A friend of mine approached me with a question a few days ago, a question I took seriously as it regarded the state of his personal faith. Let's call him Daniel. Daniel was baptized a few years ago into the Society of St Pius X - a traditionalist Catholic group as many of you know who consecrates it's own bishops and priests without the approval of the Vatican. At that time of his baptism, he was told that the society recognized the Holy Father as the successor of Peter and as such the head of the church, even though there continues to be doctrinal differences with the Roman Church over the Vatican II reforms and the 67 revision of the Roman Missal. As such, it was alluded that his baptism then meant his acceptance into the Roman Catholic faith.
However, a friend he met in school to whom he recounted his experience with told him that his baptism is not legit, as he was baptized by priests that where consecrated by bishops not anointed by Rome. In his anxiety, he approached one of the members in his church who insisted that his baptism was in accordance with the laws of the church and therefore legitimate, the argument was that anyone in good faith could baptize a believer into the Catholic faith (which I thought only applied in time of dire need - like when the person is dying and in need of immediate baptism).
So what do you all think of this? Truth be told, when he told me of his situation, I saw the point made by his friend that the individuals who baptized him were not sanctioned by Rome as such deeming his baptism and acceptance into the Church null and void. But seeing he severe he took the situation to be, I just did not have the heart to agree with the claim.
Hope I am wrong.
The Baptism is valid but SSPX is not a good place to hang out at.
The baptisms preformed by priest of the SSPX are valid. They are even more Catholic then some of us. I have been to thier chapel and spoken a number of times with the priests. I have no doubt that they are Catholics and that they love the Church very much.
Originally posted by AveMaria:The baptisms preformed by priest of the SSPX are valid. They are even more Catholic then some of us. I have been to thier chapel and spoken a number of times with the priests. I have no doubt that they are Catholics and that they love the Church very much.
One criterion for being properly described as 'Catholic' is obedience to the authority of the Magisterium.
Originally posted by AveMaria:The baptisms preformed by priest of the SSPX are valid. They are even more Catholic then some of us. I have been to thier chapel and spoken a number of times with the priests. I have no doubt that they are Catholics and that they love the Church very much.
LOL they consider most of us quasi-Protestant and pays lip-service to the office of the Papacy.
Traditionalist, often fueled by ego, have pitted their private intepretation of Sacred Tradition against the Magisterium. This is similiar to Luther's theology ala Sola Traditio. Some even have the audacity to claim that V2 Council, an Ecumenical Council, has taught heresy...
Originally posted by ObiterDicta:
One criterion for being properly described as 'Catholic' is obedience to the authority of the Magisterium.
Jesus said to His Apostles, "Whoever listens to you, listens to Me; Whoever rejects you, rejects Me; And Whoever rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me."
Pope St. Pius X emphasized this in a speech on May 10, 1909, when he said "Do not allow yourselves to be deceived by the cunning statements of those who persistently claim to wish to be with the Church, to love the Church, to fight so that people do not leave Her... But judge them by their works. If they despise the shepherds of the Church and even the Pope, if they attempt all means of evading their authority in order to elude their directives and judgments..., then about which Church do these men mean to speak? Certainly not about that established on the foundations of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone." (Eph. 2:20)
Beware of this so-called Traditionalist.