Lúthien

[Logan Hall @loganclarkhall]

“The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.”

[John A. Monaco @johnamonaco]

My thoughts on the SSPX, the consecrations, and path forward:

The SSPX situation is sensitive. By “sensitive”, I mean it involves a number of important factors that require charity, prudence, and discernment. It’s all too easy to post a picture of stormy skies and say, “Oh look, an omen from Almighty God!” (Ironically enough, on July 18th, 1870, when papal infallibility was voted on, there was nonstop torrential rain and lightning.)

Since FSSP, ICKSP, and diocesan TLM’s grew in number, many self-styled “trads” are easy to dismiss the SSPX as “schismatic”, calling them “Protestant”, and so forth. It should be noted that your access to the TLM is due, in large part, to the heroic efforts of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and his defense of tradition. That doesn’t justify either the 1988 (or now, 2026) consecrations by any means. But it should serve as a sober reminder that God created good (canonically-approved TLM’s) out of a bad situation (illicit consecrations).

I do agree with the SSPX that there is a crisis in the Church. The fact that, preceding these consecrations, there was a LGBTQ “Pride Mass” in NYC and San Bernardino, a woman cosplaying as the “Archbishop of Canterbury” giving “blessings” to Roman Catholic prelates, and countless examples of liturgical and doctrinal abuse across the world, reveals that there is a true crisis in the Church.

And yet, we are not consequentialists. We do not do evil so that good may come. The SSPX do not see their decision to disobey the pope as evil, because they see it as a necessary action to “preserve tradition”. I’m the farthest thing from a ‘popesplainer’, ultramontane, or papal maximalist. But when the pope, who I believe holds supreme jurisdiction over the Church, orders you to not consecrate bishops, I believe the true Catholic response is to simply obey. I trust God’s Providence enough to believe that, without consecrations, traditional Catholicism would be preserved.

Last night, I stayed up to watch the episcopal consecrations. It was beautiful. The organ prelude, the Gregorian chant, the solemnity and Roman Catholic patrimony on full display. But my heart sank when it was time to ask about the Apostolic Mandate, the decision to pontificate about the “state of necessity” and crisis in the Church. It was then that I witnessed schism manifest itself in the context of the liturgy.

I agree with the SSPX on many things, and think that they can ultimately serve the good of the Church. But these consecrations were a step too far.

And yet, I wonder— what do we do with this situation? The 1988 consecrations propelled Pope John Paul II to establish “Ecclesia Dei” communities. Many of the TLM’s we attend are, in part, due to the pope’s corrective response to disobedience. Does that mean disobedience was good? No! But did disobedience have the final word? Clearly not.

I want to warn against two mentalities. The first is that of triumphalist, snotty, smug “trads” who are enjoying themselves as they condemn the SSPX, calling them all sorts of names. The second is that of traditionalists who see Rome as beyond repair, or who are fine living in a parallel universe to that of canonical regularity. A “state of emergency” should always be temporary, and we ought never to be content with it.

I love Pope Leo XIV. I think his letter to the SSPX was beautiful. The consecrations are done, the penalty will be what it is. But I do believe, that if the Church is truly serious about “synodality”, that it will find the space to continue dialogue and addressing the SSPX’s concerns. I do not lose hope. I trust the Holy Spirit, the principle of unity, to heal the divisions within Christ’s Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

May the work of reconciliation begin immediately, and with all sincerity.

[Joseph Shaw @LMSChairman]

I had the same thought. I don't think many of the SSPX high-ups know the Novus Ordo world at all well. They hear horror stories, but they don't know what it is like to live it.

[Father V @father_rmv]

The same standards must be applied to all dissenters, not only so-called ‘Catholic traditionalists’. The Catholic Church’s requirement of communion rests on acceptance of the deposit of faith as proposed by the living Magisterium, including the authority of ecumenical councils and the legitimacy of liturgical rites promulgated by the Supreme Pontiff. This norm must be applied universally—whichever the circumstance—or risk the charge of hypocrisy and causing further alienation.

[Lúthien @Luthien_337]

@GoldenAspen1492 @N_A_M_O_R_ What if there's more levels to this meme with the SSPX in a few years🤪

[Lúthien @Luthien_337]

@GoldenAspen1492 @N_A_M_O_R_ I love that "actually reading the documents of Vatican II" is at the bottom😭

[Prowler @derzum_]

New laws are making it illegal to be an illegal in Tennessee.

This includes citizenship checks for benefits, police cooperation with ICE, and it is now a crime to defy deportation orders and a felony to leak immigration officer info, building state support for mass deportations.

[Prowler @derzum_]

NYT confirms that ICE has doubled its daily arrest rate, with a fraction of the protests and none of the drama, outpacing the records set by Noem.

Immigration enforcement has been arresting over 2,000 migrants a day, or more considering other work in the interior under Mullin.

[Lúthien @Luthien_337]

@GoldenAspen1492

[Banished Kent @kentbanishearl]

“In fact, it has been remarked by some that the Americans' only real passion is for guns…A rather unfair observation, as we have also developed a keen interest in the grilling of meats, and the ignition of pyrotechnics…”

“But where our hearts truly lie is in strength and triumph, and manifest destiny.”

[8th @aethaeus]

@David_J_Bier These people are desperately needed in their home countries to provide such care, really a win for everyone except a small group of corrupt people who make money off of slave labor and human trafficking.

[Aesthetica @Anc_Aesthetics]

Do people not understand that JD Vance is the perfect "seems like a moderate, is actually an extremist" candidate that Democrats have been using against us for decades?

He could do 100X what Trump is doing and still seem like a center-right reasonable folksy likeable guy.

[Jim Sharp @prowrstlngstrng]

Please read and understand how close to real victory we are

[Eric S. Raymond @esrtweet]

Nobody in Africa has ever died because of cuts to foreign aid.

They died because as individuals and societies, they were incompetent to survive without the aid.

Encouraging that dependence was a crueler thing than colonialism ever did.

[Prowler @derzum_]

NYmag: ICE Won. After Minnesota, instead of reform, DHS is receiving more police help than ever, legal support from the Supreme Court and extra funds from Congress. Removals are rising, the wall is advancing.

‘The most powerful immigration regime in history is becoming normal’

[Prowler @derzum_]

As of May, 93% of asylum is being denied in immigration courts—record high—amounting to hundreds of thousands fewer lawful migrants.

‘Immigration judges are now issuing denials in virtually every case’ after rule changes and mass firings by the Trump admin cleaned the system.

[Prowler @derzum_]

NPR says that the Trump admin has led the most dramatic immigration crackdown since 1924. Both legal and illegal migration face historic reversal, and birthright citizenship is next.

‘This would remake the fabric of the country. Population loss could exceed 100 million people.’

[Stephen Miller @StephenM]

Democrats illegally airlifted a large chunk of Haiti to the Midwest mere months ago. Now the leftist media proclaims their “right” to remain here with the same reverence as an ancient Shinto shrine in Japan (while viewing historic American communities as entirely disposable).

[Aetius @AetiusRF]

All I hear is “I don’t want to pay Americans a fair wage for their labor so I’m using Haitians to save money”

[Nick Sortor @nicksortor]

🚨 JUST NOW: Stephen Miller absolutely UNLOADED on birthright citizenship for babies of illegals

"If this country doesn't, one way or another, end birthright citizenship, this country DOES NOT have a future."

"The idea that you can just set foot on US Soil and any child you have gets to be an American citizen and vote in our elections, collect our welfare, sit in our juries, is such an OUTRAGE to the idea of having a country."

SPOT ON, @StephenM