SSPX to Simply Catholic: the Truth Set Clelia Free

[@ElizabethFreire1]

Dear Clelia, thank you for sharing your experience with such sincerity and integrity. God bless you! I'm Brazilian, cradle Catholic, and listening to your experiences of the faith in the US is quite amazing, because here in Brazil we experience the Church very differently. We love Pope Francis, we have never used this "novus ordus" terminology, we simply love the Church as it is. Nowadays, because of the internet and social media, some Brazilian youth and being enticed into this radtrad views, Latin Mass and so on, but it is not part of our normal Church life at all. We love the Mass as it is, Vatican II, Pope Francis, and we evangelize by loving our neighbors, we do strive to be Cirineus as you said, helping to carry each other crosses, and we rejoice in our faith, because God is Love, that is what our priests preach mostly.

[@storytimewithauntmonica955]

I love when she says that about praying the creed out loud in your own language- the psychological impact is pretty profound vs listening to someone else say it in another language (1:33:32)

[@clelia8885]

It is definitely very profound! I was always taught it was so much better to pray in Latin, but the impact of praying in the language I speak every day seems to make it from the heart so much more. Words have meaning and speaking words aloud that mean something to us is beautiful.

[@AnaMT1985]

Thanks Clelia for doing this interview. It’s no small thing to come out and talk about the reality of what goes on in the SSPX, especially when you have family still in the cult.

[@clelia8885]

I thought I would be very anxious about speaking on the topic but God gave me so much conviction that it is something I must do and that He can bring good from! Thank you for your comment ❤

[@Iosve]

GREAT talk The ICKSP comment and issues in the community is soooo enlightening. My wife and I left and avoid anything TLM because what we hated about SSPX, beyond canonical issues, was at the ICKSP too!!! Wow I feel better knowing I wasn’t alone

[@blackriflehomestead]

1:49:04 yes!! We were having a family discussion today about the errors of traditionalism and the way I see things is, I just want to stay in my lane! It doesn’t mean I don’t care about the wider world of Catholicism but most of it I have no control over, so why waste time hemming and hawing over things/people I can’t control? Also, my husband and I are our kids are currently parishioners at St. Isidore’s in Manhattan! Hubby is stationed out of Ft. Riley and we’ll be moving next year, but we love St. Isidore’s and the 2 priests. Our second and third sons were baptized here, and the faith is ALIVE! Anyone who says the Church is dying has not been to this parish. There’s 100-200 students at DAILY Mass! Also, the new church that was recently finished is stunning!! Come by for a visit sometime!

[@clelia8885]

We visited St Isidore’s when we were last in the area !! The renovations are gorgeous, and yes, the Faith is alive and yes, there were so many college students at Mass! It was nice going again to Mass there as it was actually the first place I ever attended the NO.

[@SurrenderNovena]

Thank you so much Laura & Clelia for bringing so much light and clarity on the SSPX. In addition to being in schism there are many cultish elements in the SSPX that can also be found in other Catholic groups to a lesser (and not schismatic) degree, but that are still harmful. Really appreciate both of you bringing this out into the open. I'm certain it will be of benefit to a great many people.

[@andrewbartel12]

Thank you for sharing your journey into the full life of the Church with us, Clelia.

[@clelia8885]

Hoping it can help people ! I meant to mention you during the John Salza and Logos project but your name slipped my mind 😅 Your story to the fullness of the church was the first one I heard and I remember thinking, wait, there are other people going through similar things, not just me ! So thank you as well!

[@christinezallo]

Thank you Clelia! You are helping so many, God bless your courage. I hope to see you at the women's conference in Syracuse on Nov. 11. I want to help all of the young people that come to the TLM at Transfiguration.. I see a danger when they fall into the Rad Trad way of thinking. I pray for their protection from going too far into the negative world of traditionalism. They don't realize how much good they have been given growing up with the English Mass. I also see the danger of once exposed to the TLM, that they can be sucked into the SSPX web which is pullling Catholics out of their parishes in our area. I admire that you and Andrew are supporting your local parish. Please keep us all in your prayers.

[@clelia8885]

Hi!! I miss you, I am hoping to go to the women’s conference in November! I agree, it is very hard watching all these well meaning, eager, young people go from appreciating the Latin Mass to being sucked into the SSPX world and saying all the things many of us said at one point. Will definitely keep you in our prayers !! And we are very blessed with the parish in town we attend.

[@magdalenehagey4079]

They couldn't possibly be excommunicated for denying and defying the authority of Rome, but *you* could be excommunicated for homeschooling! 🤦‍♀️

[@Joliebebe2001]

Yep. Amazing .

[@eileenmcmahan150]

This was so excellent! I have added to my “must read” book list!

[@clelia8885]

Thank you Eileen!!

[@victoria9381]

​@@clelia8885Can you maybe give a list of all the books you mentioned?

