[SeanJohnson]

Forgotten threads which were memorable to me in their day (in no particular order):

1) Ignis Ardens Will Be Closed Permanently (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/ignis-ardens-will-be-closed-permanently/  Memorable because it was the first major victory of Menzingen in the internet war.  Menaced by legal action and the intervention of Max Krah, it was the first in a series of blogs and fora to close down.  6.5 years later, CI stands nearly alone in the English-speaking world.  

2) Bishop Fellay: The Pope May Declare Us Schismatic (2011): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/bishop-fellay-the-pope-may-declare-us-schismatic/  Memorable, because this was pre-Feb/2012.  Bishop Fellay was not to announce his willingness to break with Archbishop Lefebvre's policy for 3 more months, so things were still a bit speculative at this point.  Bishop Williamson was just about to be banned from attending the meeting of superiors in Albano, gathered to consider the secret preamble (doctrinal declaration), and here was Bishop Fellay expressing worry about whether or not the Pope would declare the SSPC schismatic.  That this bishop would worry about being declared schismatic by the modernists was the real cause of worry, and a very clear change of attitude in comparison to the Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin (worries which would prove to be well-founded in hindsight!).

3) Who is Bishop Fellay? (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/who-is-bishop-fellay/ In the aftermath of the April 15, 2012 doctrinal declaration and the blatant attempt to submit the SSPX to conciliar authority by signing a docuмent containing a plethora of liberal propositions, people began more closely to look into Bishop Fellay's background.  This thread contained the news from Stephen Heiner that Bishop Fellay was not among the original three candidates chosen to be consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre (later affirmed by Bishop Williamson), but was instead a late concession granted to Swiss benefactors in gratitude for their charity.

4) Bp Fellay presented Bp Williamson with an ultimatum (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/bp-fellay-presented-bp-williamson-with-an-ultimatum/ This thread showed the lengths Bishop Fellay was willing to go to in order to be recognized by apostate Rome.  I remember thinking, "He's actually setting the stage to kick the bishop out.  What will happen then?"  I remember how excited we all were when we thought the Resistance was going to get a leader who would lead a new SSPX, and we would all be saved from becoming wandering nomads.  Alas, the bishop had other plans, and morphed the Resistance from its intended replacement of the SSPX into a slowly dissolving disconnected group of isolated independents.  Nevertheless, in these days the Resistance was strong and enthusiastic: If +BF is going to kick out the bishop, we will benefit, and start over.  Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

5) Militant Anti-Resistance Sermon in St. Paul, MN (2013): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/militant-anti-resistance-sermon-in-st-paul-mn/ Fr. Webber had been preaching against Roman modernism, and it was a danger to the ralliement.  Would the whole parish go over to the Resistance.  BIshop Williamson had just visited St. Paul, and drew 100 faithful fromthe local SSPX chapel to his conference (during work hours, on a weekday!).  The Resistance was STRONG in Minnesota, and Fr. Webber seemed to be getting on board himself.  But he went on vacation, and the District sent Fr. Rutledge to be the hatchet man.  In all my years attending Mass, I never heard a sermon like this one.  Devoid of anything supernatural, it was a political speech: Gen on board, or get out.  Shrotly thereafter, Fr. Webber would be transferred.  He has slowly been marginalized ever since, and is content to lay low in the SSPX.  But the speech achieved its desired effect, and most fell back into line.  The Resistance in Minnesota would never draw 100 faithful again, and it has been a slow deterioration ever since.

6) Beware of SSPX Schools (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/beware-of-sspx-schools/ One of the first posts to express concerns about the ralliement indoctrination in SSPX schools.  Later concerns would be aired about policies in England, Ireland, Canada, and scandals in Post Falls, etc.  Since then, we have had our kids in and out of the SSPX school twice.

7) Awesome resource - somone has done it (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/awesome-resource-someone-has-done-it!/  The first comprehensive and cohesive treatment of Bishop Fellay's break with Archbishop Lefebvre.  Today, it stands as a classic, but ending in 2013, I had hoped Mr. Fox would write a 2nd volume.  I wonder what has become of him since this was written?

8] SSPX Spokesman: If the Superior General Agrees, the Society will come along (2011): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/sspx-spokesman-if-the-general-superior-agrees-the-society-will-come-along/  As with thread #4 above, Bishop Fellay & Co. were setting up +BW's ouster at this time.  They were also selling the deal.  Can you imagine today the SSPX 1st Asst to the Superior General getting shouted down for preaching union with apostate Rome?!?!  Yet it happened!  See 2nd post in this thread by me.  Fr. Pfluger is publicly contradicted by an elderly priest, and falls silent.  There was great hope for the Resistance in these days.  We almost hoped for +BW's expulsion, so we could get rolling.  How different was the mindset of the faithful in these days.  People: This was only 7.5 years ago!

