Resources on the Status of SSPX

[Jayne]

Some people are drawn to the Tridentine Mass but have misgivings about attending Mass celebrated by SSPX priests.  It is not uncommon, even among attendees of the diocesan TLM, to encounter people who think that the SSPX is in schism and avoid it for that reason.  There is a possibility that upcoming changes to Summorum Pontificum are going to make it more difficult for some to access the diocesan TLM.  Can we gather resources for helping such people to understand that it is OK to go to Mass with the SSPX?

(So try to answer this from the perspective of the sort of person who wants to attend a diocesan or Ecclesia Dei Mass.  For example, don't use an argument based on claiming the pope is a heretic who has therefore lost his office.)

[Michael Wilson]

This is a letter from Pope Francis, in which he gives a complete assessment of the status of the SSPX and the licitness of receiving sacraments from this group. (Source: ESPN)
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/sspx-masses-14267

SSPX Masses
Author: Pope Francis

Limited Progress Toward Reconciliation

ROME, 17 March 2020 (ZENIT)

Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: What is the status of Catholics attending the Mass of the Society of Saint Pius X? Years ago I thought we weren't supposed to attend but could if out of necessity. But since then, overtures have been made from recent popes, and I think the rules have been relaxed. Are we now allowed to attend this Mass, and if so, are we allowed to receive Communion if we attend? – T.B., Courtenay, British Columbia

A: I dealt with a similar question on June 21, 2011. In that response I wrote in part:

"I believe it is necessary to distinguish between attending a Mass celebrated according to the norms of the 1962 Roman Missal (the extraordinary form) and attending a Mass celebrated according to this form by priests associated with the Society of St. Pius X. In the wake of Benedict XVI's apostolic letter 'Summorum Pontificum,' any Catholic can freely attend, and most priests may celebrate, Mass according to the 1962 missal. Thus it should become increasingly easier to find such a Mass.

"Attending a Mass of the Society of St. Pius X is a different case. This society was founded in 1970 by French archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. For doctrinal rather than disciplinary reasons, the society has no canonical status in the Catholic Church. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his letter of March 10, 2009, concerning his remission of the excommunication of the four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X:

"'Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers — even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty — do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.'

"With respect to the status of the members of this society, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesiae Dei has issued several private replies to individuals which have later been published on the Internet. One of these, from 2008, reflects earlier replies. Regarding the status of adherents to the society, it states:

"'The priests of the Society of St. Pius X are validly ordained, but suspended, that is prohibited from exercising their priestly functions because they are not properly incardinated in a diocese or religious institute in full communion with the Holy See (cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 265) and also because those ordained after the schismatic Episcopal ordinations were ordained by an excommunicated bishop.

"' Concretely, this means that the Masses offered by the priests of the Society of St. Pius X are valid, but illicit, i.e., contrary to Canon Law. The Sacraments of Penance and Matrimony, however, require that the priest enjoys the faculties of the diocese or has proper delegation. Since that is not the case with these priests, these sacraments are invalid. It remains true, however, that, if the faithful are genuinely ignorant that the priests of the Society of St. Pius X do not have proper faculty to absolve, the Church supplies these faculties so that the sacrament is valid (cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 144).

"'While it is true that participation in the Mass at chapels of the Society of St. Pius X does not of itself constitute "formal adherence to the schism" (cf. Ecclesia Dei 5, c), such adherence can come about over a period of time as one slowly imbibes a schismatic mentality which separates itself from the teaching of the Supreme Pontiff and the entire Catholic Church. While we hope and pray for a reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X, the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" cannot recommend that members of the faithful frequent their chapels for the reasons which we have outlined above. We deeply regret this situation and pray that soon a reconciliation of the Society of St. Pius X with the Church may come about, but until such time the explanations which we have given remain in force.'

"Thus I think it is fairly clear. The mere fact of assisting at a Mass of this society is not a sin. It would only become so if a person attended this Mass with the deliberate intention of separating himself from communion with the Roman Pontiff and those in communion with him.

