Is the SSPX lukewarm on family planning?

[1seeker]

I thought I'd have listen to what the so-called "sspx resistance" are up in arms over. One called Fr Pfeiffer railed on and on about how the SSPX teach that "the primary purpose of marriage is the procreation, and education of children." Wherein, if you cannot support the education of your children you should abstain from having them.

Can anyone confirm this? He goes into it at min 21:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=1QJAL5RSslk

"If you cannot educate your children, you should not have too many"...? 

[VeraeFidei]

Good grief. The Resistance has many important points it raises. But this is ridiculous. The purpose of marriage is procreation and education. We are trying to populate the world with Catholics, not pagans. Father's emotive examples about "how many fathers have died" miss the point: the marriage is not illegitimate if an extraordinary circumstance occurs, just as it is not illegitimate if the couple is infertile and cannot procreate at all.

[Older Salt]

I have had personal experience with Father Pfeiffer and I do believe there are some mental problems there.
He needs our prayers.

[OCLittleFlower]

Good grief. The Resistance has many important points it raises. But this is ridiculous. The purpose of marriage is procreation and education. We are trying to populate the world with Catholics, not pagans. Father's emotive examples about "how many fathers have died" miss the point: the marriage is not illegitimate if an extraordinary circumstance occurs, just as it is not illegitimate if the couple is infertile and cannot procreate at all.

This.

Education doesn't mean Harvard, necessarily -- it means teaching them the faith, teaching them how to be decent and productive members of society.

[1seeker]

Which if you can't do, you should space out, delay your children? ....

[Arun]

I have had personal experience with Father Pfeiffer and I do believe there are some mental problems there.
He needs our prayers.

while i don't know if i'd go as far as to call it that, yeah we have been a bit concerned about him for awhile. he has that tendency to be going a 100 miles an hour at whichever road he's going down but this road isn't doing him any favours.

[verenaerin]

I listened from 21- 30 mins. What he said is all over the place. Firstly, it greatly bothers me when priests give sermons against other groups. For example, if the FSSP priest goes off against the SSPX, or the NO against the FSSP, SSPX vs FSSP, etc. This is politics. When I go to Mass after struggling all week, I don't care about one group vs another, I want to learn about practical application of my faith so I can keep going.

It's like talking with a Republican and all they say is how evil the Dems are, or visa versa.

Secondly, I don't know why this is continually argued. You can space your children if you qualify your decision with specific grave reasons as outlined by Pius XII. (I think it was the XII) Also, if you have questions and are not sure, you can talk to your priest about it. It's not a sin to be overwhelmed and it doesn't necessarily mean you have no faith. This is something that needs to be dealt with on an individual level per married couple. Except for listing the obligation to be open to life and the legitimate reasons for NFP, I don't see railing against the spacing of children helpful.

On the other hand it seemed that he was arguing against having children because you can't educate them? Or maybe I was not understanding him.

How many trads do you know save up money to send their kids to Harvard and the like?

[1seeker]

1) I have no bones with defending Fr. Pfeiffer. I don't know him personally, or at all, and sometimes he sounds like he goes overboard, so I'm only interested in what he relays from the SSPX circles, not anything about Pfeiffer himself.


2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

[verenaerin]

2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

There are times in a married couples life when they cannot have any children for grave reasons. Therefore NFP is an option for them. For example, if I was dx with cancer and had to go through chemo, it would be prudent not to get pregnant during treatment. There are a myriad of other reasons, this is just an example. Pius XII spells it out and people have been spacing their kids for centuries.

[OCLittleFlower]

2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

There are times in a married couples life when they cannot have any children for grave reasons. Therefore NFP is an option for them. For example, if I was dx with cancer and had to go through chemo, it would be prudent not to get pregnant during treatment. There are a myriad of other reasons, this is just an example. Pius XII spells it out and people have been spacing their kids for centuries.

Having watched people go through chemo, I would think it would be a non-issue.   

[Arun]

using NFP in accordance with what was set out by Pius XII is not a contraceptive mentality. using it as something like an alternative to artificial contraception or otherwise utilising it outside of the manner set out by Pius XII would be a contraceptive mentality. so which is the SSPX promoting? i've never heard them promote either. but i know they stand by the first and reject the second, and standing by the first is only under the right circumstances as well.

[verenaerin]

2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

There are times in a married couples life when they cannot have any children for grave reasons. Therefore NFP is an option for them. For example, if I was dx with cancer and had to go through chemo, it would be prudent not to get pregnant during treatment. There are a myriad of other reasons, this is just an example. Pius XII spells it out and people have been spacing their kids for centuries.

Having watched people go through chemo, I would think it would be a non-issue.   

I don't know what you mean.

[OCLittleFlower]

2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

There are times in a married couples life when they cannot have any children for grave reasons. Therefore NFP is an option for them. For example, if I was dx with cancer and had to go through chemo, it would be prudent not to get pregnant during treatment. There are a myriad of other reasons, this is just an example. Pius XII spells it out and people have been spacing their kids for centuries.

Having watched people go through chemo, I would think it would be a non-issue.   

I don't know what you mean.

I don't think the patient would be feeling well enough to have to worry about bothering with NFP or any other method of not getting pregnant.  My understanding is that abstinence comes with the sick, exhausted, miserable territory. 

[verenaerin]

2) Can anyone explain to me: isn't the idea of spacing out children, of controlling our children population, an instance of having a Contraceptive Mentality? I just didn't expect this sort of thing from SSPX when I know of conservative N.O. families exercising no family control whatsoever, arguing that it's THE ONLY catholic way.

There are times in a married couples life when they cannot have any children for grave reasons. Therefore NFP is an option for them. For example, if I was dx with cancer and had to go through chemo, it would be prudent not to get pregnant during treatment. There are a myriad of other reasons, this is just an example. Pius XII spells it out and people have been spacing their kids for centuries.

Having watched people go through chemo, I would think it would be a non-issue.   

I don't know what you mean.

I don't think the patient would be feeling well enough to have to worry about bothering with NFP or any other method of not getting pregnant.  My understanding is that abstinence comes with the sick, exhausted, miserable territory. 

You do feel horrible, but not all the time. Most chemo regimens have rest periods that include weeks at a time. And I would imagine that having comfort from your spouse during this time would be very important for both parties involved.

[Elizabeth]

Father is known for his passionate and sometimes inflammatory sermons.  The so-called resistance have been calling for staying home rather than assist at SSPX Masses, so this is him attempting to hold firm ground, perhaps.

Is this a sermon or an after Mass talk?  I am uncomfortable with rivalries or politics being discussed in homilies rather than teaching the Gospel or Faith and Morals, or stories about Saints.