Nevertheless, I recommend you listen to Father's sermon. His "Yes yes, No no" manner of preaching is hard to gainsay. I certainly wouldn't call any of it rash judgment or idle gossip.

I'm not fond of Fr. Couture's letter. It's the latest installment from the Powers That Be, which always has the same theme: Pay, Pray, and Obey. He implies that those against an agreement are necessarily acting on emotion. He also implies that any criticism of the Agreement or Bishop Fellay must necessarily be rash judgment or rumor -- that nothing said could possibly be a rational analysis of the facts.  Personally, I don't believe that assessment of the "anti-Accordistas" is very charitable.

I like to give Fr. Joseph Pfeiffer some credit. He's been an SSPX priest for many years, and I wouldn't make rash assumptions about his spiritual life. He has suffered more for Christ than either of us...

When I see propaganda, subtle politics, and character assassination, I feel like I'm watching CNN, and dealing with the White House, not Menzingen. Something is horribly wrong.

I also find it interesting that so many Accordistas use primarily the "Argument of Authority". For example, appealing to Fr. Couture's letter, while ignoring Fr. Pfeiffer's sermon. They're both priests, no?  And why appeal to Bishop Fellay, while ignoring the sober, substantial warnings of the other THREE Bishops? True, Bishop Fellay is the Superior General, but considering the SSPX raison d'etre is lawful disobedience of the Pope...If we can resist the Pope "to the face", who has the promise of infallibility, why not Bishop Fellay, who has no such promise?

God bless,

Matthew


On 06/01/2012 08:54 AM, ____ wrote:
> http://www.sspxasia.com/Appeal_May_31_2012.pdf
>
> http://www.sspx.org/miscellaneous/some_notes_on_the_resolution_of_crisis_in_church_5-25-2012.htm
>
>
> Pax,
> (Name removed)

I found myself thinking how ridiculous the Accordistas are, in that they show grave deference and obedience to one priest, while totally ignoring others -- all based on the content of what comes from that priest's mouth. In short, it depends on whose side they are on.

Unfortunately, for many people who are affiliated with it, the SSPX has become about belonging to a group, a group that does not hesitate to ostracize priests and laity.  It has stopped being about the actual teachings of Archbishop Lefebvre.  That's why they suppressed his sermons.  That's why Bishop Fellay approves of Vatican II.  And it doesn't bother them, this shift, because they stopped paying attention or trying to understand the theological reasons for the SSPX a long time ago.

I sent out Fr. Pfeiffer's sermon (Pentecost) to everyone I know last night.

This morning, I got a few responses.

One of them was from an SSPX ex-seminarian friend of mine. He simply pasted Fr. Couture's letter and an article from Fr. Iscara -- both propaganda pieces pushing the "party line".

I found myself thinking how ridiculous the Accordistas are, in that they show grave deference and obedience to one priest, while totally ignoring others -- all based on the content of what comes from that priest's mouth. In short, it depends on whose side they are on.

After all, all the Accordistas/Pro-Fellay individuals appeal to "authority", even as they ignore the rational arguments of the other 3 Bishops. And sorry, but Bishop Fellay has no charism of infallibility, much less indefectibility. Outsiders might criticize the SSPX for being schismatic, and/or treating our Superior General like our "Pope", but that's not true...is it?

And why tenderly revere docuмents from Fr. Iscara and Fr. Couture, while treading underfoot sermons and letters from Fr. Pfeiffer and Fr. Chazal?

Are they not all priests?

Really, it comes down to favoring those who hold your viewpoint.

Is this not a return to the Novus Ordo Neo-Catholic argumentation of ten years ago?
They believe that their appeal to "authority" negates or supercedes any requirement to address the substance of fact which is before them.

In times past it was the "John Paul II, we love you", crowd who were blinded by a kind of hero worship. Today the cult of Fellay commands their unflinching loyalty.

Then they would shut their ears to the words of Archbishop Le Febvre, today they shut their ears to the voices of his sons.

Bishop Fellay laid out the strategy and marching orders for his footsoldiers in his condecending letter to the three Bishops.
They will use the sedevacantist label as a club, and the sword of "schismatic" to deal the deathblow to opposers.

In the past week we have seen this plan roll out like clockwork as each Catholic sarcedotal conscience rose in protest.
The machine is rolling and seeks to grind Catholics into compliant gruel to feed itself.
The Fellayite brigades and the B'nai Brith command staff in the Vatican are at war.

Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.