"I would say, therefore, that a conscientious Catholic should not knowingly attend a Mass celebrated by a priest not in good standing with the Church. Doing so deprives participation at Mass of that fullness of communion with Christ and his Church which the Mass, by its very nature and in all its forms, is called to express."

Thus far the 2011 response. There has been continuous contact between the Holy See and the Society of St. Pius X with a view toward reconciliation which unfortunately have not yet borne fruit. The canonical status of priests of the society remains practically unvaried.

Pope Francis, however, has granted two concessions regarding the sacraments of reconciliation and marriage. These concessions are above all for the benefit of the faithful who habitually attend the pastoral activities of the Society so as to guarantee the validity of confessions and marriages. I know that priests of the society would argue that they do not need these concessions, but this is not the place to enter into a canonical discussion. What is clear is that the Holy Father does consider that they need them and has granted them for the benefit of the faithful.

The point was officially explained in a missive issued on April 4, 2017: "Letter of the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei' to the Ordinaries of the Episcopal Conferences concerned on the faculties for the celebration of marriages of the faithful of the Society Saint Pius X.":

"Your Eminence, Your Excellency,

"As you are aware, for some time various meetings and other initiatives have been ongoing in order to bring the Society of St. Pius X into full communion. Recently, the Holy Father decided, for example, to grant all priests of said Society the faculty to validly administer the Sacrament of Penance to the faithful (Letter Misericordia et misera, n.12), such as to ensure the validity and liceity of the Sacrament and allay any concerns on the part of the faithful.

"Following the same pastoral outlook which seeks to reassure the conscience of the faithful, despite the objective persistence of the canonical irregularity in which for the time being the Society of St. Pius X finds itself, the Holy Father, following a proposal by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, has decided to authorize Local Ordinaries the possibility to grant faculties for the celebration of marriages of faithful who follow the pastoral activity of the Society, according to the following provisions.

"Insofar as possible, the Local Ordinary is to grant the delegation to assist at the marriage to a priest of the Diocese (or in any event, to a fully regular priest), such that the priest may receive the consent of the parties during the marriage rite, followed, in keeping with the liturgy of the Vetus ordo, by the celebration of Mass, which may be celebrated by a priest of the Society.

"Where the above is not possible, or if there are no priests in the Diocese able to receive the consent of the parties, the Ordinary may grant the necessary faculties to the priest of the Society who is also to celebrate the Holy Mass, reminding him of the duty to forward the relevant documents to the Diocesan Curia as soon as possible.

"To the Ordinaries of the Episcopal Conferences concerned

"Certain that in this way any uneasiness of conscience on the part of the faithful who adhere to the Society of St. Pius X as well as any uncertainty regarding the validity of the sacrament of marriage may be alleviated, and at the same time that the process towards full institutional regularization may be facilitated, this Dicastery relies on Your cooperation.

"The Sovereign Pontiff Francis, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei on 24 March 2017, confirmed his approval of the present letter and ordered its publication.

"Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 27 March 2017. Gerhard Card. L. Müller, President. + Guido Pozzo, Secretary, Titular Archbishop of Bagnoregio"

Therefore, although some progress might have been made, and the Holy See desires a reconciliation, I believe that what I wrote above in 2011 regarding attending Masses of the society is still sound.

A Catholic who desires to attend a Mass in the extraordinary form should seek the nearest one available. First of all, he should check with the diocese which often publishes this information. There are also many private initiatives with similar notifications. If there is none available, then he or she should attend an ordinary form Mass or even any Eastern Catholic celebration so as to remain in full Catholic communion.

Only if there is objectively no alternative should one attend the Mass celebrated by a priest from the Society of St. Pius X. If one has to do so, then I would say that one may go in good conscience and receive Communion at such a Mass. It would also fulfill the Sunday obligation.

At the same time, it is our ardent prayer and desire, as it should be for all Catholics, that the doctrinal issues with the Society of St. Pius X will be resolved as soon as possible so that these priests may return to full communion and canonical good standing within the Church.

My reading of it is that, ordinarily Catholics should not assist at the Masses or receive Sacraments from the SSPX as they have no canonical status in the Church; however, extraordinarily when the faithful desire to assist at the TLM and there is no other alternative available, then they may assist at the SSPX in good conscience. I would further comment, that since it is not objectively sinful for the faithful to assist at the Masses or receive the sacraments from the SSPX, then they could  do so under any ordinary circumstances. 

