The bishop of Arlington, Virginia, recently announced the establishment of a chaplaincy led by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) to support those wanting to attend the Traditional Latin Mass.
A response to a pastoral need, the establishment begins July 1 — the same day that the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which also celebrates the Latin Mass, intends to consecrate new bishops without the Pope’s permission, risking automatic excommunication for all involved clergy and schism.
The Arlington diocese announced June 19 that the chaplaincy established by Bishop Michael Burbidge is under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory and is intended “to serve the needs of those who attend Mass and desire to receive other sacraments in the Extraordinary Form.”
Two FSSP priests, Father Jonathan Romanoski and Father John Audino, will serve in the chaplaincy, which is not a parish, and will be able “to live the fraternity that is part of the FSSP charism” and serve mainly in Front Royal while also ministering in other areas of the diocese.
An FSSP priest — who was not named in the announcement — has already been celebrating Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Arlington for several years, so the new chaplaincy formalizes what the diocese described as “an arrangement that had already been in place unofficially for some time.” Additionally, the diocese noted that the new chaplaincy will not affect the celebration of the Latin Mass already in place at three parishes and five non-parish church locations.
The diocese also acknowledged differences between the FSSP and SSPX, stating: “The FSSP is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right, erected by the Holy See and in full communion with the Church, in contrast to the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which remains in a state of irregular communion.”
The SSPX’s situation may worsen on July 1, as the Vatican’s doctrinal chief has warned that the SSPX’s planned episcopal ordinations “will constitute ‘a schismatic act’ and ‘formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offence against God and entails the excommunication established under Church law.’”
The shift from “irregular communion” to risks of schism and excommunication poses a concerning situation not only for the involved clergy but for the Catholics who attend SSPX parishes, many of whom may seek to leave the parish but still desire to attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
The Arlington diocese statement noted, “Since the priests of the FSSP have the faculty, granted them by a decree of Pope Francis on February 11, 2022, to celebrate the Mass and the sacraments in the Extraordinary Form with the consent of the Ordinary of the place, this arrangement enables the faithful, in keeping with Traditionis Custodes, to be able to participate in the celebration of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.”
The current diocesan policy about this celebration remains in effect, the diocese added.
It said, “The celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony in the Extraordinary Form is for those individuals/families who have a particular pastoral connection to the community and who participate regularly in this form of the liturgy with the consent of the local pastor and the local ordinary.”
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