The SSPX Crisis and the Vatican: Episcopal Consecrations, Ecclesial Authority, and Catholic Tradition
©2026 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Table of Contents Introduction Few controversies in modern Catholic history have proven as enduring, emotionally charged, and theologically consequential as the conflict between the Holy See and the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). Founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the SSPX emerged as a reaction against liturgical reforms, […]
Denunciation
If your bishop or priest is an embarrassment because of his unfaithfulness to Church doctrine or Canon Law, you can file a Formal Denunciation against him under Canon Law. In order to do this, you must have ABSOLUTE PROOF that he is guilty of an offence under the law. A false denunciation can result in […]
What are the Catholic Laws on Marriage and Divorce?
The Catholic attitude on marriage is not debatable for anyone who is really willing to live by the doctrine of the Scriptures. Here are some of the Biblical references to marriage: “Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she […]
Abortion & Excommunication
Colin B. Donovan, STL The way the excommunication for abortion works is this: Canon 1398 provides that, “a person who procures a successful abortion incurs an automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication.” This means that at the very moment that the abortion is successfully accomplished, the woman and all formal conspirators are excommunicated. An abortion is defined […]
Excommunication as a Restorative Measure
COMMENTARY by FATHER BRIAN MULLADY, OP Why excommunicate people? Is this not a strange holdover from the medieval Church? Excommunication is a punitive device on the part of the Church and is more than merely denying holy Communion. It also publicly rebukes and shames the person. The cause for excommunication is explicitly “obstinate persistence in manifest grave […]
Abortion Reminder
The Catholic Church opposes all forms of abortion procedures whose direct purpose is to destroy a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus, since it holds that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights […]
Meatless Friday.
Contrary to common misconception, abstinence from meat on Fridays throughout the year has never been abolished from Roman law. It was not abolished by Vatican II. It was not abolished by Pope Paul VI or Pope St. John Paul II. It was not abolished by the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It remains the universal […]
Divorce in Canon Law and Holy Scripture
Divorce, in canon law, signifies the dissolution of the marriage bond or the permanent separation of the parties, the bond remaining. A valid Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any cause except death. Mal. 2:14-16 – You ask, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness to the covenant […]
What are the rights and Freedoms Guaranteed by the Code of Canon Law?
Here is a short listing of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Code. The sections of the Code are largely determined by these headings as categories, under which specific legislation can be found. 1. The fundamental equality of all Christians based on baptism, and equality and dignity in action; the right and freedom to […]
What are some of the differences between the 1917 Code of Canon Law and the 1983 version?
The 1917 Code listed the rights of clerics (cc. 118-144), religious (cc. 592-631) and the holders of certain offices. However, there was little mention of the rights of all the faithful. There was no description in the 1917 Code of just what rights all Catholics possessed in the Church. By contrast, the 1983 Code contains […]