[andy]

The questions is "is other alternative [Catholic Mass with Catholic teaching] available?"

[andy]

Author: Pope Francis

I am now confused which part of that document are authored by the Pope and which by Father Edward McNamara ...

[Michael Wilson]

Author: Pope Francis

I am now confused which part of that document are authored by the Pope and which by Father Edward McNamara ...

I didn't see anything by P.F. Either, but that is how it was posted on the EWTN site.

[St.Justin]

They also have been given delegated Jurisdiction to head Confessions and Marry people. So the lack of "Canonicity" is somewhat mitigated

[TradGranny]

Does anyone know who to contact at SSPX to request a chapel? We are in a highly populated area several hours away from any SSPX. If the local indults are taken away, a huge need will exist.

[Michael Wilson]

Does anyone know who to contact at SSPX to request a chapel? We are in a highly populated area several hours away from any SSPX. If the local indults are taken away, a huge need will exist.

The first option would be to contact district H.Q.
Regina Coeli House
11485 N. Farley Road
Platte City, MO 64079
816-753-0073  |  email: info@sspx.org

[Jayne]

Here is an article that I like on this subject by Fr. Zuhlsdorf.  In substance it is similar than the one from EWTN, but I find this presentation more clear: https://wdtprs.com/2020/04/ask-father-whats-the-truth-about-the-sspx/

This was written in April of 2020, so it is relatively recent.  The intended audience seems to be conservative Catholics, the sort of people who might be attending a diocesan TLM while having misgivings about attending Mass with SSPX.

Here are a few facts.

The SSPX (technically Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Santi Pii X) is a priestly Fraternity or Society of priests.  The SSPX does not have formal canonical status other than they are exercising a canonical right to associate with each other.  Their "association of the faithful" does not now have canonical recognition.  Hopefully one day they will be set up and recognized formally as a, say, Personal Prelature or some variant.  However, can. 299 §1 says that by private agreement among themselves, the faithful have the right to constitute associations for the purposes mentioned in can. 298 §1, which are, for example, when clerics or laity want to strive with common effort to foster a more perfect life, promote public worship, etc.   The SSPX is an association of the faithful.  No question.

Could it have higher status?  Sure.  It doesn't have no status.

On 8 December 2015, Francis told the Catholic faithful that for the Holy Year of Mercy they could go to priests of the SSPX for the Sacrament of Penance and that they could be validly absolved.  That provision was extended beyond the "Year of Mercy" in the 2016 Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera.  It stands today.  This is a little odd, because it was not really a formal grant of faculties in the usual and expected way to the priests of the SSPX, as when a bishop grants faculties to a priest to receive sacramental confessions.  Those faculties are demonstrable with a document saying that Fr. Soandso has the faculty, etc.  In this case there is no document that I'm aware of that explicitly grants faculties to the priests of the SSPX to hear confessions and to absolve.  However, Popes can do what they want in this regard.  It's better when they do things in a way that make things clear, with all the i's dotted.  In this case, Francis said that people can be absolved by SSPX priests and that, as they say, is that.  Popes can do that sort of thing, whereas other entities such as dicasteries of the Holy See (e.g., the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" (PCED) of old and now CDF, and diocesan bishops) have to use another procedure.    So, SSPX priests can validly absolve sins even when there is no danger of death.   You can go to confession to them not just because there are no other priests around.  You can go to them because you want to.  No question.

On 27 March 2017 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (which had absorbed my old office, the PCED) informed all the bishops of the world that they could give faculties to SSPX priests to witness marriages.   As in the case of hearing confessions, marriages require that a priest have the appropriate faculty.    There had been considerable debate about the validity of SSPX witnessed marriages.  What Francis did removed doubt.  The priests can now have the faculty themselves and they can work with a local diocesan priest.  Since then, I think most, not all, diocesan bishops have worked with local SSPX priests in this regard and simply given the SSPX priests the faculty.

