It has occurred to me that I haven't stated my position with regard to the SSPX. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to do so. My position is that I have no position. We attend an SSPX Church since it's only 20 minutes from home and have done so for over 20 years.
We have an outstanding priest, who, incidentally, has the complete set of +Williamson's lectures on DVD. He is a graduate of Columbia University with a degree in civil engineering and worked for a prominent Boston consulting firm prior to entering the seminary. So, unlike some of the other newly ordained priests, he's had some experience in the "world". He was also a running back for the Columbia Lions prior to blowing out his knee.
He is filled with zeal for the salvation of souls and urges us all to have the same zeal. His sermons are outstanding; he often interjects them with personal experiences he's had, in the world or spiritual ones related to the world. He's the best priest we've ever had. I've enjoyed many personal conversations with him especially when he joined us for Christmas dinner last year. And, as he indicated, may do so again this year.
He went nuts over my wife's pecan pie: pun intended.
Finally, I should add, that I have no interest in the politics of the SSPX vs Resistance. All have their reasons, and I respect them. My principal goal is to hopefully save my soul, aid my wife in saving her's and anyone else who may cross my path.
I guess you could say this is my manifesto. If I'm to be excoriated for my position, so be it. Cheers!
I must point this out: that it is a rare gift to be able to abstract from your own personal situation, and realize that others' situations are far different.
For example, you seem to be at one of the best SSPX chapels in existence, going by your testimony and description.
You don't speak much about propaganda, lies, manipulation of the Faithful, evidence of Modernist infection, spying on the Faithful, various tyrannical behavior, etc. but I assure you, these things have happened and are happening at other chapels.I'm happy for you that you're on the path to salvation, and that your particular SSPX chapel seems to be the prudential answer in your case. For that matter, there is an older man at my old SSPX chapel who recently passed away -- if I were him, I might have done what he did -- that is to say, stay with the SSPX. For him, it was more important to get the Last Rites, go to weekly Mass, etc. than stand up for the future of Tradition and stand on one's principles. In 2012, he only had a few years of life left, and he has no Traditional children or grandchildren that I'm aware of.
That is why I have to say the decision is one of PRUDENCE, not FAITH or DOGMA. If it was a matter of Faith, then those who chose wrongly would literally be going to hell. But such is not the case. It's about prudence -- a subjective judgment we make based on the information we have, and our own precise situation.
The SSPX is a monolithic, multi-national corporation. But that doesn't mean that its priests all participate in one "hive mind" or some nonsense like that. They are all individual souls. Some are liberal, and some are not. But they are all loyal to the Monster at this time, and they all have to be subject to it, following its laws and directives, and that is the problem with SSPX chapels:
Even if you had the Cure of Ars offering daily Mass at your SSPX chapel, which happened to be built like a Cathedral, there is
still the problem that your SSPX chapel is part of the SSPX Corporation with its liberal-ruled headquarters in Menzingen. You are going to have visits from the District Superior, etc. who will tell you that Vatican II isn't so bad, that we are excessive in our resistance to Vatican II, that we need to be more moderate, that Rome isn't so bad, etc.
Those things were all said recently at my SSPX chapel in San Antonio, by Fr. Wegner. I'm not going to expose my children to priests uttering such lies. Vatican II is heretical and I want no part of it. It IS a superheresy, the biggest crisis to ever befall the Church. I am Traditional Catholic, the son of Traditional Catholics, and was raised Traditional Catholic from birth. The only way to react to Modernism/Vatican II/Conciliar Church is COMPLETE ABSTINENCE, complete aloofness. Everything else is dangerous compromise, supping with the devil.
When someone tries to tone down my resistance and hatred for Vatican II, a huge alarm goes off and I put up a wall of separation.
Furthermore, the SSPX is Wal-mart, and the rest of the Trad world is like the mom & pop stores Wal-mart routinely puts out of business. By attending the SSPX and making donations every Sunday, you're feeding the monster.
As an organization, I hate the SSPX. Not the people in the organization, but the organization itself. Its leaders are my enemies, because they are enemies of the Faith. They are in the same category as Pope Francis, even if the latter is further along in the corruption process. I pray that they be converted and confess their mortal sins before they die. If I could make a phone call and the whole SSPX organization could be shut down and put out of business, I would do it in a heartbeat. The SSPX is worldly, corrupt, liberal, and compromising. They are using techniques normally associated with Freemasonic politicians.
NOTE: I didn't say I want to nuke all the priests, people, etc. I just said put the SSPX out of business. Believe me, those priests would all start independent chapels, and probably in the same places they are in now. But it would be without all the monolithic, Big Business attitude they have right now. Each chapel would be on its own. Some would be liberal, others would be great. It would all depend on the area, the priest, and the congregation.
The SSPX got too big, and for years they've had a problem with avarice (desiring to acquire real estate and power) and they think they ARE the Church. They look down on other non-SSPX Trad priests/groups. I STILL have to routinely chase these thoughts and prejudices out of my head, after attending an SSPX seminary, chapels, etc. for years. They seriously consider non-SSPX chapels and non-SSPX priests as automatically 2nd class or lower, as automatically suspect.