Notice

The information in this website is made public according to our rights as provided for in Can. 212 §3 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

Can. 212 §3 They [Christ’s faithful] have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ’s faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.

News Flash - Excommunications Officially Lifted

(ROME January 21, 2009)

Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, has published a decree that nullifies the excommunications decreed on July 1, 1988. Here is an unofficial translation of that decree.

  • We maintain that the excommunications of June 30, 1988 were null and void. And since the decree of July 1, 1988 did not intend to declare any excommunications, but was merely reporting on excommunications that were believed to have automatically taken place on June 30, therefore no excommunications resulted from the decree of July 1, 1988.
  • We cautiously welcome Rome's willingness to accommodate the SSPX. At the very least, more people may begin to consider Catholic Tradition, which is a good thing. We must note however that, as the decree itself states, the decree is intended to be only the beginning of a process that is expected to lead to full union:
"It is hoped that this step will be followed by the realization of full communion of the whole of the Society of Saint Pius X with the Church"
  • As part of the process of achieving full communion, Rome will have to consider the marriage annulments that have been granted by the SSPX. EVEN IF there is no excommunication, the SSPX still possesses no ordinary jurisdiction, and hence has no authority to establish marriage tribunals. Only such tribunals have the power to grant marriage annulments.
  • The SSPX can claim extraordinary jurisdiction, or a "case of necessity" for the 7 sacraments, since these sacraments are necessary for salvation. A marriage annulment is not necessary for salvation, since other remedies exist for troubled marriages. And so the SSPX cannot claim extraordinary jurisdiction, or a "case of necessity" for granting marriage annulments.

Does the Society of St. Pius X
care about Truth
?

(should the truth be sacrificed if this gets you what you want?)

Is the Society of St. Pius X
a Cult?

(what should be done with people who criticize your actions? 
*includes whether the Catholic Church is a cult)

An Explanation

Schism is a rupture of unity in the Church. When many think of schism, they think of the consecration of four bishops by Archbishop Lefebvre on June 30, 1988, done against the wishes of Rome. 

In 1988, the SSPX said there was no schism because the new bishops had no jurisdiction. Today, these bishops of the SSPX now claim to have jurisdiction, because they grant marriage annulments and impose censures on laypeople, and this requires jurisdiction. 

How could we know that the SSPX is now in schism due to the jurisdiction they have taken for themselves? It's not by asking Rome who opposed the consecrations of 1988, or by asking the SSPX. No-one will ever admit that they are in schism. So, how could we know?

Fortunately, there are books on canon law and schism which we can study to know whether the SSPX is in schism or not, based on the principle that if someone illegally takes on the jurisdiction belonging to the Pope, then they are in schism – it doesn't matter what the SSPX says otherwise. 

We hope that we have presented our case clearly and made the public aware of the issues.

An Explanation

We've all heard about cults. Modern religious cults are groups where members are encouraged to stop thinking for themselves and to follow their leaders blindly, even to the point of committing mass suicide, like the followers of Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guyana. Usually, cult members don't realize they're in a cult. Cults are very widespread today. Some experts say there are as many as 3,000 cults in the USA alone, and the governments of many countries have already taken action against this growing threat. 

How could we know if a particular religious organization like the SSPX is a cult? It's not by asking the leaders of the organization or by asking the members or followers. No-one will ever admit that they lead a cult, or belong to a cult. So, how could we know?

Fortunately, there are people who make it their business to study cults. From their studies they have found that even though cults believe in different things, they all act in similar ways. And so, the experts have put together lists of common characteristics of cults. We can use these characteristics to study an organization just like the experts do. It really doesn't matter what a group's system of beliefs is: if a group acts like a cult, then, just like the experts do, we can conclude that the group is a cult. 

What about the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) granting marriage annulments?

Background information

Is the SSPX in Schism because they give marriage annulments and excommunicate people?

  • Four Reasons why the SSPX is in Schism
    • includes SSPX marriage annulments
    • includes other abuses
  • Bishop Williamson: defends SSPX marriage annulments
  • Bishop Tissier de Mallerais: defends SSPX marriage annulments
  • Archbishop Lefebvre: Did he really defend SSPX marriage annulments?
    • includes a critique of the 1997 Ordonnances
  • Prof. Paulo Agozzini Martin: answers a letter from Bishop Tisser de Mallerais
    • condemns SSPX marriage annulments
    • shows how to answer Bishop Tissier de Mallerais using Canon Law
  • Prof. Orlando Fedeli: condemns SSPX marriage annulments
    • proves that the SSPX granted secret marriage annulments
    • shows how Bishop Tissier de Mallerais quotes the Law that actually condemns SSPX annulments
    • shows how the priests of Campos Brazil desperately tried to justify the annulments once people found out about them 

 

Is the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) a Cult?

Background information

If the SSPX is a Cult does that mean that Catholic Tradition is BAD?
  • Catholic Tradition is the True Catholic Way Even if Leaders of the SSPX Act Like Leaders of a Religious Cult (coming soon)

Is the SSPX a Cult according to Cult Characteristics?

Is the SSPX a Cult according to Cult experts?

Is the SSPX a Cult because they discourage their members and followers from thinking?

Why Do Priests Leave the SSPX?

Letters from SSPX Priests telling Why They Left the SSPX

North America

Europe

  • Abbé Emmanuel Berger (Episcopal consecrations, jurisdiction, Bishop Tissier de Mallerais demands blind obedience to the SSPX: thus making the SSPX like a religious cult) 

Australia

Latin America

What Happens to Priests who Criticize the SSPX?

What happens to SSPX Priests who disagree with the SSPX

Do SSPX Priests have to stay in the SSPX?

(This section is for SSPX Priests, even though Bishop Fellay has forbidden SSPX priests to read websites like this one.)

What Happens to Laypeople who Criticize the SSPX?

  • The SSPX criticizes the bishops.
  • The SSPX criticizes the Pope.
  • We criticized the SSPX and the SSPX called the police to throw us out.

The SSPX vs. Dupuis, Eden & Thomson

  • Summary of the Case (coming soon)
  • Why this case matters to you (coming soon)

Other Subjects of Interest

Hot Topics / Frequently Asked Questions

A Request

We thank God for Archbishop Lefebvre, who had the grace and the courage to oppose the reforms of Vatican II and establish the SSPX. We know there are good priests in the SSPX, because the priests of the SSPX showed us the errors in the Church, and taught us about the true Catholic Faith and the true Catholic Sacraments, like the true Mass. 

In fact, the knowledge of the Catholic Faith, taught to us by the good priests of the SSPX, now tells us that the SSPX is in error, as more and more of the good priests leave the SSPX.

We are truly saddened by the fact that now, despite all the good works the SSPX has done, the evidence shows that they are in error and have gone astray. Many people now believe that the SSPX discourages their followers from thinking for themselves, to the point where the SSPX has become a destructive mind control cult. Also, many fear that the SSPX is now in schism from the True Church, despite their claims that they are the only true Catholics in the world today.

We ask you to join us in praying for the priests and bishops of the SSPX, that they may see their errors and return to the truth and the unity with Rome that Archbishop Lefebvre wanted them to have.

About us & Letters

Since their launch in 1998, the websites sspx-schism.com and sspx-cult.com have generated considerable interest. We've received many e-mail "letters" from visitors, both for and against our position with respect to the SSPX. 

We thank all those who have written to us, whether you've been for or against us, or whether you've simply been curious about the state of the Church today.

For the next few months, we will be unable to respond to any further emails. However, we will keep this website open to continue to provide information to the public.