Hello TIA,

I have been following your site for many years now, and appreciate it so much! I too believe that you are the most balanced and traditionally educational site on the internet.

I have attended the local SSPX chapel now for 8+ years, and of course, I'm very concerned about the possible agreement that Bishop Fellay may sign with the Vatican this month (week?!).

I just went back to the answer Mr. Guimaraes gave on April 1, 2008 to someone asking him about a statement Cardinal Hoyos had made on March 27, 2008. There I noticed that Mr. Guimaraes said, "Should they sign the compromise, the Bishops will deny their decades-long fight against Modernism and Progressivism...It is my definite opinion that a lay Catholic should not follow in this compromise."

It doesn't appear that Bishop Fellay is going to sign a "formula of adhesion" where he accepts the New Mass and Vatican 2. However, I'm wanting to know if you have any information on what exactly he is going to sign?

And what would be the repercussions for a lay Catholic if he continued to attend a SSPX chapel. I want to "maintain a strong position of resistance" to Modernism and Progressivism, and there are not any options for me to attend another traditional chapel, since in our town we only have sedevacantist and diocesan.

Therefore, any information and recommendations you have would be very much appreciated!

     Sincerely,

     N.G.


The Editor responds:

Hello N.G.,

Thank you for your consideration regarding the answer I gave a reader back in 2008. As far as I know, the Rome-SSPX negotiations are in the following situation:

1. On September 13, 2011, the Vatican sent to the SSPX leaders a document designated as "doctrinal preamble," with basic demands they need to agree upon in order to continue the next steps of the negotiations, that is, to be accepted by Rome and be given the canonical status of a Personal Prelature.
   
   
2. This "doctrinal preamble" has not been made public so far, but its conditions cannot be too much different than the acceptance of Vatican II and the whole liturgical reform of Paul VI including the New Mass, submission to the Pope and the Holy See, the promise to not raise any public polemic on the issues still under discussion with Rome.
   
   
3. After much consultation and hesitation, the head of the SSPX, Bishop Fellay, sent back to the Vatican on April 17, 2012, a "favorable answer" accepting those demands, but placing some conditions. This answer was not made public either.
   
   
4. Yesterday, Wednesday May 16, 2012, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith met to study those conditions. Vatican Radio transcribed an evasive and ambiguous press communqué issued by the Congregation in which an approval is not mentioned, but only "further discussions." It affirmed that henceforth it would deal separately with each one of the SSPX Bishops, and not just Bishop Fellay speaking in the name of all (here).
   
   
5. That Congregation supposedly sent its opinion to Benedict XVI for him to make the final decision. He may do it sometime sooner or later. First, it was said that he would give a final approval by Pentecost, when the "Rosary crusade" of Bishop Fellay was calculated to finish. Then, after the publication of a letter of three of the SSPX Bishops against the accord, the Vatican spokesman began to say that still more time may be necessary.

In number 2 of this list, you have the answer to your first question on what Bishop Fellay is going to sign.

Regarding your second question - the consequences for someone who will continue to attend a SSPX chapel after the probable merge with progressivist Rome - my opinion follows.

The Masses said in the chapels of SSPX are valid, and will continue to be so, as long as the Vatican will not force them to follow the "hybrid Mass," a combination of the Tridentine Mass with the New Mass, which is already being prepared. There are also valid Masses said in the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King, and the Tridentine Masses said in the Dioceses approved by the Bishops, following the recommendation of Summorum Pontificum.

It is perfectly licit to go to these places to fulfill the Mass obligation, to benefit from Confession and to receive Communion. However, one must be careful regarding the content of the sermons that preach acceptance of Vatican II and its consequences. One should also be cautious about the counsels in the confessional insofar as they pressure the person to become involved in the "parish life" and fall under the pastor's control. Should this happen, the person and his family will be strongly solicited to adhere to the same concessive line as the pastor.

These are the recommendations I have to answer your request. I ask Our Lady of Good Counsel to help you and other readers in similar situations to keep the correct line of resistance.

