Expert: Fr. Michael - 5/28/2005

Question
Father - can Roman Catholics attend sspx masses and remain within the church? if so, under what conditions? is the sspx within the church?
also, do you think Benedict XVI will give a universal indult for the tridentine rite?
many thanks,
Greg

Answer
Absolutely.  The SSPX preserves the Apostolic Roman Mass of two millennia, the only Mass that was canonized by the dogmatic Council of Trent and a perpetual papal bull.  The problem is with the so-called "New Mass," which is not Apostolic in origin, but made up by a Modernist, who was eventually exposed as a Freemason and exiled by Pope Paul VI.

What Benedict does or doesn't do is irrelevant.  The Traditional Latin Mass is Catholic and Apostolic and was specifically canonized by a dogmatic council.  A perpetual papal bull specifically gave the right and obligation to all Catholics (the only exception is for the tenth of one percent that use a valid Apostolic Eastern rite).

An "indult" is a privilege.  The Traditional Latin Mass is not a privilege; it is a right.  No pope can change that, any more than a pope can change the dogmatic decree concerning the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For further information, see www.traditio.com/tradlib/faq04.txt