In a discussion on another thread, the topic of good bishops that resisted Vatican II came up.
Most people can only list 2 -- the ones who publicly stood up and were counted: Archbishop Lefebvre, and Bishop de Castro Mayer.
Which got me thinking, you could add 4 more bishops after June 30, 1988. These bishops also were completely against Vatican II, standing publicly for Tradition, but most impressive was their worldwide scope. Whereas groups like Campos, Brazil were mostly concerned with their own geographic area, the SSPX was extremely attractive because of their global, Catholic, scope.
Campos was willing to call off the fight as soon as Campos was promised the Latin Mass by Rome. They didn't have concern for the rest of the world.
But the SSPX of that time wouldn't lay down their arms until EVERYONE had free access to the Tridentine Mass, and until the Crisis was over for EVERYONE.
Sign me up -- that's something I can support!
Of course, in 2012 the SSPX began compromising in earnest, and the rest is history.
But just because someone (or a some group) fails doesn't mean it was a dead end all along. In this life, we don't have guarantees about anything. You take everything one day at a time, living in the present. Human beings have free will that only God can predict. You go with the best decision AT THE TIME. None of us can turbo-charge our knowledge -- which helps our virtue of Prudence to make the best decisions -- with events that are yet to take place!
Just because your wife leaves you doesn't mean that marriage is crap. It just means you chose poorly. Others might choose wisely; so much for anecdotal evidence. But the objective fact remains that marriage as an institution is a good thing, designed and blessed by God.
Yesterday (before 2012), I supported the SSPX.
Today, I support the Resistance. I was right then, and I am right today. I am supporting the most safe (i.e., with a Catholic spirit), the most un-compromised, traditional group that can help me and my family to keep the Faith.
We all have to find priests who can do this for us. If they are Catholic, traditional (against modernism, Vatican II) and validly ordained, that is all that really matters. We have to keep the faith, and not lose heart.