[@Ashley-li5yv]

What a lovely experience Clelia has had with a regular mass! Im just struck with sadness that most of the people in the parish I grew up in didn't believe in the True presence of Christ

[@lesliehanson6614]

Thank you for sharing your journeys! I often attend a licit Latin Diocesan Mass now, but we raised our family of 7 in the Novus Ordo, and are now back in the choir at our Novus Ordo Parish since the Covid situation ended. God told me to start covering my head in Mass again, back in the 70s! We finally did in the 90s when our oldest daughter came home from Christendom College encouraging me. Once I gathered everything together, I and my 5 daughters all appeared together with our heads covered and most of us have continued. But, if I end up at Mass without my mantilla, (and I do periodically wear hats!), I am fine! Often I am only one of a few people but feel like I need to be faithful to God's personal prompting from reading in Corinthians. I never find myself in a judgmental position about most things Novus Ordo folks do. We have seen so many positive changes over the years. I was born in 1951, so I have experienced it all! Our main altar got moved back to the center a few years ago and now we have new communion rails! I am so thrilled. Our choir director has always had us do enough Latin music, we can sing for a Latin High Mass. Best of both worlds! Thank you Clelia for all the wonderful book suggestions! We have been reading a lot as well, helping our youngest son bring his girlfriend into the Church. You have given me quite a few ideas about other books to read. And Laura, I love seeing and hearing your kids! Thank you for pushing through this important work while you are a busy mom of young ones! Oh, and we live in Veneta, OR, one of the SSPX headquarters, with a school, convent, cemetery and beautiful church and campus; so we have had many encounters and experiences with all of this. I am so thankful for the recent clarity that we have needed since the 80s, about this horribly divisive issue!! We have lost and gained friends over it all. We also traveled through St. Marys, a number of years ago, and entertained with our family music group, plus ran a couple of family dances, knowing a number of families there. And now, know quite a few that have gotten out of there! God bless and welcome home!

[@clelia8885]

Thank you for commenting, and for sticking it out with Mother Church through her struggles. And yes there have been many positive changes through the years that most people who have isolated themselves away in trad communities are very unaware of! I hope one day I am able to veil again without the mindset I was raised with sneaking back in. I hope you enjoy all the new reading material !

[@wisewoman7]

I read recently that when St. Paul was writing to the early Greek Christians regarding women wearing headcoverings, he mentioned 'all women' because according to *their* custom, only 'respectable' women were allowed to wear a headcovering. There were 'church ladies' back then (nothing new under the sun) who were trying to prevent Christian women who were not considered 'respectable'- slaves or repentant prostitutes- from wearing headcoverings. So Paul was simply addressing the custom in their area at that particular time- ancient Greece. That made so much sense to me. I forget where I read it (obscure Catholic article I presume) so do not have a citation. I'll have to search for it. Just thought I'd share.

[@Carlos-M]

I've said this on another video, but I'm really struck by how some of the problems identified with SSPX school were exactly the same ones I encountered in my bog standard Novus Ordo Catholic school upbringing. Memorize facts, follow rules, nobody ever tells you why, this year's lesson being the same as last one's except with slightly more information. Almost exactly the same except there wasn't the pants vs skirts debate I suppose lol. Very interesting how trad communities have largely the same problems I experienced, at least education wise. That tells me there's something more fundamental that all of us Catholics have in common that we need to work on.

[@clelia8885]

Very interesting, I’ve heard from friends I’ve made in the NO that they had similar experiences in formation as well. I’ve noticed that there seems to be a big push for how to talk to teenagers and young adults about the faith after the initial (and necessary) memorization part. The catechism of 1992 does an excellent job diving deeper and I hope parents start to realize that their adolescents are capable of understanding God and His church beyond the rules. A big difference though between trad communities and diocesan parishes is that the trad communities reject the new catechism entirely (I know of a family who was told by an SSPX priest to burn their new catechisms). My husband is a catechist at our diocesan parish and it is encouraging to me that they really try to emphasize relationship with Jesus and that they utilize the tools the church has given us.

[@Carlos-M]

@@clelia8885 thanks for your reply and also for sharing your story. Actually this problem goes way beyond religion classes in my experience, and is a broader problem with modern education. On a related note, someone gifted us a bedtime story book a couple of years back, it's a story about a girl and her friends who "love science and adventure". The book was full of "sciencey" bits all over it; people wearing lab coats, hi tech gadgets, pets named after famous scientists. But no hint of actual science in it. In the story the girls were in the woods when their GPS failed, so they... got out their camera. That really irrirated me. Using a hi-tech gadget is not doing science, much less substituting a failed gadget with another gadget. Kind of reminded me about all the forgettable religiousy stories told during Catholic school. There will be a priest or nun and a church and a bible and some candles. People or pets will be named after saints, then there will be some cliche moral about whatever - taking care of the poor or the sick or the environment. Not exactly bad things but comes off as more bourgeois than Catholic. When much later, I read the actual Gospels, or the unabridged versions of the lives of the saints, it was a revelation! Really quite shocking for me!

[@scopeguy]

I converted to Orthodox several years ago, then converted to Catholic a little while, but I'm not really very comfortable with the EMHC stuff because I think it opens up for abuses easier than if it's just the priest or deacon. I think it's the same a little bit with the standing and receiving in the hand.

