jurisdiction which was covered earlier in the section Another Schismatic Step.  If the Society was honest in its intentions, it would accept these terms.  The ownership of property by the Society is unnecessary and incidental to the task for which the Society was created.  But property ownership by the laity will help to keep the Society in check - and honest.

Therefore, for the SSPX it is necessary to gain complete control. Otherwise they can be kicked out when the parishioners of these chapels have had enough of their schismatic, anti-American, woman-bashing, Jansenistic shenanigans and decide to dispense with the Society's brand of newspeak to get back in the good graces of the Catholic Church through the local diocese or with a Rome approved group such as the Fraternity of St. Peter.   In Chicago, unfortunately, when the Society incorporated, we foolishly went along with them and gave of our resources into their coffers.  Serious mistake!  The SSPX ultimately got a nice piece of property and we got the back of their hand.

But things don't have to end like that.  In February, 1994, the independent chapel, Our Lady of Fatima in New Jersey was trying to decide whether to go with the SSPX or the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSP). This is the chapel attended by Mr. Howard Walsh who runs Keep The Faith. Mr. Walsh wrote an open letter to the members of this congregation. The question he put to the faithful of this chapel was essentially this. As so many Catholics, out of a perceived emergency situation or necessity, have been attending Mass at an independent chapel, if the Church agrees to accommodate the legitimate desires for the traditional liturgy without any strings attached (such as the giving up of property, et cetera) does a Catholic in good conscience have the right to refuse such an offer? Mr. Walsh's reasoned response was an emphatic NO! It is gratifying to note that where there is "reasoned" debate there is every probability people will retain their Catholicity and remain with the Church by rejecting the intransigent and implacable spirit of the Society.  After all was said and done, these good people rejected the Society.

CONCLUSION?

It should be clear to anyone wishing to view the SSPX objectively that the Society only mimics Catholicism while instituting its own separatist church.  The undeniable fact is that the SSPX has wantonly disobeyed Rome without sufficient reason.  As Fr. Scott said in the November 1993 Regina Coeli Report "a Catholic does not have the right to disobey a command of the Pope when the action commanded is not forbidden by divine or natural law."  Fr. Scott correctly summarizes Catholic teaching then promptly tries to weasel his way out of the statement by the weak rationalization that essentially says that the SSPX can keep doing what it's doing because there are some problems in the Church.

Now let's see, I think I can see St. Peter saying that he can't obey Our Lord because Judas isn't behaving himself.  It seems Our Lord's promise to His Church that it will last until the end of time (with or without the SSPX) is not good enough for the Society, so they've decided that Christ must have their help if He is to succeed.  So in true liberal fashion the SSPX leadership and their cohorts in crime (for schism is a crime against Our Lord) have decided to follow their own will and refuse obedience to the Pope.

The Society love to use words like "unity," "submission" and "authority."  That is, however, a subterfuge.  If they meant what they said they would not refuse to submit the Society to the discipline of the Church.   But this they will not consider, much less do.  Why?  Because Judas is misbehaving and, therefore, Our Lord is not worthy of their obedience to the Vicar of Christ.  The Society leadership all know better than Our Lord so they will continue to say and do whatever they must in order to convince one and all that they are obedient in their disobedience.

They either believe that they alone can save the Church, which Christ said will last until the end of time, and they are, therefore, fools, or, they believe that they are the Church and they alone have the means to salvation, in which case they are fools.  To this end, whatever the motivation, they use lies, deception, revisionist history, a not too veiled misogynism ( a hatred of women) and the ignorance of those who patronize them.   Unfortunately there are still too many who need to know and understand what a danger to their salvation the Society is, and, what they risk by patronizing it.