{"id":8880,"date":"2021-03-14T10:49:03","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T08:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.theotokos.co.za\/?p=8880"},"modified":"2024-07-29T18:06:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T16:06:36","slug":"the-sspx-and-covid-the-index-of-lessons-learnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.theotokos.co.za\/?p=8880","title":{"rendered":"The Cape Town SSPX and COVID – The Index of Lessons Learnt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is an index and summary of the Cape Town SSPX\/COVID series<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Over the last year, I’ve written about a Catholic fringe group, a cult, whose Masses I used to attend. I live(d) next door to them. The Society of St Pius X (SSPX) in Cape Town.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Saint<\/a>
Saint Patrick – stained glass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My realisation of the sickness within this cult began on St Patrick’s Day 2020, aka 17 March, as the COVID-19 pandemic was rearing it’s ugly (but real) head, and it will mostly come to an end on St Joseph’s Day 2021, aka 19 March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To St Patrick, thank you for getting rid of the snakes.
To St Joseph, thank you for finding a new home for these people and their cleric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March 2020, the real Catholics, the Archdiocese of Cape Town, closed down early to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus. On 17 March 2020, the SSPX cleric had the following to say about this: “These directives have nothing to do with the faith.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When our president announced lockdown, the cleric announced underground Masses held secretly at their chapel and from house to house. He declared that the law did not apply to them – in June 2020: “\u2026<\/em> these laws have no moral bearing on us whatsoever<\/em>\u201d. And later in 2021: “\u2026 none of these laws have any value whatsoever before God, and so we have no obligation in conscience to obey them \u2026<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, but these laws saved thousands of lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was now living next door to a group of people who had adopted a despicable attitude I later realised was informed by the pseudo-morality of psychopathy. I spent the next year doing what I could to prevent them from treating coronavirus like the Gospel and spreading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1 \u2013 The SSPX \u2013 when a church goes COVID cult<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 1<\/span> (dated 29 April 2020)<\/sub> deals with my initial reaction and their initial community-endangering skulduggery. Pre-lockdown, after the legitimate Catholic Church closed down for the safety of the community, the SSPX congregation advertised themselves as the only Catholic church open in Cape Town, and crammed “very close to 100 people<\/em>” into their small chapel the next Sunday. They then proceeded to have secret Masses throughout lockdown. Many in the congregation also adopted conspiracy theories about COVID-19, including being antimaskers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2 \u2013 Update on SSPX sect\u2019s evasion of lockdown<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 2<\/span> (dated 12 June 2020)<\/sub> gives an update on the situation as it was in June 2020. Lockdown was in level 3, and singing (high risk for the spread of the virus) was not allowed unless done by a solo singer with the relevant precautions. The cleric, after sending a link to the regulations to his congregation, claimed not to know about this particular rule contained in those regulations. He subsequently told his congregation that singing wasn’t allowed because the devil hated their singing. Eventually, when they realised they could get away with it, they returned to full singing. A true pastor would have told them the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3 \u2013 Is the SSPX in schism from the Catholic Church?<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 3<\/span> is a more theoretical look at what their real status in the real Catholic Church is. I discuss whether or not the SSPX is in full schism, partial schism, or not in schism at all. Popes have used the phrases “schism<\/em>” and “recovery of full communion<\/em>” to describe the situation. They do appear to be in a rather unique position relative to the legitimate Catholic Church, neither like the Orthodox (schism) nor like the Dominicans (no schism).<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/a>
SSPX seminary, \u00c9c\u00f4ne, Switzerland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Part 4 \u2013 SSPX \u2013 the Dangers of a Cult Mentality<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 4<\/span> is another theoretical look at them, this time comparing them to a typical cult mentality. It turns out they fit the description. They certainly have their own version of the facts that doesn’t fit the Catholic version of them. Truth, it seems, is relative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 5 \u2013 The SSPX \u2013 COVID and religious quackery<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 5<\/span> looks at how religious\/theological quackery and medical\/scientific quackery go hand in hand. Fairly uniformly around the world, the SSPX has caused trouble with their quack COVID beliefs, and videos of Masses, from \u00c9c\u00f4ne to the bottom of Africa, show masklessness and disregard for social distancing. Pope Francis referred to priests like the SSPX cleric as adolescents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 6 \u2013 SSPX \u2013 turning ordinary Masses into funerals (how to)<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 6<\/span> (dated 2 Jan 2021)<\/sub> returns to their ongoing antics and reports on their attempts to have fake funerals in order to get their 50 people in legally and without concern for secrecy and such shenanigans. Their logic: Jesus died, this is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, and so all Masses can be considered to be funerals. One can pray for the once’s deceased loved ones at any time, and if the police catch you going to a chapel to do that with others who coincidentally happen to be there doing the same thing, you can just tell them you’re going to a funeral. The police were not stupid enough to fall for the fake funeral ploy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 7 \u2013 The Psychopathy of \u201cTraditionalist\u201d Catholicism<\/a><\/strong> [link]<\/sub><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part 7<\/span> closes off with my realisation that “traditionalist” Catholic moral reasoning is much like the rules one would put in place for a psychopath, showing how primitive their thinking really is when it comes to morals and theology.<\/p>\n\n\n

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St Joseph with Infant Christ in his Arms, by Guido Reni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Current status, March 2021<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They have now bought the Presbyterian church down the road<\/a> from their (old) chapel, and from 19 March 2021, all their Masses will be held at the new church, and the place next door to me will be empty. Still owned by them, and we’ll see what they do with it. But I won’t have their coven on my doorstep any longer. Thank you St Patrick and St Joseph!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few last loose ends to tie up. I continue to have enough insight into their future activities to keep me content and informed. I’ll have done what I could, and probably all I can do now is watch and pray. There may be a few more things needed after the current loose ends are tied up, and maybe I’ll add addenda to this page. Hopefully minor ones. Hopefully none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, there’s a quiz you can take.<\/span> Quiz time \u2013 SSPX and COVID<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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