I've been emailing an SSPX priest about how I can return to the faith, praying the rosary, and reading good spiritual books, but something is still making me wonder about traditionalism.

Clearly, as has been discussed here many, many times, syllogisms about dogma are not themselves dogma. Lots of people claim different things about dogma, and believe they're certainly correct, even when they're not (and the vast, vast majority of people are not): this is the big reason that I ended up frustrated when I was Orthodox, and could never seriously entertain Protestantism. This also applies to Catholicism, though. For instance, when people like the Dimonds, Novus Ordo Watch, R&Rers, and Steven Speray say their arguments are dogma, I get really skeptical- I could never support any of them again either, not even considering the terrible scruples falling prey to that gave me when I was first traditional Catholic. 

How far does this principle go, though? I find a lot of the arguments about the New Rites of ordination being doubtful convincing, for example. Yet, at the same time, I could be completely wrong. I find it hard to believe a faithful Novus Ordo attendee would need to use private judgment and become a sedevacantist or an SSPX-goer to attain graces, confession, and salvation, when understanding yourself to be fallible and trusting the Church's dogmatic statements over your own syllogisms about faith is the main reasons Catholicism is so distinctly truthful compared to other religions. If one's own arguments about theology come before the actual arc of the Church, in other words if you must be a self-created theologian to even determine where the Church is, then the whole system becomes no different than Protestantism or Orthodoxy.

Are there policies in place for what a faithful Catholic should do when they view a sacrament as doubtful? Where do these policies come from? Moreover, to what extent do traditionalists have to follow their own interpretations of dogma? It does seem like one could simply attend a traditional mass with a validly ordained priest based on doubt without doing any private judgment other than following one's conscience, but on the other side of the spectrum, if the sacraments of the conciliar Church were truly invalid, then it seems you'd have to make private judgments before finding the Church... again, leading to the problems of Protestantism and Orthodoxy. Any thoughts?

Jerm, you are just now, by the Grace of God, returning from "Orthodoxy" to Catholicism. I would suggest praying the Rosary every day, wearing the Scapular, Consecrating yourself to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, and going to TLM at both SSPX and Indult parishes. Also go for Eucharistic Adoration often and spend much time before Our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, where He gives abundant graces and light to all who ask Him for them.

 Try to remain in the Catholic Communion of the Church and take care not to relapse into the ancient Schism of Photius and Caerularius. Catholic Saints and Doctors including St. Peter Damian, St. Anselm, St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, St. Alphonsus and St. Robert Bellarmine have many times clearly proven the Catholic Faith on Filioque, Purgatory etc to the Greek Orthodox. It only remains for the Orthodox to come home one day to the Roman Catholic Church.

It is an opinion of some that every change renders a sacrament "doubtful". The changes in the new rites make them weaker, but not positive doubtful. In the Priestly Rite of Ordination, only one word "ut" is changed. That is a non-substantial change that does not affect validity. The NREC is slightly more complicated, but Fr. Pierre Marie had a study showing it is found in two ancient Eastern Rites, the Coptic and West Syrian. So the rite is undoubtedly valid.

There are other problems with it, and it's not fitting for us in the Latin Church, but it is valid. As even Bp. Williamson has mentioned, there have been Eucharistic Miracles in the New Mass. How is that possible if either the new rite of Priesthood or the new Mass is invalid? The new rites are not invalid, but only inferior.

Regardless of that, wherever you find a TLM, even if it is a diocesan TLM, my advice is to go and assist at Mass and sanctify your soul. You need the Graces of Holy Mass to gain the grace of perseverance in faith, hope, and charity, and the graces of not falling into mortal sin in future, which Holy Communion provides.

God Bless.

Thank you. I have been doubtful as per usual and thoughts keep popping in telling me to go back to the private judgment I came from, but I just can't do it anymore. Catholicism is the truth. Your words help a lot. 😊