[@clelia8885]

I do agree that EMHC are used way more than they need to be (for example, daily Mass), but I try to look at it as something the church allows and something where, when changes are made to it, it should come from the priest to the faithful. There are a number of parishes I’ve been to that I can’t attend regularly for practical reasons that don’t use them at all, and I think that the number of those parishes is increasing. Any time it does start to really bother me, I try to just give it to God.

[@scopeguy]

@@clelia8885 something I really wish I had listening to people like you that grew up with the religion, even if it was imperfect at times, is being able to talk about God and Jesus like you do. I was raised in various Protestant churches, but it never really stuck, then like I said I converted to EO because I didn't really want what was going on in V2 land, then with a friend's help realized I was wrong. During COVID I backslid, and recently was reconciled, but still don't have the language. Catholicism is mostly intellectual for me, sure I pray, but I don't really know how to have that kind of feeling with the religion.

[@clelia8885]

@@scopeguy I was not able to talk about God and Jesus this way until the last couple years. It takes work and prayer and study, but at the heart of it is personal one on one relationship with God, and Him in the Eucharist. One book that really helped me was “I believe in love” (it’s a personal retreat based off of Story of A Soul). Also reading Scott Hahn and Brant Pitre helped immensely. It was very hard to talk about God until I changed my perspective of Him, and formed a better idea of my relationship to Him. Ask Him to help you as well, He desires relationship with us, a relationship that goes beyond worship at Mass. It is an intimacy hard to explain but involves baring one’s soul to God. He wants us as we are and will take us as we are and raise that and perfect us. The changes He decides to make within us are hard sometimes and it can definitely be challenging to trust Him with ourselves. But He created us out of love and intends for us to be with Him in eternity and to see Him face to face. If you are chasing God, He is chasing you so much more.

[@zahzahzee]

What was the book she recommends for trads?

[@murielkinsella3526]

While I agree essentially with your promotion of Catholic unity, I think in many of your videos you're inclined to lack objectivity in your critique of traditionalism, and especially in relation to SSPX. From about 2018, I began to feel very uneasy about what was coming out of Rome. I had always up to this, defended everything the Holy Father said and did. I attended the canonisation of the children of Fatima and genuinely tried to muster within myself the same enthusiasm and love that Popes Benedict and John Paul had engendered in me. From a small child I had always felt a great feeling of security, love and pride in the pope. On the occasion of the canonisation of the children I followed the pope mobile in order to get a close view of him. I was, after all, near to the Holy Father, Christ's Vicar on earth. I still regard him as that, but no amount of 'popesplaining' can convince me now that the Church is not in crises and things have not got better during this pontificate. The crises has, in fact, got worse It was just before COVID that I asked a priest whether it was permitted that I attend the TLM in SSPX. He assured me it was. I will never forget the beauty of that first High Mass. It was simply out of this world. During COVID, the SSPX continued to offer spiritual sustinance to it's flock when most of the parish churches followed every minute regulation set down by the government. One could do ones' shopping in garden centres but could not attend Mass. How sad is that? SSPX continued to keep things going until shut down by the police. Interestingly for me, it was the shut down of SSPX that brought me to one of the most reverent and pastoral parishes in Dublin. The priests are Opus Dei, and while I have no attraction to the lay charism , I cannot speak highly enough of their priests. I'm now involved in the parish through the Legion of Mary and consider myself one of the congregation. I still attend TLM when I can, not always in SSPX, and not on a Sunday , but with a priest who celebrates both. In conclusion, and to return to the main point, I'm saddened by some of the hurtful comments made by the pope against traditionalists. For a pope whose pontificate is centred on pastoral care - " reaching out to the margins", how often does he reserve his nastiest comments for the 'rigid', 'pharisaical' traditionalists. It's very demeaning and demoralising, and hardly pastoral. My experience of SSPX has been very positive, and while I'm very happy to have discovered my present parish church, I'll always be grateful to them. Strangely enough, the Holy Father seems to reserve his censure for the traditional movement within the Church rather than SSPX.

[@lisaharmon8401]

It is important to distinguish between "tradition" and "traditionalism". Here in SM, where this girl is from, the "ism and"ist" aspect of tradition is in full force, full toxicity, and full of the lies imparted by past culture. There were problems in the NO too, abuses, but those were abuses, not supposed to occur, even according to Vatican 2, but the people in my hometown who had the words and knowledge to object to the abuses left for the sspx an hour and a half away, to participate in what I now realize are even graver errors, because there is no one and no hierarchy in a position to correct the abuses imposed by the cultural practices that are presented as 'the Catholic Faith"

[@apisDei]

The gaslighting is unreal

[@andrewrolwes6034]

This is next-level gaslighting: gatekeeping.

[@javaman8895]

I know you are referring to the speakers but the gaslighting by the SSPX and their apologists is a whole ‘nuther level of unreality. We’re Catholic, they’re not. We put up pictures of the pope and include him and the local ordinary in the canon, but we do not obey or respect their authority to govern. Sounds a bit schizophrenic to me.