9) www.savesspx.com (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/httpwww-savesspx-com/  Only included this one, because it got me thinking about all the great blogs and Resistance fora which have closed over the years: savesspx.com, truetrad.com, Ignis Ardens, Archbishop Lefebvre Forums (1.0, 2.0, 2.1), etc. What do you think the reason for all these closures is?  Having been one of these bloggers, I have my own idea, but it will not be popular (at least, not here).

10) Krahgate (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/krahgate-21241/  Was there something more to the ralliement than merely liberalism, scruples, and neo-SSPX's rejection of Archbishop Lefebvre?  This thread explored that possibility.

11) SSPX Postures for Mass - Slow Boiling SSPXers? (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/sspx-postures-for-mass-slow-boiling-sspxers/ A theme which would be revived several years later when these very same changes were instituted by the current pastor in my own SSPX chapel.  This was one of the first threads to suggest that we would again experience the Cranmerian incrementalism as part of the ralliement.  Will it end with the SSPX accepting the hybrid missal BXVI and Francis announced they would eventually implement.  How could they not?  That would be disobedient to their conciliar keepers!

Which ones would you have included?

[Pax Vobis]

Re: #9. What do you think the reason for all these closures is?  Having been one of these bloggers, I have my own idea, but it will not be popular (at least, not here).

Please tell.  I love unpopular ideas. 

[Incredulous]

Please tell.  I love unpopular ideas.

I wonder if Sean will agree?

The reasons behind the trad media shut-downs, especially Ignis ardens, are likely blackmail or intimidation.

[Incredulous]

Inside the ʝʊdɛօ-masonic tool-box are two important items: blackmail and intimidation.


The zionist German, Max Krah previously made threats of initiating such lawsuits against US resistance members. 
Hollingsworth received such a public threat.

But how could Krah do it?  

His eMBA classmate, Oren Heiman  is a principal in an Israeli international law firm.
It is very plausible he could broker such a lawsuit using their octopus network.

So just imagine getting such a threatening phone call.  What would you do?



 Max Krah's handler, mossad, eMBA classmate, Oren Heiman [url=https://mauricepinay.blogspot.com/2012/06/maximilian-krahs-handler-oren-heiman-co.html]Maurice Pinay[/url]

[MaterDominici]

9) www.savesspx.com (2012): https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/httpwww-savesspx-com/  Only included this one, because it got me thinking about all the great blogs and Resistance fora which have closed over the years: savesspx.com, truetrad.com, Ignis Ardens, Archbishop Lefebvre Forums (1.0, 2.0, 2.1), etc. What do you think the reason for all these closures is?  Having been one of these bloggers, I have my own idea, but it will not be popular (at least, not here).

You're probably not thinking of the right site. The blog was something like "sossaveoursspx.com" and was run by Hugh Dolan. 
.
The site in that thread (savesspx.com) was my idea -- Matthew doing the actual work, of course : ) -- and we stopped renewing the domain after it had served its purpose and was no longer useful. It was never a blog or a forum, only a petition site.

[Matthew]

Please tell.  I love unpopular ideas.

Yeah, you got my curiosity. Especially since you claim the idea wouldn't be popular here.

I would guess something like strong-arm coercion, mostly in the form of legal threats. Most people would buckle under the first whisper of possible legal action.

Blackmail would be similar, but it would require dirt on the site owners in question! And to acquire dirt on an individual, said dirt actually has to exist.

Like with the blackmail spam I get almost daily, claiming they hacked my PC and all my social media accounts (hahaha!) -- it's nice to have 100% certainty that someone is bluffing. When they claim to have a video of such-and-such, and you know for a fact you have never done such-and-such -- you can rest easy. The best defense against blackmail is to live an upright life.

[Matthew]

Yes, I remember those good old days. I remember making a custom stamp and stamping all the bulletins at our local SSPX chapel with something like "Bishop Williamson expelled! for more info, savesspx.com"

The idea was to get the word out to good priests that we had their back. We wanted to influence and encourage priests to do the right thing, and stand up to Menzingen and not go along with any evils.

I remember I even paid to host it somewhere different than CathInfo, even though I already had a "reseller account" which could have hosted dozens of small websites. But if I had hosted it on my existing reseller account, it would have had the same IP address as CathInfo, and the cat would have been out of the bag.

