Question Corner

Why is it that when the SSPX says Mass, it’s only illicit, but now going to confession with them would be not only illicit but also invalid?

I used to be supportive of the SSPX and have regularly attended Mass at their chapels at different points in my life. How do I know if I’m excommunicated now?

The short answer is that your priest isn’t offering Mass for the people of the parish because he personally wanted to or because he thought it was a good idea (although he probably is happy to do this and praying for the people of the parish is indeed a good idea)! Rather, he was offering this specific Mass intention because the Church’s canon law specifically requires him to do so.

“Non-Catholic wedding” is a very broad term that can refer to a number of scenarios. In some of these scenarios, there is no reason why a Catholic, even a Catholic priest or deacon, should feel the need to decline an invitation to attend as a guest. But other “non-Catholic weddings” would be more of a concern.

Hypothetically, what would happen if the bishop accidentally left out the part of the ordination Mass where the future priest promises celibacy? That wouldn’t mean that the new priest was actually free to marry, would it?

When Jesus comes again to judge us all, how public will this be? As in, will everyone know each other’s sins when this happens?

Now it occurs to me that since I didn’t say my penance right away, my confession was invalid and I shouldn’t have received Communion at Mass. Is this a new sin I need to confess?