But Is Mel Gibson Catholic?

Pangaeus ^

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Mahony and several other US Bishops are in de facto schism.

Many dioceses allege to be in union with Rome but practice whatever they please. Then there's the SSPX who pledge loyalty, practice Catholicism and are at least honest about their disobedience to Rome in certain conditions.

At least I know the SSPX are Catholic. I'll go there before I set foot in the TajMahony.

[drstevej]

***I can't imagine him submitting his movie to the Vatican if he thought the chair of Peter was unoccupied.***

Good observation

[B Knotts]

I don't disagree, particularly in the spirit of the thing. I was just wondering if he was kind of getting by on a technicality.

[sydney smith]

Are you Milanese? Was the Ambrosian rite the rite of the western world? Anyway it's not the "rite" that is the only issue. Lex orandi, lex credendi. You don't understand yet. When you mature in the Faith I think you will.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

If you had only two choices for Sunday Mass, an SSPX Mass or a Mass at the TajMahony complete with dancing girls, hand holding and bongo drums, which would you attend?

[Coleus]

Yes, that is true; however, only a priest under a bishop can perform the sacraments. In Gibson's case, the priest can not perform sacraments since he's not in concert with the Holy See.

[Salvation]

The references to the SSPX were in one of the first threads about Gibson and his movie.

But then should we believe everything we read in a thread?

[Salvation]

**Not likely, many bishops have barred it from their dioceses, and the number of staff who actually know how to say traditional mass is pretty small.**

Where are you getting this information? And speaking in generalities, too? MANY bishops??

I can speak for this diocese and there are several parishes where I could attend a Latin Mass. I choose not to.

[Salvation]

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliever us from evil. Amen"

Your mouth has you going down the wrong path here, friend. Only God can be the judge of these people. You can not speak knowingly about the state of their souls -- unless you are their confessor, and then you would be breaking the seal of confession.

Clean up your language, please.

[Land of the Irish]

In researching Mel Gibson's mass attendance, no one resource specifically used the acronym SSPX.

So why did you imply it in your response to Salvation? Ever heard of SSPV or the the others?

[welfareworker]

Where are you getting this information? And speaking in generalities, too? MANY bishops??

According to ecclesiadei.org, 120 dioceses have at least one traditional mass. That leave 57 dioceses with exactly zero traditional masses allowed. And even in those with the traditional mass, e.g. Pittsburgh, they are few and far apart. In the 6 county Pittsburgh diocese , there is a grand total of one parish with the traditional mass.

[ultima ratio]

Here is what you're missing. Refusal to obey authority is always contingent on what is commanded. No authority has the right to command someone to do what is evil--for example, to do something enormously damage to the faith. Not even a pope may command this. If he does, he must be disobeyed. This is why Canon Law explicitly exempts from punishment anyone morally inculpable.

[ultima ratio]

damage=damaging

[rogator]

"I can speak for this diocese and there are several parishes where I could attend a Latin Mass. I choose not to."

The USCCB link at the archdiocesan web site lists only one Sunday Latin Mass in the diocese, the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Birgetta's. If you know of several, I would sure like to know where they are.
By the way, no adjacent diocese north of Sacramento has a regularly scheduled Sunday Latin Mass according to this link.

[nmh]

Does anyone really care?

Also what diffrence does it make? ZILCHO! Either the movie is accurate or it is not. This has nothing to do with his "religion".

[ultima ratio]

Hi, all. Just dropped in for a short visit. Anything about this film intrigues me. It has God's "fingerprints" all over it.

[Tantumergo]

"In Gibson's case, the priest can not perform sacraments since he's not in concert with the Holy See."

A lot of people seem to be jumping to this conclusion, but it is not necessarily the case.

There is nothing to stop anybody building a chapel anywhere they want to. The Catholic Church in my country survived through penal times because private families had chapels built in their homes and estates.

Some of these continue to be used now for Traditional Masses where the local bishop or priest is not prepared to make diocesan Churches available (I'm sure they fail to see the irony of the situation!)

Gibson could quite feasibly be inviting priests in good standing to come and say the old Mass at his chapel. I know several orthodox N.O. priests who will travel miles to say the old Mass where there is a need to be met.

Until someone finds out the facts about which priest(s) are serving the chapel, no-one should jump to any conclusions about whether he is "schismatic" or not.

[drstevej]

I am anxious to see the film and trust it will be used of the Lord. I do respect Mel's courage and perseverance in bringing it about.

[Domestic Church]

Gibson might well be canonized in the future...I wouldn't want to have to explain to St.Peter that "Mel Gibson is NOT Catholic".

[ultima ratio]

I care. By their fruits you will know them. Gibson is a traditional Catholic. The film is the fruit of his profound faith--a faith nurtured by Tradition. What, besides scandals and equivocation, have been the fruits of the Novus Ordo Church?