![]() The Holy See has said that, if you attend regularly, there is a likely chance of your "imbibing a schismatic attitude", meaning that you will slowly begin to base your Catholic and sacramental life around an organization that is not in full communion with the Holy See. If, however, you attend merely out of a desire to attend the Old Mass, then it is likely that you are not culpable. If, by doing so, you are manifesting your belief that, despite the contrary declaration of the Holy See, these priests have jurisdiction and canonical standing, or even that these Masses are licit, then you are formally cooperating in sin. What are the moral consequences for attending an SSPX Mass? The answer is subjective. However, since jurisdiction is required for the administration of the Sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Matrimony, those two sacraments would be invalid under normal circumstances. So, receiving Communion at an SSPX Mass is not such a big deal. It would seem that there is no canonical bar to your receiving communion at a Catholic mass, and the Holy See has said, I believe, that Mass at an SSPX Chapel is a Catholic Mass and that it's priests are Catholic priests, even if they lack canonical standing and jurisdiction. The question of whether or not to receive communion is a separate one. Thus, attending an SSPX Mass does, in fact, fulfill your obligation. As far as I know, if one of the SSPX Bishops is the minister, it would be valid but gravely illicit, but if the SSPX bishop attempted to grant a priest the authority to perform the Sacrament in his place, as Diocesan bishops can do, the sacrament would be invalid since the SSPX Bishops have no authority to do anything.Īs I understand the law, the only requirement is that you attend a Catholic rite, regardless of location or circumstance. To the best of my knowledge, the validity of their conformations is a matter of debate right now. This applies to their Masses, Baptisms, and Holy Orders. In cases where the Sacramental character of the priesthood is all that is required to perform a sacrament, the sacrament is valid-it happens-but is gravely illicit. I would also argue that you would additionally be complicit in the sin of simulating a sacrament on the part of the SSPX priest. Your sins are not forgiven by an SSPX priest should you go to confession to one, and you would be living in a state of adultery should you be married by one. This applies to their confessions and marriages. Therefore "“the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers cannot legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church†( Ecclesiae Unitatem, 4)." In any case where a priest needs explicit authority from the Church to perform a sacrament, the sacrament is invalid. SSPX priests are validly but illicitely ordained. Mods, please delete any comments along the lines of "Of course its okay to come to a SSPX Mass because the modern Catholic Church has embraced heresy." This is not intended to be another of the perpetual SSPX vs. Please only reply from the perspective of how Rome would view such an action. The purpose of this thread is to provide guidance to Catholics who might consider going to an SSPX Mass on Sunday instead of at a local diocesan parish. I believe it would be similarly wrong to receive communion from an Orthodox church provided that a Catholic Mass was being celebrated nearby. Remember that I am speaking for cases in which plenty of other valid licit Masses are available, not extreme cases where SSPX Masses are the only ones available. I view it as being morally equivalent to being a witness at an invalid marriage. ![]() ![]() ![]() Furthermore, by receiving communion you are witnessing to both the validity and the licitness of the Mass, and since it is not licit, you are basically telling a lie through your actions by receiving. I can not see how it could possibly be morally permissible to receive communion with a priest who has separated himself from the local Bishop and from the rest of the Catholic Church. This would enable all forms of religious consumerism, making it perfectly okay to go to Mass at an Orthodox church or at a gay/lesbian affirming independent Catholic church such as this: If an SSPX Mass can fulfill your Sunday obligation, then Rome has no moral authority to compel Catholics to actually attend Catholic churches. The Vatican does not seem to have an official answer on this, but my own opinion is that it does not fulfill your Sunday obligation and that reception of communion would constitute grave matter. What are the moral consequences to attending an SSPX Mass on Sunday in a diocese where there are many nearby parishes that have licit Masses? Does it fulfill your Sunday obligation? Also, is it a sin to receive communion?
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