This is part 2 in the recent SSPX and COVID series:
Part 1 – The SSPX – when a church goes COVID cult
Part 2 – Update on SSPX sect’s evasion of lockdown
Part 3 – Is the SSPX in schism from the Catholic Church?
Part 4 – SSPX – the Dangers of a Cult Mentality
Part 5 – The SSPX – COVID and religious quackery
Part 6 – SSPX – turning ordinary Masses into funerals (how to)
Part 7 – The Psychopathy of “Traditionalist” Catholicism
The SSPX and COVID – The Index of Lessons Learnt
Previously I reported on the Cape Town SSPX and their intentions to evade the authorities and flout the law intended to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and save lives. They were then brought under control by the police, but neighbours suspected that the cleric was still successful in evading the law at times.
South Africa has since moved to level 3 lockdown, and church services are currently permitted and regulations include:
- a maximum group size of 50
- services not more than 2 hours
- person in charge to not allow sick people
- keeping records of symptoms and attendees
- no physical contact
- minimum 1.5 metres between people
- wearing masks and using hand sanitiser
- singing of hymns limited to solo performances or pre-recorded performances
Regulations can be found here: Regulations and Guidelines – Coronavirus Covid-19 [original link cited by the cleric here with a redirect]
Specific regulations here: Alert level 3 directions for religious gatherings, 28 May 2020 – Disaster Management Act: Directions: Measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 for religious gatherings
In his 31 May email*, the SSPX cleric states:
The guidelines very clearly state that the congregation should not number over 50 persons, and that they must be placed in the chapel a certain distance. You can read about these “alert level 3” restrictions in the link provided at the end of this email[1]. Sanitizer will be provided, but please bring your masks with you.
*[Password protected now, see Internet Archive link here]
The cleric has clearly read the guidelines, knows where they are, links to them, and tells the email recipients that they can read them. Reference [1] in the quote above is to the page of regulations cited above.
On Sunday 7 June, there were three Masses. The middle one was sung Mass. The final one was intended for all the new people the sect had attracted after the mainstream Catholic churches closed to the public.
At the sung Mass, the entire congregation was singing, in contravention of the law. The neighbours could hear it clearly.
On Tuesday 9 June, the police met with the cleric and informed him that group singing was prohibited. He claimed that he did not know this.
In light of his knowledge of the regulations, I do not believe the cleric.
Before the sermon on Thursday 11 June, the cleric informed those present that the police “do not want singing of the faithful … which seems like a very strange regulation …” and ascribes this instruction to the devil not liking their singing. He said they would “have to conform to those regulations” so that they “would not have more trouble …”
Hogwash. Once again, I believe the cleric is withholding information from his followers.
I believe that he knows what is safe and unsafe, and what is allowed and not allowed, and he understands the reasons. It is hard to imagine that a responsible church leader would refuse to read regulations he knows exist, and refuse to look at the reasons for them.
UPDATE 14 June: I now know that he has read this blog post. He has access to the real reasons for not singing, the medical and scientific reasons, and what dangers singing holds. Yet he simply tells the congregation that it is “for some reason” and doesn’t tell them what that reason is, but instead helps feed a persecution complex. [end update]
An honest and responsible priest would:
- know the regulations
- explain the regulations
- instruct that singing as a group was not allowed
- state that singing is a very high risk activity in terms of viral spread
- state that they would obey the rules in order to prevent suffering and death of others
A cult leader would:
- ignore or pretend not to know the regulations
- not explain them, but rather claim that they have no bearing on the group
- permit or encourage singing
- ascribe the enforced lack of singing as the will of the devil who doesn’t like their singing
- state that they would obey the rules to avoid more trouble with the police
In the above example, the honest priest informs his flock, while the cult leader misleads them and manipulates their understanding of the regulations. The honest priest lets the congregation understand that the rules are there to prevent spread of the coronavirus and thereby save lives. The cult leader leads people to believe that these rules are because the devil doesn’t like them, thereby encouraging and feeding their disregard for human life, and making them feel special because they are being singled out for persecution.
The latter is not what an honest leader does. That’s a cult leader manipulating his followers.
This is a group of people who seem willing to step over the bodies of COVID-19 victims on their way to the altar of their own desire.
At least their singing has been nipped in the bud now. For that, the devil is sad, because it means that there is a lower chance of suffering and death as a result of singing.
This is what a responsible church does:
Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Town, Archbishop Brislin
– Announcement about the re-opening of Churches [watch the video]
– Newsletter from Archbishop Brislin regarding the re-opening of churches [see the PDF]
Further reading / viewing:
SSPX and COVID series:
Index – The SSPX and COVID – The Index of Lessons Learnt
Part 1 – The SSPX – when a church goes COVID cult
Part 2 – Update on SSPX sect’s evasion of lockdown
Part 3 – Is the SSPX in schism from the Catholic Church?
Part 4 – SSPX – the Dangers of a Cult Mentality
Part 5 – The SSPX – COVID and religious quackery
Part 6 – SSPX – turning ordinary Masses into funerals (how to)
Part 7 – The Psychopathy of “Traditionalist” Catholicism
Educational video for religious groups by a South African virologist – Dr Lilishia Gounder
A sensible way to estimate the risk of everyday activities – by A M Carter
High SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rate Following Exposure at a Choir Practice — Skagit County, Washington, March 2020 … by the CDC: Hamner L, Dubbel P, Capron I, et al. High SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rate Following Exposure at a Choir Practice – Skagit County, Washington, March 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(19):606-610.
SSPX, Pinelands, Cape Town, 36 Central Avenue, 33 Central Square, 19 St Stephens Road, Latin Mass
