ASK FATHER: “Are the faithful who go to the SSPX being sacramentally forgiven in confession, or not?”

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Dear Father
We spent many years with the sspx in South Africa.  Cardinal Brislin has now sent a letter specifically saying they no longer have jurisdiction for confession in the country. The sspx says his announcement is not legitimate because of the crisis in the church,  and they will continue to offer confessions.  Are the faithful who go there being sacramentally forgiven in confession,  or not?  There is only one approved TLM in the entire country,  in a smaller town, with maybe 20 people going. The sspx serves significantly more people in South Africa, in every major city.
Sign me as Scrupulous in the South

I am so sorry about the anxiety you have been made to feel because of the erroneous claims of some prelates based on the erroneous claim in the DDF explanatory note which has NO juridical force.  It is my opinion that they (in the DDF) knew they didn’t have juridical standing to remove the faculty to hear confession on their own, so instead they scared people and misled diocesan bishops whom they knew who fall into step.

And they did.

One bishop after another rushed before consulting to issue letters saying that SSPX absolutions were invalid.  The marriages in their chapels are another kettle of chowder.

Here is the quick explanation.   Leave the SSPX’s “it’s a crisis … and an emergency… and reasons” stuff aside as unneeded.

IF one believes that Francis was really the Pope (most do), and IF you believe that he gave the faculty to absolve sins to the priests of the SSPX (which he did though in a odd way), THEN those priests had the ability validly to absolve sins.  Period.   No discussion.

IF all that is the case, THEN no lesser authority than a Pope can remove that faculty.

You would think that a bishop would get that.  Right?  This isn’t rocket science.  It’s like, Bp. Fatty McButterpants issues particular law – something clearly legitimate in his prevue and not against universal law – for the Diocese of Libville, but Msgr. McSwiney at the Cathedral doesn’t like it so he tells his congregation that they don’t have to obey it.  Does that sound right?  No.

A lesser authority doesn’t overturn the juridical decisions of the Lawgiver.

The bishops of the SSPX were declared to be excommunicated.  You cannot go to them for confession.

The priests of the SSPX are not excommunicated.  They continue – somebody PROVE me wrong! – to have those faculties.

In fact, it came to my attention that there is a document circulating in France about this issue.  I don’t have it.  I can’t verify it.  Someone is writing to me about it.  If it exists, it must be shared in charity.  There is some affirmation of this in an article at Renaissance Catholique (in French).    A distinguished canonist deals with this at Ad Vaticanum.

Hence, in my opinion, backed by experts and common sense, the SSPX priests (not bishops) still have faculties to receive sacramental confessions and validly absolve.

Why?

The only statement about this from the Holy See is in the DDF explanatory note which has ZERO indication that Leo even saw it from across the room  – much less read it – much less approved it.  Such an approval must be explicit in writing, not in the dreamy wishes of those who would prefer it to be so.

What a horrible thing to do to people: scare them like this about SSPX absolutions.  How cruel.

That said, GO TO CONFESSION!

And you have, after reading this, a hesitation about going to an SSPX priest, then go to a regular but dependable diocesan priest.

The LAST thing I would ever want for people is to have a doubt about whether or not their sins are forgiven.