     Cordially,

     A.S. Guimarães

Dear Mr. Guimaraes,

I noticed in the first paragraph of the article entitled "Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos and the SSPX Acceptance of Vatican II" (around 2008) that the reader praises your position of resistance as follows:

I particularly praise TIA's position of resistance: you stay inside the Church admitting the legitimate authority but resisting the novelties that don't correspond to the previous teachings of the Church. That is, you avoid the compromise of so many of those who recognize the Pope as legitimate, and you also avoid the sede-vacantist position of those who leave the Church, arrogantly placing themselves above the Papacy. Yours is a very Catholic and balanced position. God be praised for that.

My question is: what type of Church setting do you attend to hear Mass and receive the sacraments? Also, can you explain a little more clearly exactly what your resistance consists of?

We currently attend an SSPX Chapel, since Oct 2009 when we discovered Tradition after 40 years floundering in the Novus Ordo. The Chapel is right in our town, which made it convenient, and our research at that time seemed to indicate that Archbishop Lefebvre was on the right path. Now we are bewildered by their current path the SSPX is taking and feel very betrayed, so we are considering alternate paths, but don't want to go the sedevacantist route. Hence we were wondering what you do. Are you going to an independent chapel? How does one know if the priest at an independent chapel is properly ordained, etc? This is all very confusing, as I'm sure you know.

     Thank you very much in advance.

     R.K.



The Editor responds:

Dear R.K.,

I attend an Armenian Catholic Rite Mass in downtown Los Angeles. After the New Mass was installed, I attended a Melchite Catholic Rite in São Paulo, Brazil, for more than 20 years. I believe that the Eastern Catholic Rites are a providential option for attending Mass and receiving the Sacraments in this situation of crisis in the Church. If you decide to go to one of these Rites, some inquiries about them are necessary to see to what degree they have incorporated progressivist reforms. The Vatican is doing its best to reform those Rites also, and to encourage their adaptation to its progressivist doctrine.

Before "explaining a little more exactly what the resistance consists of," I would suggest you read We Resist You to the Face, a public position we took that gives our fundamental doctrinal-canonical background. After you read it, if some other questions remain, I will be glad to be of further assistance.

I have no problem in going to independent priests' Masses as long as I know their past and can track the validity of their ordinations. Normally an independent priest who was validly ordained shows you the documents that prove his ordination. You can examine them and judge for yourself. When his answer is confused or he doesn't want to show, it is better to avoid going to that place.

     Cordially,

     A.S. Guimarães

TIA,

In writing this I have asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima who should be honored on May 13th, Our Lady of Good Counsel for calmness and direction, St Rita that I remain charitable toward any adversaries; and St. Lucy that the eyes of all of the faithful, as well as those who have lapsed, be opened to all that is true.

Four years ago I began to feel that something was terribly wrong, not something insignificant, but that something was wrong everywhere and with everything. Fortunately, I found comfort through Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Theresa of Lisieux and Our Lady of Fatima, to whom I am now consecrated and I wear the brown scapular. But as my anxieties increased with everything going on in both the temporal and spiritual world worsening rapidly, I found the need to learn more, and as I did, I sought more comfort, but also understanding. I turned to the saints.

As I discovered a new saint, I used the Internet to read about that saint. Each time I searched, I selected one of the first references that came up, often without paying attention to the host of the website. What usually appeared on the screen was a page adorned with burnished gold and blue and green jewels. The page contained, in my opinion, prolific writing about the particular saint. Upon finishing my reading, I moved on.

I continued to read these pages without paying attention to what they were a part of or what entity was responsible for them. Until one day, while researching a subject matter relevant to the crisis in the Church, I paid attention and discovered the host was Tradition in Action (TIA). Since that point, I have relied on the TIA as a resource to learn about Our Lady of Good Success, Our Lady of LaSallette and Our Lady of Genezzano (Good Counsel), all of whom I now venerate, as well as many of the saints and blessed chosen ones, such as Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres (recipient of the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success) and the Venerable Mary of Agreda (author of the original texts of The Mystical City of God and also known as Our Lady in Blue).

In addition to the aforementioned, I found TIA to be a strong resource for those who remain dedicated to the belief that Vatican II, its teachings and the Novus Ordo are one in the same and cannot be separated from each other; that Vatican II must be recognized only in that it occurred; and that rely only on the truth, while rejecting the errors of sedevacantism. We remain a pure, but scattered, secular few, defending the Most Holy Traditional Apostolic Roman Catholic Church of Our Lord and Savior - most of us will defend her to whatever end because, in doing so, we become entrenched in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, understanding every tear Our Lady of Sorrows weeps.

