I am not a member of the SSPX but I do have a brother who is. We have gone round and round on issues concerning the Catholic church and ultimately I don’t think either one of us has budge much from our initial positions. I think we have both left things up to prayer and the Holy Spirit. I believe my brother to be a poor apologist for the SSPX although that doesn’t mean he’s not willing to have a spirited debate, his arguments just haven’t moved me nor have mine really moved him. I’d say for more than the past year we have both dropped the “debating”, which my wife probably more accurately describes as arguing. My best get under his skin line was telling him to “stop following excommunicated Bishops”. Well eventually he did that since Pope Benedict XVI removed their excommunication’s. How ever they are still not in full communion with the Pope from Rome’s standpoint.
Recently I saw a link in one of the comments on Fr. Z’s blog for a book from the Society of St. Pius X. The book is called “The Problem of the Liturgical Reform” which can be found here http://www.sspx.org/books/problem%20of%20the%20liturgical%20reform.pdf.
I’m not through reading it yet but I would say they have a pretty decent beef with how things were handled back in the 1960s. The book is at the theologically deep end of the pool. But I think any reader familiar with the Catholic Mass can pick up a few things and learn a thing or two about the prayers of the Mass prior to the Vatican II Council.
In the end I’m pretty sure the book is not going to change where I stand, but I will have an additional lens to look at my faith with and without stressing the relationship with my brother. I feel I am sympathetic to those who want to worship in what is now called the Extraordinary form of the Mass. I buy the line that the core worship of the Catholic Church for more than 500 years couldn’t be a bad thing, which is how it seems some priests and bishops today view the Extraordinary form of the Mass. I believe Pope Benedict XVI did the right thing to allow priests publicly to say that Mass without the approval of their Bishops. I believe the greater use of the old Mass will only have positive effects on our Catholic faith.
But from what I’ve ready so far I believe the SSPX’s beef goes beyond the issue of the allowing the old Mass to be said freely. Their beef is with the theology of the new Mass. They’re not buying into the “Paschal Mystery”, as the “Paschal Mystery” is not what was used to create the old Mass. The theology of the “Paschal Mystery” is basically in it’s infancy if you look at the history of the Catholic Church as a whole. This is very weighty stuff but then shouldn’t we know some of this anyway? This is our faith after all, we are talking about our eternal salvation.
So when things get deep or heavy, I think thats a sign we should pray. May we pray to the Holy Spirit for unity among all Christians while remaining true to the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Today I was at Men Under Construction 14 here in KC. Once again it was another great event with great speakers. I highly suggest if you get the chance to hear Richard Lane Jr. and Michael Franzese. Their bio’s can be read here 
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?
So today Oprah Winfrey had the Dominican Sisters of Mary Convent on her show today. 
From 
I’ve been traveling and relaxing and watching the snow fall and build up, and up, and up. I traveled home to Nebraska for the Christmas holiday leaving a day early to avoid blizzarding weather. We stopped in Nebraska City for lunch at Runza one of my all time favorite foods. A Runza is a basically a kinda of bread and meat hot pocket with cabbage and spices. It tastes way better than it sounds and I highly suggest you try one if you get the chance.
Kiss the Ring
You have got to be kidding me, a Catholic Bishop was embarrassed by the protocol of kissing the Pope’s ring? Our Bishops need much prayer. I remember for my wedding blessing in front of John Paul II, at his second to last general audience, a whole slew of people went before us and kissed his ring. When it came time for the newlyweds, who went last, to approach to Pope the attendants brought out kneelers. All I could think about at first was that I wouldn’t get to kiss his ring and this ”Bishop” is embarrassed by having the privelage and the request to doing do so, he is too modern for his own good. Does he consider himself above the Pope? Lord have mercy.
Read more: Belfast Telegraph