Something important to note about this is that that letter of the CDF did NOT say that, "Up until now, the marriages witnessed by the SSPX priests were invalid."  The Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera did NOT say that, "Until now, the absolutions given by priests of the SSPX were invalid."  That's food for thought.  That moves the goal posts significantly.  We can't just think of the SSPX priests and confession and marriages in the same way that we did before those grants.

Furthermore – AND PAY ATTENTION because this is really important – suspended priests cannot receive faculties.  If the SSPX priests can receive faculties, and they have, all over the place, then they are not suspended!

Another point, and one that touches close to home with many lay people who love our Catholic tradition: attendance at SSPX Masses.

The Masses celebrated by SSPX priests are celebrated in a Catholic rite.  No question.   As I have written a zillion times on this blog about fulfilling Sunday and Holy Day obligations, in can. 1248 §1 we read that a person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.    Again, the SSPX priests use a Catholic rite, the Missale Romanum and other liturgical books of the Latin Church.    So, yes, you can choose to go to a Mass of the SSPX, not just because there is no other Mass, but because you want to.  No question.

As to the question: "Is it sinful to go to an SSPX Mass?"  Answer: It depends on why you are going there.

Frankly, yes, it would be sinful to go to their Masses out of sheer desire to hurt local parishes or priests or because you hate the local bishop, or Pope, or some aspect of the Church, blah blah blah.  Frankly, yes, it would be sinful to attend a parish where there are liturgical abuses that you happen to know are abuses but you like those abuses and you don't care about authority.   Frankly, no, it is not sinful to attend an SSPX Mass if you are seeking sound liturgy and preaching and other good people who desire the same.  No question.

As a matter of fact, you can contribute money to their collections: it is a matter of justice.  If you receive services from them, you can contribute.

Sometimes I hear the claim that the SSPX is "not in communion" with the Catholic Church.  I have heard that they are "not Catholic".  These claims are absurd on the face of it.  No reasonable and even half-informed mind can conclude that they are not "Catholic".   They are clearly not Protestant, who are heretics.  They are clearly not Orthodox, who are schismatics.   And I am not sure that there is such as thing as "imperfect communion".  What would that be, exactly?   You are either in communion or you aren't.  In the past, sometimes we have seen statements, for example in the decree issued by the Congregation for Bishops in 2009 which lifted the excommunications of the SSPX bishops, that such a gesture aimed at "full communion" and as well as "proof of visible unity".  It doesn't say that there wasn't/isn't communion or unity.  It aims at making both more apparent, which is not the same as bringing either one about.

Moreover, the three bishop members of the SSPX – excluding the fourth, a separate case –  are NOT excommunicated.  Benedict XVI lifted that excommunication incurred in 1988 – probably with retroactive effect – in 2009.  And the priests are not excommunicated.

Also, it is claimed that the SSPX has been in schism since 1988 because the illicit consecration of bishops by Archbp. Lefevbre was a "schismatic act" (cf. Ecclesia Dei adflicta 3).  However, it takes more than "an act" to create a real schism.

It was obviously, manifestly, NOT Archbp. Lefevbre's intention to set up a separate or rival Church, or to make himself or someone else an anti-Pope, or to create other aspects of a true schism.  The SSPX priests quite openly have used the names of the Popes in the Roman Canon during Mass.  They have recourse to diocesan tribunals in marriage and other matters.  They follow the decrees of the Sacra Penitentieria Apostolica in the matter of indulgences.  They accept faculties for marriages etc. from local bishops.  Recently, they communicated to their followers the dispensations and provisions given by local bishops in this time of Coronavirus lockdown.  These are not the acts of schismatics.

The SSPX has common and shared faith, sacrament and governance.  Protestants have some shared faith, a couple sacraments, and no governance.  Orthodox have shared faith and sacraments but not shared governance.  The SSPX has all three, as it clear by the fact that Francis acted in their regard about the Sacraments of Penance and Matrimony in way that would be impossible with, say, heretics or schismatics.  They are not "separated brethren".  No question.