[SeanJohnson]

Yeah, you got my curiosity. Especially since you claim the idea wouldn't be popular here.

I would guess something like strong-arm coercion, mostly in the form of legal threats. Most people would buckle under the first whisper of possible legal action.

Blackmail would be similar, but it would require dirt on the site owners in question! And to acquire dirt on an individual, said dirt actually has to exist.

Like with the blackmail spam I get almost daily, claiming they hacked my PC and all my social media accounts (hahaha!) -- it's nice to have 100% certainty that someone is bluffing. When they claim to have a video of such-and-such, and you know for a fact you have never done such-and-such -- you can rest easy. The best defense against blackmail is to live an upright life.

Well, since you are intent on dragging out of me that which I was content to let lay:

Why would a blogger take precious time away from family hours, sacrificing for rebuilding another SSPX, when the grand poobah says "pack up your toys" and "hunker down," encourages liberal independence, discourages vocations, wants to do away with seminaries, etc. etc. etc?

Eventually, after hundreds of articles and several years, it hits you: Bishop Williamson killed the Resistance, despite the consecrations:

While speaking very well about the Roman problem, he nonetheless does all in his power to suppress the Resistance (despite the consecrations).

What good are consecrations and bishops, if nonetheless, there will be no priests under them because seminaries are allegedly passe?  Vocations are discouraged.  Authority is shot (what a joke: Ever heard of the SSPX, showing authority in hyper-mode?).  Congregations are no longer possible (ahem: Ever heard of the 700 priest SSPX?).  The end is near!  Abandon all hope all ye who enter here!  All we can do is wait for the chastisement!

Sorry, but that's all one big bunch of crap.

Nevertheless, when the fence-sitter of 2013-2014 heard what +BW was pitching, they quickly left, and went back to the SSPX (where at least they would have some sense of normalcy, rather than the formless darkness Bishop Williamson was creating, er, discussing).

So eventually, it occurs to you: The Resistance was hijacked.

It is not today that which it was intended to be.

It is not that which it was before Bishop Williamson joined it.

It is no longer a contingency for a replacement SSPX (for the litany of excuses given for the morphing/hijacking).

And finally, you reach the conclusion: Why continue to try to bolster a movement with these efforts, when those who outrank you are actively sabotaging?

Today, it is only the religious congregations that offer any hope (SAJM, Avrille, Santa Cruz, MCSPX).  

They had already seen the insanity that comes with a leaderless Resistance, from the USML debacle, and Providence raised up the SAJM and MCSPX (quite against the will of +BW, if the truth be known).  

But to the point, eventually, you just realize you are fighting a losing battle, and wouldn't it be nice to smoke some fish, deer hunt, hit a baseball game, and do something more productive?

I believe some former blogs and fora closed because of legal menaces.

But for the most part, people realize that when there is no hope, there is no point.

PS: I should add for clarity that I admire a good many things about +BW, and that I am on good terms with him, and support the independents insofar as they are worthy of support.  But I don't have much hope for a Resistance that is being led into the catacombs.

[Matthew]

But you have to admit, Sean, that Bishop Williamson doesn't impose his outlook or opinions on anyone.

He isn't angry or refusing to work with Bp. Faure or Bp. Zendejas because they are actively helping with a seminary in France. (Bp. Z was just there for Holy Week)

He isn't angry with Fr. Chazal for the MCSPX and seminary. He isn't angry with Bp. Zendejas for starting a small network of chapels with regular Mass schedules.

You have to distinguish, because some priests these days are like "my way or the highway!" so as soon as you disagree with them on anything, you automatically turn and head for the door, knowing you might as well head for the door before you're thrown out.

But Bp. Williamson isn't like that. He allows for a certain amount of disagreement on non-essential issues. He understands the difference between matters of Faith and matters of opinion or prudence, on which men may freely disagree.

And though Bp. Williamson himself has an apocalyptic outlook on the world, he nevertheless does his best to help the faithful remnant of SSPX exiles with Consecrations (3 bishops!), Confirmations, Correspondence with Catholics, Chalice Consecrations, Catholic Commentary on the modern world (Eleison Comments), and of course Charity. He does have a website, the St. Marcel Initiative.

[Matthew]

For my part, my hope doesn't lie in Bishop Williamson, the SSPX, or some tiny seed of a replacement for the SSPX. My hope lies in God, and I am fully committed to the Catholic Faith, even if that means the catacombs.

