Expert: Fr. Michael - 2/19/2010

Question
Father, are the books from Angelus Press put ou by SSPX at all safe to read? Maybe not the newer ones since they've been compromising but more like ones that would be considered classic? Like a book about St. Padre Pio or something?

Answer
At this point I would say generally to avoid them.  It is hard to know how much the texts have been tampered with.  For example, the Michael Davies books that are being sold are the *second*
edition, modified to accord to the Novus Ordo.

It is safest to rely on works that were published before 1950, except in the case of later authors who are explicitly traditional.  In cases of unknown authors, consult your traditional priest or confessor for guidance.  Many books written after those years are infected with the errors of Modernism or of Papolatry (idolatry pertaining to the pope, contrary to the Roman Catholic dogma of Vatican Council I) and should be studiously avoided by traditional Catholics, as they contain particularly gross errors and even deliberate disinformation.

Also, one must be careful of books originally published before Vatican II, but "reprinted" afterwards.  Almost always, these are not faithful reprints, but "revised" editions not honestly marked as such.  For example, Canon Francis Ripley's "This is the Faith:  A Complete Explanation of the Catholic Faith" was originally published in 1951.  However, it was "reprinted" with the text being changed to "update" it to practices after Vatican II.  This is also the case with many post-conciliar editions of the "Baltimore Catechism," the "Catechism of Pope Pius X," and other originally traditional books.  Avoid "reprints" and instead secure used copies of the versions published before 1950.  When these books are re-titled with Novus Ordo terminology, such as "Extaordinary Rite," it is certain that the content has been "revised."