Some don't like the SSPX because they say that people should attend the Traditional Latin Mass and not the Novus Ordo.  How shocking that they should say that people would do better to come to their Masses rather than someone else's, particularly when they sincerely believe that the Novus Ordo is flawed and inadequate.  They do NOT believe that it is invalid!  They think it is flawed and, in some respects, possibly harmful to the faith.  It could be argued that after several decades of the Novus Ordo a large percentage of Catholics have a flawed understanding of a great deal of Catholic teaching.  But I digress.  The SSPX doesn't say that Novus Ordo is invalid.

The SSPXers are often said to be against or critical the Second Vatican Council.  However, they acknowledge that Vatican II was, in fact, the 21st Ecumenical Council.   What they say about the Council is what the Council said about itself: it was intended to be pastoral Council (which is itself a historical departure) rather than a Council that would issue dogmatic statements.   Paul VI took the documents and he promulgated them.  That doesn't mean that everything in every document is beyond criticism.  Some things are crystal clear and others are as clear as mud.  Libs say that everything in the mud is dogmatic according to their own interpretations.   It is legitimate to debate about the debatable things. We can by convinced one way or another by clarifications made by legitimate authority (e.g., CDF) or by the force of the arguments.   For example, the "Dogmatic Constitution" Lumen gentium had a point about the possibility of salvation outside the church (there's a dogma about that). It was not clear.  Many debated about it.  Hence, in 2000 the CDF issued Dominus Iesus.  It is possible to be confused by things in Council documents, debate them, make arguments and then have them clarified, over time, by subsequent authoritative declarations.   BTW... one might read the commentary on Gaudium et spes by young Fr. Ratzinger in the book edited by Herbert Vorgrimler (HINT: deep reservations about its drafting, structure and anthropocentrism).

So, the SSPX is in a strange state, but not really the state that some (most?) think they are in.  Their chapels are not parishes; a parish is a formal canonical structure.  They don't have a clear ecclesiastical jurisdiction, as dioceses or a personal prelature or religious order does.  Their priests are not incardinated anywhere, which make them odd ducks in a way, but not less priests than priests who are incardinated in a diocese or in a religious group.   They can and do receive faculties from legitimate authority and, hence, they are not suspended.

There is a bit more at the link, but I quoted the main arguments.

[Jayne]

Here's one from One Peter 5: https://onepeterfive.com/sspx-mass-shelter/

We must place two principles at the basis of our reasoning. First, the salus animarum or salvation of souls is the basis of all of the Church's law and discipline. Second, the Catholic faithful have a genuine right to liturgy that is reverent, rubrically correct, and nourishing of their life of faith.[4] As the Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004) of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explains:

11. The Mystery of the Eucharist "is too great for anyone to permit himself to treat it according to his own whim, so that its sacredness and its universal ordering would be obscured." On the contrary, anyone who acts thus by giving free rein to his own inclinations, even if he is a priest, injures the substantial unity of the Roman Rite, which ought to be vigorously preserved, and becomes responsible for actions that are in no way consistent with the hunger and thirst for the living God that is experienced by the people today. Nor do such actions serve authentic pastoral care or proper liturgical renewal; instead, they deprive Christ's faithful of their patrimony and their heritage. For arbitrary actions are not conducive to true renewal, but are detrimental to the right of Christ's faithful to a liturgical celebration that is an expression of the Church's life in accordance with her tradition and discipline. In the end, they introduce elements of distortion and disharmony into the very celebration of the Eucharist, which is oriented in its own lofty way and by its very nature to signifying and wondrously bringing about the communion of divine life and the unity of the People of God. The result is uncertainty in matters of doctrine, perplexity and scandal on the part of the People of God, and, almost as a necessary consequence, vigorous opposition, all of which greatly confuse and sadden many of Christ's faithful in this age of ours when Christian life is often particularly difficult on account of the inroads of "secularization" as well.

12. On the contrary, it is the right of all of Christ's faithful that the liturgy, and in particular the celebration of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes, according to her stipulations as prescribed in the liturgical books and in the other laws and norms. Likewise, the Catholic people have the right that the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass should be celebrated for them in an integral manner, according to the entire doctrine of the Church's magisterium. Finally, it is the Catholic community's right that the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist should be carried out for it in such a manner that it truly stands out as a sacrament of unity, to the exclusion of all blemishes and actions that might engender divisions and factions in the Church.

