CathInfo.com

Every Traditional priest since the 70s is "independent" because they are not under their diocesan bishop.  This includes Fr Scott and all sspx priests, both then and now.  The sspx priests do not owe any sspx bishop complete obedience as a priest would to his diocesan bishop.  Every Trad priest operates under the emergency rules of Canon Law and no amount of organizational size or scope makes them jurisdictionally legitimate.  To say that an sspx priest is canonically allowed, but a non-sspx Trad priest is canonically condemned is both legally wrong, confusing to the laity, and gravely uncharitable.

Very true.

And it goes against the current "SSPX worship" many current SSPX-ers labor under. It's why so many in the SSPX refuse to look into the Resistance, much less support it.

They actually think *roll on floor with laughter* excuse me...
...they actually think that a Resistance/independent priest is somehow more disobedient than one of their SSPX priests. Isn't that hilarious?

They act as if they have Ordinary Jurisdiction or something.

And I kid you not, many SSPXers think that the SSPX is automatically "more legitimate" because they have so many properties, chapels, priests, and legal structures set up. They apparently think that normal canonical status and Ordinary Jurisdiction is automatically granted by the Church after receiving your 10 millionth dollar, gaining your 10,000th parishioner, buying your 100th chapel, celebrating your 30th year in business, etc.

NOT EVEN.

An SSPX priest offering a meticulous, liturgically perfect High Mass at St. Isidore's (a building that was built by Trads, and looks like an actual church) with top-notch equipment, plenty of servers who practice regularly, accompanied by a beautiful well-rehearsed schola of 12 men is in the same canonical status, and is just as "disobedient", as some laid-back "independent priest" saying Mass quickly and/or sloppily in a hotel or garage with poor/minimal equipment using a single altar server who barely knows the responses. Both operate under supplied jurisdiction and are 100% -- not 90%, 99% or 99.9% -- as legitimate as each other.

Of course, the SSPX is most of the way towards a deal with Rome, getting approved piecemeal without any fanfare, fancy parchment rolls, or elaborate John Hancocks -- but I digress.

X:

Consequently, you are wrong to assert that SSPX priests do not owe their superiors obedience as diocesan priests do their bishops:
 
 This is only true de facto, because of the extent of the crisis in the Church.  But de jure (according to law), the exact same relationship of obedience exists.

 

 

I’m not sure what your theological background is, but you are the one who is confused:

Fr. Scott explained that the “independence” of the SSPX or old diocesan or religious priests is only an apparent “independence:”

“Apparent” in the case of the expelled diocesan and religious priests because of the canonical and invalidating irregularity of their expulsions;

“Apparent” in the case of the SSPX, because of their invalid suppression.

Hence, in both cases, there is in fact no true independence.

I think this is an argument of semantics.  However you want to define "independence" the fact remains that the sspx operates in no way under the normal law (operating on under the emergency canons), just the same as any other Trad priest.

Consequently, you are wrong to assert that SSPX priests do not owe their superiors obedience as diocesan priests do their bishops:
This is only true de facto, because of the extent of the crisis in the Church.  But de jure (according to law), the exact same relationship of obedience exists.

No sspx priest (or any Trad priest) takes vows, nor are they required to.  Diocesan priests take vows.  BIG, BIG difference.

That the SSPX has relied upon ecclesia supplet because of the refusal of the bishops/hierarchy to grant the ordinary jurisdiction which they are owed does not imply that the SSPX is actually independent of the hierarchy (which would be tantamount to admitting they were outside the Church).  People mistakenly thinking upon those lines are precisely the types of things which cause Fr. Nely and Simoulin to scruple (unnecessarily) about being outside the Church, or becoming schismatic, sedevacantist, etc.

One can be independent of a superior and still be under the authority of canon law, which means one is under the Church.  All trad priests, sspx included, are independent of the hierarchy.  Yet, all trad priests are not outside of the church, because canon law says they aren't.

The hierarchy has left the Faith; Trad priests have not.  The hierarchy is contrary to canon law/Quo Primum; Trad priests are not.  The hierarchy are apparent apostates; (most) Trad priests are not.

I'm not trying to bash the sspx; i'm simply arguing against the idea that the sspx priests are on a "different level" than any other Trad priest.  All Trad priests are in the same canonical boat.  That's my point.