Mr. Gubbins, as a convert, I found the SSPX when I was twenty six. I am still attending a SSPX chapel thirty years later. All of my grown children are still attending a SSPX chapel and those that are married, married SSPX spouses and all intend to home educate rather then send their children to a local school. So far so good. But I can tell you, knowing my children as I do, I would not be relating the same story if we had of followed Bp. Ballini into what I can only describe as a toxic wasteland. And when I use the adjective 'toxic' I am referring to the same 'sede' mentality that you ooze here: 'unless you believe as I believe, you are not a 'real' Catholic and therefore not welcome'. Well, Mr. Gubbins, that is not Catholic. That is cult mentality. And I shudder to think of my children ever perceiving themselves superior Catholics to their SSPX/Resistance friends or mainstream cousins. Humility is the cornerstone to salvation, not Bp. Ballini's Masses.

These are the exact same invectives that Anglicans used to hurl at Catholics in the old days.

You're not interested in discussing to arrive at a deeper understanding of the Truth. 

Just simply attaching labels to those who are courageous enough to stand by it.

No. That's called common sense. Frankly, I do not see much difference between you and dogmatic Sedes. You both dictate what a Catholic should do as if you were the Church itself. A Catholic - especially if you have children - especially if you have teenage children - would be advised to attend a traditional parish which offers not only the traditional Mass and the traditional sacraments, but stability and a joyful community life. I can only speak for the situation in Ireland, but the Resistance under Bp. Ballini has left a wake of traumatized faithful. Slowly they are beginning to open up and we are told that the atmosphere at their former Mass centres was incredibly toxic and controlling. Everyone was judging each other as to whether they measured up as 'real' Catholics. I stress again, I am not attacking the Resistance wholesale - I understand why many have chosen this route and I am no fan of Bishop Fellay myself. However, stepping out of the frying pan into the fire comes to mind when you objectively compare the situation one left, to the situation offered by Bp. Ballini. Moreover, when you add the fact that an ex-cleric - laicised for child abuse - was secretly introduced to the resistance faithful also, it is clear that each Catholic must weigh up the right decision for themselves in these troubled times. There is NO absolute safe place. Each priest must be judged by their own merits - which must include their spiritual attachment to the Papacy. However, if you chose the stay at home route - that nowhere is good enough - I can assure you that your teenages will lose the faith quicker than a snow flake melts in the Sahara at noon.  This is possibly what His Lordship Bishop Williamson had in mind when he conceded that someone could still save their soul attending the New Mass. Sometimes this is better than not going to Mass at all. It takes an incredibly disciplined person to self-govern their own Sundays and keep it going week after week.

I have not once, ever attended a traditional chapel that had a "stable and joyful community life".  They're a bunch of finger pointing, holier-than-thou, arrogant, misogynistic, condescending, racist, bonnet people.  I have learned to go get the sacraments and leave.

 We have ALWAYS tolerated those.

Who is we? Who are you to speak for all of the "resistance?" 

And the tone you use for "tolerating" Father Ringrose is completely disrespectful.

The point is people change how they view the Crisis as the years go by.  Nobody is exactly the same as they were 30 years ago.  

Without papal authority, we are not going to have answers.

I have not once, ever attended a traditional chapel that had a "stable and joyful community life".  They're a bunch of finger pointing, holier-than-thou, arrogant, misogynistic, condescending, racist, bonnet people.  I have learned to go get the sacraments and leave.

Because the traditional movement is now so diverse, there is a tendency for some people to overly justify their chosen position by condemning other positions. This is not right nor healthy but it is happening. I don't know where you are from but here in Ireland the SSPX Mass centers, for the most part, are welcoming places. We have quite a variety of different nationalities attend too, from the Poles, to Asian, to African families. The outreach to them has been exceptional.

True, I do not like the dogmatic Sede-vacantist position and have been quite verbal about this. But this is because it is neither a traditional stance (it is a novel idea) or Catholic - because immediately you are setting yourself up as a your own Pope and church - making a dogma out of a perceived theologically opinion.  However, that said, we have a number of people who consider themselves 'sede-vacantist' and they are all welcomed and wanted because they keep their personal belief to themselves. 

Because the traditional movement is now so diverse, there is a tendency for some people to overly justify their chosen position by condemning other positions. 

Some positions SHOULD be condemned, like +Fellay's assertion that "95%" of V2 is ok.  That is categorically false.  Real Trads condemn this propaganda.

True, I do not like the dogmatic Sede-vacantist position and have been quite verbal about this. But this is because it is neither a traditional stance (it is a novel idea) or Catholic - because immediately you are setting yourself up as a your own Pope and church - making a dogma out of a perceived theologically opinion. 

a) the dogmatic part is the error.
b) the theological part of sedevacantism is neither "perceived" nor is it "novel".  Unless you think +Bellarmine and the 1600s is novel?   

I have not once, ever attended a traditional chapel that had a "stable and joyful community life".  They're a bunch of finger pointing, holier-than-thou, arrogant, misogynistic, condescending, racist, bonnet people.  I have learned to go get the sacraments and leave.

I have had this same experience at some traditional Masses… unfortunately. But they’re not all like that. The SSPX chapel in London UK is full of so many different nationalities, ages, types of people, social classes etc that it’s IMPOSSIBLE for the clique judgemental vibe to prevail. 
What country do you live in?

I have not once, ever attended a traditional chapel that had a "stable and joyful community life".  They're a bunch of finger pointing, holier-than-thou, arrogant, misogynistic, condescending, racist, bonnet people.  I have learned to go get the sacraments and leave.

I think the diocesan traditional Latin Masses are generally welcoming as are the SSPX larger city based chapels though I can only speak for the UK and Ireland. I haven’t attended a trad Mass anywhere else.

No one who actually knew him well ever even heard him say that or thought that of him.


He remained razor sharp right to the end.

I sincerely hope, for the sake of His Excellency’s soul, that this take is not true. And if it is, may it be the result of weakness or confusion in his later years rather than deliberate deceit. It is far more charitable to believe that he succuмbed to liberal influences or infirmity than to think he acted as a conscious infiltrator against the Faith.