The same document later states: "Whenever an abuse is committed in the celebration of the sacred liturgy, it is to be seen as a real falsification of Catholic liturgy."

Liturgy's Purpose Clarifies Our Decisions

In my book Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis, I speak of the twofold purpose of the sacred liturgy:

The liturgy has two purposes: to worship God with all due reverence and love, and to feed, nurture, shape, and perfect the worshiper. God is not changed or moved for the worse by our bad liturgies; it is we, the Christian people, who are deformed by the Novus Ordo Missae as it is celebrated in most of our churches. ... It is true that there are times when it is necessary to attend even a most disgracefully celebrated liturgy in order to fulfill one's obligation to the Lord, and at this time one ought to go with the express purpose of suffering for one's own sins. ... The liturgy, both as a whole and in each of its parts, is not itself supposed to be a mortification, a cause of pain, but a consolation, a reservoir of peace and joy for building up the inner man. ... f the human elements of the liturgy are, on the contrary, deforming our souls, then we must not allow it habitually to do so unless, as was just said, we have no choice in a given situation. (pp. 72–73)

A Catholic may not simply skip Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of obligation. The duty to attend Mass in person — not televised or videotaped or read as a private devotion from a book — is clear from the entirety of Catholic tradition and has never been called into question by any theologian. As we know, a serious injury, sickness (either one's own or that of a dependent), or dangerous weather to travel in cancels out the obligation. One has to exercise prudential judgment, avoiding on the one hand a scrupulosity that would refuse to concede legitimate excuses and on the other hand a laxity that all too readily excuses oneself from inconvenience.

Where the question of Mass attendance becomes vexed is in the long-term perspective. If, due to the state of affairs in your vicinity, you are continually frustrated with liturgies that are done irreverently or abusively, it will be difficult to nourish your spiritual life. You might end up spending a lot of your energy fighting back anger, resentment, bitterness, or depression, and this is certainly not optimal for interior health. While Our Lord expects everyone to put up with some imperfections (since our fallen world will never lack them), the kind we should put up with could be described as incidental, such as a clumsy organist, a priest who can't sing well, or a community with more than its fair share of opinionated rad trads — not those imperfections that cut into the bone of what the liturgy is and is for.

An eruption of lay ministers from the nave into the sanctuary, for example, contradicts the very meaning of the liturgy, the building in which it is conducted, the tradition of the Church, and the liturgical norms themselves. Something similar could be said of the irreverent distribution of Holy Communion, which is deeply offensive to Almighty God, who has established Holy Orders within the Church and guided the formation of her customs over the centuries so that the holiest thing we possess on Earth might be treated as reverently as possible. While one might have to suffer from it and tolerate it once in a long while, this kind of abuse is never something one is permitted to tolerate on a habitual basis. To do so is virtually to give it one's consent and to risk becoming desensitized to the offense. If one has children, the obligation to get away from errors and abuses is all the more urgent, since they are sponges who soak in the influences of their surroundings. They will learn their religion not only from what you say, but also from what they see [5].

For this reason, one has an obligation to seek to live where a reverent liturgy can be found. In a larger, more populated area, it is usually not so difficult to find a parish that actually cares about the Mass, has good music, etc. But in a remote or low-population area, or in a diocese ravaged by modernism or indifferent mediocrity, there may in fact be no good options and none likely to appear. Either one has to develop great interior resources for offering up the situation or one has to move. One often hears of people who travel huge distances for a good Mass, and while this is admirable, it may not be reasonable or even possible in a given situation.

Moral Impossibility

There are two kinds of impossibility that affect human action: physical and moral.

"Physical impossibility" refers to an impossibility that arises from material conditions. For example, it is impossible to drive a car without gas; I cannot fly because I have no wings; I cannot repay a debt to a debtor who has died without heirs or disappeared; I cannot go to Mass if I have been thrown into prison by a totalitarian regime.