I have no choice but to maintain hope. I have a family with many children, all of whom still need to be formed in the Catholic Faith. I'm in this for the long haul. Like St. Peter said to Our Lord, where else can I go? Only the Catholic Church has the keys to eternal life.

Why did God allow the Traditional Movement to be dialed back to a state worse than in 1970? Why did God allow the Muslims to smash Europe so hard back in the middle ages? Why did God allow the Black Death and the decimation of monasteries, convents, etc.? In the aftermath of the Black Death, it caused a priest shortage, which caused men to be inadequately (and hastily) trained for the priesthood, which resulted in immoral, worldly and ignorant priests whose scandals caused the Protestant revolution.

It would seem, in the light of human wisdom, to go counter to what was good for Christendom and the Catholic Church. But God's ways are not our ways. Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?

[SeanJohnson]

But you have to admit, Sean, that Bishop Williamson doesn't impose his outlook or opinions on anyone.

He isn't angry or refusing to work with Bp. Faure or Bp. Zendejas because they are actively helping with a seminary in France. (Bp. Z was just there for Holy Week)

He isn't angry with Fr. Chazal for the MCSPX and seminary. He isn't angry with Bp. Zendejas for starting a small network of chapels with regular Mass schedules.

You have to distinguish, because some priests these days are like "my way or the highway!" so as soon as you disagree with them on anything, you automatically turn and head for the door, knowing you might as well head for the door before you're thrown out.

But Bp. Williamson isn't like that. He allows for a certain amount of disagreement on non-essential issues. He understands the difference between matters of Faith and matters of opinion or prudence, on which men may freely disagree.

And though Bp. Williamson himself has an apocalyptic outlook on the world, he nevertheless does his best to help the faithful remnant of SSPX exiles with Consecrations (3 bishops!), Confirmations, Correspondence with Catholics, Chalice Consecrations, Catholic Commentary on the modern world (Eleison Comments), and of course Charity. He does have a website, the St. Marcel Initiative.

I don't want to go to war about it.  

I'm just saying that +BW is recognized as the moral authority of the Resistance.  Even though he doesn't exert any hierarchical authority over it, he nevertheless is its elder statesman.  And I believe that most people heard his ideas, and weighed them against remaining in the SSPX, and opted for the latter.  I believe they did not accept his apocalyptic vision, but saw him creating one, and thought to themselves that they were better off with the lesser of the two evils where they were (i.e., SSPX).  That last point is objectively arguable, of course, but I think it explains the fizzling of the Resistance outside the 6 USA chapels of +BZ and worldwide generally.

In any case, it explains why some of those capable of writing no longer see the effort worth the diminishing returns.

[Matthew]

In any case, it explains why some of those capable of writing no longer see the effort worth the diminishing returns.

If they grow weary of laboring in Our Lord's vineyard, fine. They can cause Him sadness by their lack of trust, laziness, and giving in to discouragement.

But in the end, what you stated above is just an excuse. You can argue it's a humanly understandable one, or a good one, but it's still an excuse. No one is forcing them to quit.

Because plenty of Catholics are laboring diligently, with perseverance, just fine with Bishop Williamson up there as the moral head or statesman as you put it. Bishop Williamson isn't stopping any of us.

If people find this or that excuse to stop laboring with Our Lord, or to stop carrying their cross with Him, that is between them and God. I consider it sad and disappointing, but it's their choice. We all have free will.

Some beginners in the spiritual life need milk, while others are ready for baby cereal, and still others are ready for meat. It's difficult to labor without excitement and other motivation-inspiring results -- but again that is how God works to mature us. Google "dark night of the soul".

[Matthew]

Men will often grow fainthearted and weary, especially with prolonged exertion for months or years on end. So often they look for an external cause to justify or excuse their own weakness and lack of fortitude.

"It's my parents fault"
"It's the modern world's fault"
"It's the economy's fault"
"It's Trump's fault"
"It's Bishop Williamson's fault"

These people should man up and take responsibility for their actions, including any virtues they lack. 

[SeanJohnson]

Men will often grow fainthearted and weary, especially with prolonged exertion for months or years on end. So often they look for an external cause to justify or excuse their own weakness and lack of fortitude.

"It's my parents fault"
"It's the modern world's fault"
"It's the economy's fault"
"It's Trump's fault"
"It's Bishop Williamson's fault"

These people should man up and take responsibility for their actions, including any virtues they lack.

I rather expected an answer like that.

But weariness has nothing to do with it.

Working at cross-purposes has everything to do with it.

[Meg]

Working at cross-purposes has everything to do with it.

Exactly. Which defies logic.