Davao City faithful cautioned on religious group

MANILA, Philippines - The Archdiocese of Davao has warned the local faithful against the presence of priests belonging to the Saint Pius X Society (SSPX), saying the religious group supposedly does not have canonical status in the Catholic Church.

The CBCPNews, official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla reported that the SSPX does not have a canonical status in the Church, thus its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries.

Quoting a letter from Pope Benedict XVI, Capalla said the SSPX’s status in the Church remains in question because of its rejection of certain portions of the Second Vatican Council.

“Though validly ordained, the priests do not have legal or canonical status on the local Church,” said the 77-year-old archbishop.

Capalla called on the clergy and the Catholic faithful not to participate in any of the SSPX ministries – Masses, teachings, and community work.

There are at least three SSPX priests residing and holding their ministry in Davao City’s Carpio Subdivision.

Organized by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1969, the SSPX has rejected modern rites of the liturgy and some portions of Vatican II documents, and questioned papal authority on several occasions.

In 1988, Lefebvre consecrated four bishops against the will of Pope John Paul II, a move Vatican declared a “schismatic act.”

He and the four bishops were excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1991.

But in December 2008, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication in hopes of SSPX restoring “full communion with the Church.”