"Moral impossibility," in contrast, refers to a situation where a given action is physically possible but should be treated as impossible for the purposes of decision-making. This could be because (a) the action is astronomically unlikely to succeed ("Of course you can go to confession; you just have to pass our rocket science exam first"); (b) the action entails unreasonable risk of death ("Of course you can go to confession, but you'll have to walk five miles at night through wolf-infested woods during a blizzard"), or (c) the action could not be undertaken without undermining prior moral commitments.

This last category is especially important in the Christian life. It is physically possible for a person in mortal sin to go up to receive Holy Communion, but it is morally impossible for him to receive Communion worthily; he is incapable of doing it in a morally acceptable way and will only sin by doing it. Another less extreme example is when a man's boss refuses to allow him to take time off on a holy day to attend Mass. In this case, while the worker could walk off in a huff and go to Mass anyway, the damage to himself and his family (e.g., by losing the job) could be such that the Mass obligation ceases to be binding in this case (although a better job or boss should be sought eventually).

To apply this concept now to the issue at hand: a combination of objective and subjective factors may amount to a moral impossibility of attending the only available diocesan Mass in a given place or at a given time. If a nearby parish routinely features liturgical practices that are harmful to one's spiritual life and offensive to God, it may become morally impossible to fulfill one's obligations at that place. If it is likewise morally impossible to move to a better location in the foreseeable future, then attending Mass at an SSPX chapel may be the right solution.

Fulfilling One's Obligations

In 1995, Msgr. Camille Perl of the PCED responded to a question about attending SSPX chapels to meet one's Sunday obligation. In this letter, he wrote:

In order to answer your questions we must explain the Church's present evaluation of the situation of the Society of St. Pius X.

There is no doubt about the validity of the ordination of the priestsof the Society of St. Pius X. They are, however, suspended a divinis, that is, prohibited by the Church from exercising their orders because of their illicit ordination.

The Masses they celebrate are also valid, but it is considered morally illicit for the faithful to participate in these Masses unless they are physically or morally impeded from participating in a Mass celebrated by a Catholic priest in good standing (cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 844.2). The fact of not being able to assist at the celebration of the so-called "Tridentine" Mass is not considered a sufficient motive for attending such Masses.

While it is true that the participation in the Mass and sacraments at the chapels of the Society of St. Pius X does not of itself constitute "formal adherence to schism," such adherence can come about over a period of time as one slowly imbibes a mentality which separates itself from the magisterium of the Supreme Pontiff.

(Today, alas, those who wish to be faithful to the settled teaching of the Catholic Church must, to some extent, separate themselves from the day-to-day magisterium of Pope Francis and his magic math in which 2 + 2 = 5. What a difference a quarter of a century under three pontificates has made in how we think about the entire ecclesial situation!)

In any case, the Vatican's evaluation of the SSPX has become more positive over time, particularly under Benedict XVI, and even Pope Francis, no friend of liturgical tradition, has offered them multiple olive branches [6]. In a 2003 letter from the PCED that shows some development of thought, Msgr. Perl responds to private correspondence that was made public:

Points 1 and 3 in our letter of 27 September 2002 to this correspondent are accurately reported. His first question was "Can I fulfill my Sunday obligation by attending a Pius X Mass" and our response was:

"1. In the strict sense you may fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the Society of St. Pius X."

His second question was "Is it a sin for me to attend a Pius X Mass" and we responded stating:

"2. We have already told you that we cannot recommend your attendance at such a Mass and have explained the reason why. If your primary reason for attending were to manifest your desire to separate yourself from communion with the Roman Pontiff and those in communion with him, it would be a sin. If your intention is simply to participate in a Mass according to the 1962 Missal for the sake of devotion, this would not be a sin."

His third question was: "Is it a sin for me to contribute to the Sunday collection at a Pius X Mass," to which we responded:

"3. It would seem that a modest contribution to the collection at Mass could be justified."

