you wrote: I know only that the pope has not recognized SSPX as anything but a schismatic group. He has admonished Catholics not to support it financially, to attend its services, or to lend it public support.
actually there has been posted numerous times on FR letters from various priests/Roman authorities that concede one can attend SSPX service provided schism is not intended on the part of the person and that one can even make a contribution to support them (Probably not real large though :))
Undoubtedly the Pope does not secretly agree 100% with SSPX. But the reality is the Pope has far worse problem: it's called the Western church which is has far too many frank heretics and perverts. JP II said Europe was undergoing apostasy (and that huge problem dwarfs the SSPX and occurred in the last 40 years of our New Pentecost-and I think we can agree it wasnt the SSPX's fault).
Its a complex situation, and not even all the parishoners who attend SSPX chapels(and except for a handful of 3rd order SSPX members, the laity are not members of the SSPX, but simpily Catholics) or even clergy are on the same page.
My take is if a indult is avilable in a convinent time and place, one has to attend there, if its the situation that one sees in the LA archdiocese, then attendence to a SSPX chapel can be justified as long as one does not get a schismatic mindset. Sadly Bp. Williamson and his ilk has severely poisoned the well.
IMHO, I actually suspect that SSPX will be the antidote to apostasy and heresy......