I assure you the above is not a testimonial for the benefit of the TIA, although I sincerely thank its associates, but rather, an introduction to what is presented below, and to reinforce the truth, at a time when the truth is hidden everywhere and in everything,

Why Would They Fear the Truth?

Let me begin by assuring the readers that I do and will continue to pray for the SSPX and its leadership and I will continue to attend SSPX Masses as I will not abandon the Sacraments, unless the time comes that they too have been compromised with Vatican II - a time I hope will not come. However, as I sit in the pew, I now find myself having to pray for the SSPX in the same way and for the same reasons I pray for the Vatican II Church in its entirety. Unfortunately, I have had to abandon the 12-million Rosary Crusade due to the revelation that its goal is in support of compromises, errors and untruths. With regard to the rosary asking for the Consecration of Russia, I have great reservations about the use of this most Sacred Request for impure goals, but exploration of this is for another time.

Now to what prompted my commentary. A few weeks back I asked a third order SSPX member if they followed Traditions in Action. I inquired this because several months earlier that individual and I discussed a few issues that involved TIA and she seemed comfortable in doing so and indicated no problems with TIA. However, her response to my recent inquiry was "I only followed the TIA site to learn about Our Lady Of Good Success and her devotions; you should be careful in referencing that website as it contains things of the Novus Ordo." I was only a bit taken back and brushed it aside, since I did not know her well enough to do otherwise.

It was not until today, admittedly through hearsay, I learned that someone was told by the SSPX not to reference the website and stay away from TIA. I immediately thought back to the comment above. I asked myself, could the SSPX be instructing its third order or other members to avoid TIA because it involves "things of the Novus Ordo" - and since the Novus Ordo is the main thing its members are told to avoid, they will do without question? In the second case, however, the instruction was direct.

The aforementioned possibility is presented as such, a possibility, one that is better confirmed by members of the third order and members who may have received these instructions regarding TIA.

Whatever the circumstance, it is important to address the concerns of the statement that the TIA website contains things of the Novus Ordo. I know through my experience, having followed TIA's subject matter, touching on all its subsections to a significant extent, there is no evidence of this. Perhaps something obscure exists somewhere within the site's extensive documents but even that may have explanation.

I am more inclined, however, to believe it has more to do with TIA's and some of its followers' recent stance on the SSPX and its leadership and certain truths that are being revealed. I am saddened because where there is truth, there is nothing to fear. If one has nothing to hide, then one should not fear the concerns of its opponents and have legitimate responses to rebut the same.

Conclusion - One Would Think They Would Want to Join Forces!

It is I, not the TIA, who invites you to vet its website, asking you to consider if any of the above is occurring. Confirm for yourself the Novus Ordo issue and consider the dangers of being prohibited from visiting a site devoted to the mission I have described. My own experiences with it over the years has made it an integral part of my religious knowledge. In fact, if it were not for the TIA, I would not have found the SSPX. Also note that nowhere on the TIA website will you find it instructing anyone to avoid the SSPX masses - not even as it questions its present actions.

In closing, ask yourself this question: Where else can you go for a wealth of traditional Catholic information that will present the facts and supporting documentation for the reader in order that he or she may draw their own conclusions; that remains true to the fight for the Most Holy Traditional Apostolic Roman Catholic Church; that avoids all compromise - all while denying sedevacantism? Why would the SSPX be against this? One would think they would want to join forces.

Please join me in a prayer to St. Lucy (Feast Day December 13th) that our eyes may be opened to the truth: O Saint Lucy, whose name means light, full of confidence we present ourselves before you to ask of you a holy light, which may render us cautious in avoiding the ways of sin and escaping the darkness of error.

We beg also, through your intercession, for the preservation of the light of our eyes, together with abundant grace to use it always in accordance with the will of God without injury to our souls.

Grant, O blessed Lucy, that after venerating and thanking you for your powerful patronage on earth, we may come at last to rejoice with you in the paradise of the eternal light of the Divine Lamb, your sweet spouse Jesus. Amen

     A.E.

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