An Outsider's Questions Regarding Orthodox and Latin Churches

[Lycurgus89]

I don't know where else to post this. I have two questions for two different churches. Please split them up and repost them if necessary, moderation.

I observed mass at a sspx chapel, since the nearest fssp was 80 miles away and there are no latin mass churches in my vicinity. I'm not any kind of christian, I'm just observing churches. Is going to sspx pointless? Are they in communion with Rome at all, on the cusp of excommunication, what's going on here? Please explain to me, as if you were speaking to an alien (with a rudimentary grasp of roman catholicism and modern dilemma).

Next question. There is an orthodox chapel 3 miles away. I looked them up, they are carpatho-rus (does that sound familiar). Do they believe Russia/Ukraine is sort of Holy Land? I am a very proud American of purely Scottish descent, and I know my country's history better than anyone I've met. That isn't bragging, its just a fact. So I'll be god damned three times over, before I attend a church which preaches any loyalty to any nation besides my own (or loyalty to any King besides Jesus). Other than that, they seem like nice regular people.

Thank you, that's all.

 

[thecolorsblend]

I observed mass at a sspx chapel, since the nearest fssp was 80 miles away and there are no latin mass churches in my vicinity. I'm not any kind of christian, I'm just observing churches. Is going to sspx pointless? Are they in communion with Rome at all, on the cusp of excommunication, what's going on here? Please explain to me, as if you were speaking to an alien (with a rudimentary grasp of roman catholicism and modern dilemma).

Long story short, my understanding is a Catholic who is in communion with the Pope can attend Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament at his local SSPX chapel, if he wants.

But the way I look at it, just because you can do something doesn't mean it's to be done. As things stand, it is my understanding that SSPX Mass is both valid and licit. However, communion between SSPX and the Catholic Church remains ruptured.

I found some Catholic Answers radio stuff that may shed some light on this for you.

The Status of the Society of St. Pius X (Part 1)

The Status of the Society of St. Pius X (Part 2)

If you have an affinity for Latin, I understand. Believe me, I understand. I was welcomed into the Church thanks to an FSSP priest. I love the Latin! But personally, I would rather not attend Mass at an SSPX chapel because I don't like the optics of it.

Separately, I would recommend taking the curse word out of your post. The mods might not like that very much.

 

[Lycurgus89]

Ok, thank you @thecolorsblend. So, if I want to observe a latin mass, with the intent of becoming christian, then I should probably get a hotel room and attend at the fssp church almost a state away. Otherwise, just go to a regular mass right here. I always had "latin mass = catholic" in my head, so its weird to me I can't find that in a catholic city like mine.

There is a parish church which performs latin mass, in a city about 40 miles away, much closer, but they've suspended these on account of the plague, in order to keep traffic at a bare minimum people. Also, I just want to say the sspx people were a welcoming bunch and seemed very religious. I hope things go well for them.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Ok, thank you @thecolorsblend. So, if I want to observe a latin mass, with the intent of becoming christian, then I should probably get a hotel room and attend at the fssp church almost a state away. Otherwise, just go to a regular mass right here. I always had "latin mass = catholic" in my head, so its weird to me I can't find that in a catholic city like mine.

There is a parish church which performs latin mass, in a city about 40 miles away, much closer, but they've suspended these on account of the plague, in order to keep traffic at a bare minimum people. Also, I just want to say the sspx people were a welcoming bunch and seemed very religious. I hope things go well for them.

I'm not saying you should take such drastic steps. I'm simply saying I wouldn't attend Mass at an SSPX chapel. But as I say above, Mass offered by SSPX is valid and licit.

It sounds like you're pretty interested in the Latin Mass. You may already know that it's highly popular, especially among people our age.

There has been some pretty amazing growth with the TLM since Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum. What that means is it will probably come much closer to your home before too long. The growth has been impressive. When I was welcomed into the Church, there was only one nearby parish offering the TLM.

But today, Latin Mass is available at six different parishes within forty miles of my home. Two of those are less than twenty miles away. I still trade occasional texts with the FSSP priest sometimes.

Good luck!

 

[Lukaris]

The Carpathian Russian Orthodox Church chapel you noticed is a canonical American Orthodox Church (known informally as ACROD).American Orthodox Churches retain their old world origins because there is not a single Orthodox patriarch of America. Anyway, the website for ACROD is: American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America | ACROD.org Home

I belong to the Antiochian Orthodox Church of North America; we trace ourselves to the Church of Antioch in Syria (as per Acts of the Apostles 11:26). Other prominent American Orthodox Churches are the OCA, Greek Orthodox etc. ( see: Orthodox Church in America. Home - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

There are some false groups closing to be “Orthodox” on the internet. The American Orthodox bishops in communion can be found here: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America

I am an American of Syrian descent & English, Welsh, & Irish ancestries. I was raised Protestant but left Christianity for my adult life but returned to faith & found Orthodoxy. My father was born Orthodox but his father moved his family out of the Church in the 1940s. I decided to check out the parish my father was raised in & have been Orthodox since 2005.

 

[Lycurgus89]

Thank you, I wouldn't have known where to look for these resources.

 

[Lukaris]

Thank you, I wouldn't have known where to look for these resources.

May God bless and fulfill your faith. I presume you know the respective Orthodox ( The Ancient Way) & Catholic ( One Bread One Body) subforums within Christian Forums. I think Philippians 4:8 is a good guideline for inquiring into the faith to discern where there is good among different Christians & still finding what the absolute truth one must find in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.