It is a telling sign that SSPX priests and bishops are usually allowed to offer Mass in non-Society churches around the world, including the chapel at Lourdes and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Society priests have offered Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. during the March for Life.  (It's clear that this would not be allowed for Eastern Orthodox or "Old Catholics.") Most traditionalists are aware that the faithful in large cities freely float between parishes run by Ecclesia Dei communities, Society chapels, and diocesan TLMs, depending on work and family schedules. I know of one diocese in the USA in which the bishop has given the SSPX blanket permission to officiate at weddings and has appointed a priest as official liaison with traditionalists not in full communion with Rome. This kind of forward-thinking, truly pastoral approach ought to be the default, especially given Pope Francis's overtures, but unfortunately, it is not.

Since 2003, the most important change in the canonical landscape has been the publication of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae, which together make absolutely clear the duty of bishops and of parish priests to provide access to the usus antiquior for the faithful who request it. It is a genuine abuse of the rights of the faithful when the usus antiquior is withheld from them or needlessly delayed.

Taking these two PCED letters together and viewing them in light of Redemptionis Sacramentum and Summorum Pontificum, we may summarize as follows [7]:

It is morally licit for the faithful to participate in SSPX Masses if they are physically or morally impeded from participating in another Mass.
An example of a moral impediment that could justify a Catholic's attendance at SSPX liturgies would be consistent and predictable liturgical abuses at local Masses, in violation of the rights of the faithful as articulated in Redemptionis Sacramentum, or the persistent refusal to provide the usus antiquior when it has been requested in accordance with Summorum Pontificum.
It is incumbent on the lay faithful, in accordance with Redemptionis Sacramentum (see esp. nn. 169–184), to report to the local bishop graviora delicta (172), grave matters (173), other abuses (174), and even untraditional and disedifying customs (cf. 11–12), in a respectful and charitable manner. If, after a reasonable amount of time, no steps have been taken to remedy the problems and no other solution is in sight, the faithful cannot be said to have failed to do their part in attempting to rectify the situation. A lack of responsiveness and correction would tend to augment the moral impediment to participation in such abusive liturgies.
Those who attend an SSPX chapel because of a moral impediment to attending Mass elsewhere are permitted to make a modest contribution to the collection and to receive Holy Communion.
Based on other responses from the PCED, a Catholic who does not have other options may fulfill his obligation at an SSPX chapel but not at an "independent" chapel, because there is no certainty on the part of the Church as to whether such a chapel is served by a validly ordained priest and so forth [8].
Catholics may go to Confession in SSPX chapels because Pope Francis has granted their clergy permanent faculties for hearing confessions. If Catholics would like to get married in an SSPX chapel, my understanding is that they need to be in contact with the local bishop to ask him to grant faculties to the SSPX priest to witness the marriage, per Pope Francis's provisions [9].
Conclusions

As Redemptionis Sacramentum testifies, the Church desires that the faithful be able to participate in a Catholic liturgy that glorifies God and edifies and sanctifies the participants. All the same, the Church could not, consistent with herself, desire us to possess this good at the expense of our catholicity and our adherence to the Petrine office, however unworthy, confused, or antagonistic its incumbent may be at a given moment in history [10].

Attendance at an SSPX chapel may be unavoidable in certain circumstances and may become a source of interior peace and consolation, but one must always remain attached, in mind and heart, to Holy Mother Church in her hierarchy. As we know, only in Heaven will there be a Church of the perfect; on Earth, there is only the Church of sinners, who are often difficult and confused people, and this among both the sheep and their shepherds.

As mentioned at the beginning, we are dealing in this realm with prudential decisions. If one has small children in their formative years, it would be more urgent to get them into a liturgically positive environ­ment and away from abuses. If it is practically impossible to move, however, and moral impediments abound, then one has to find a way of fulfilling one's obligations as a Catholic, which may include recourse to an SSPX chapel.

[Jayne]

The Fatima Center has a series of articles, starting with this one: https://fatima.org/news-views/may-i-attend-sspx-masses/
Each one has a link to the next.

The simplest answer is that, YES, Catholics may attend Mass and receive Holy Communion at the chapels of the Society of St. Pius X without incurring any penalty, stigma or sin. As this is an involved topic, one article would be too long to cover this subject matter. Hence we will be posting these articles as a series over numerous days. We will cover such issues as schism, "full communion," valid and licit sacraments, true obedience, Vatican II, excommunication and more. If you are interested in these topics, please read on!