Our Response to the 'Public Notice Concerning "The Society of Saint Pius X"' issued by the Archdiocese of Tokyo
Your Excellency, the Most Reverend Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD, Archbishop of Tokyo,
and to all beloved brothers and sisters in the Catholic Tokyo Archdiocese,
Greetings in Our Lord Jesus Christ!
We would like to clarify the following points regarding the '''Public Notice Concerning "The Society of Saint Pius X"' issued by the Archdiocese of Tokyo on October 1, 2020:
With regard to the Society of Saint Pius X
The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) (known in Japanese as "Sei Pio Jissei Shisai Kyodai Kai") is a Catholic society established on November 1, 1970 in the diocese of Fribourg, Switzerland, in accordance with the ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church. Since its establishment, it has expanded its apostolate to the whole world in response to the requests of the Catholic faithful.
* The priests of the Society of Saint Pius X are validly ordained and offer Traditional Latin Masses. In their masses, they recite the name of the Holy Father Pope Francis and the name of the local ordinary (in the Tokyo Archdiocese, Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD) during the Canon. Pope Benedict XVI declared in his Motu Propriio 'Summorum Pontificum' that all Catholic priests have a right to offer the Traditional Mass, because the Traditional Mass has never been abolished.
* The priests of the Society of Saint Pius X validly administer the Sacrament of Penance. The Holy Father Pope Francis declared in his Apostolic Letter 'Misericordia et Misera' that the priests of the Society of Saint Pius X have the right to administer the Sacrament of Penance to the Catholic faithful in the whole world. This 'measure' has been extended indefinitely.
* The priests of the Society of Saint Pius X validly administer the Sacrament of Marriage. This is evident as the Holy Father Pope Francis has requested the bishops of the entire world for their cooperation in this matter.
It has been shown, therefore, that the Holy Father Pope Francis has endeavored not to distance the Catholic faithful from the Society of Saint Pius X, but rather judged it fit to be of spiritual help to the faithful and administer the Sacraments.
* It is true that the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith of the Holy See considers "they [the ministers of the Society of Saint Pius X] have been freed from ecclesiastical punishment" (i.e., not under any sanction). However, regarding its position that "the SSPX do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church," we have a different view. Just as it was legitimate for Our Lord to do a good miracle on Sabbath (while the scribes and Pharisees condemned it as illegitimate), we believe the apostolate of the Society of Saint Pius X is legitimate and good.
* When the Archbishop of Tokyo declares "their [SSPX's] activities are independent and free," and "it is not recommended at this time for Catholics to participate in SSPX masses," what he tacitly admits is that the priests of the SSPX are true Catholic priests working freely and independently from the Archdiocese of Tokyo, that the masses of the SSPX are true Catholic masses, and that even though he does not recommend the faithful of the Tokyo Archdiocese participate in the masses of the SSPX, he does not really prohibit such participation.
* We believe, as Pope Benedict XVI confirmed, that this Traditional Mass, which has never been abolished, is the one that reflects the true faith and doctrine of the Catholic Church. This Traditional Mass is truly the mass offered by St Peter and St Paul, the mass offered by St Francis Xavier in Japan, and the mass that the Japanese hidden Christians had waited for more than 200 years. Unfortunately, there is currently no other Catholic church in Japan where this Traditional mass is regularly offered.
* The Society of Saint Pius X is a society of the Roman Catholic Church and the principal purpose of its establishment is the formation of holy priests for the Catholic Church. At the same time, the SSPX has been passing on, to the Catholic faithful, the unchangeable faith, teaching and traditional Sacraments which have been passed on to us from the Apostles throughout the past two thousand years in the Catholic Church. For that purpose, the SSPX denounces, as the need arises, any discontinuity from the Tradition as proposed by some since the Second Vatican Council, or any other teaching incompatible with the Tradition.
With regard to the measures for prevention of Covid-19 infection
The Society of Saint Pius X respects not only natural life, but also supernatural life. From this standpoint, we believe that, especially when lives are more and more endangered, it is essential and urgent that Catholic faithful have access to Sunday masses and Sacrament of Penance, more than essential daily activities or medical care. Therefore, by ensuring that we take appropriate anti-infection measures in accordance with the policy and guidance of the Japanese government, we are continuing to offer public Traditional Masses every Sunday in Tokyo and Osaka, by the grace, the benediction and the mercy of God.
Please note that this was not intended to go against the measures taken by the Tokyo Archdiocese to suspend public masses within its jurisdiction, but we have simply continued to do what we have been doing for the past thirty years. The Society of Saint Pius X has always been conducting its apostolate and offering its masses with the protection of the spiritual lives of the Catholic faithful as first priority. This is to provide spiritual graces and help to those who need the spiritual assistance of the SSPX.
Currently, the Society of Saint Pius X offers three Traditional Masses every Sunday in Tokyo at this location:
Location:
Akebonocho Kaikan,
1-12-5, Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Mass times:
09:00, 11:00, 12:30
We would like to invite everyone in the Catholic Tokyo Archdiocese to our masses so that they can experience by themselves the Traditional liturgy.
"What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place." - Benedict XVI.
If you would like to know more about the Society of Saint Pius X, its history, activities, positions and their reasons, please see its official website (https://fsspx.org/en) or this blog 'Cred idimus Caritati.'
Fr Thomas Onoda (Priest of the Society of Saint Pius X)
Fr Onoda at the SSPX chapel in Osaka
