The Kansas Reflector reported earlier this summer that The Society of Saint Pius X (“SSPX”) has divided the small Kansas town of St. Marys between those who view the church’s influence as idyllic or disturbing, with the church holding substantial spiritual, social and political influence in the community.
The late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the SSPX in 1970 following changes from the Vatican aimed at modernizing the church. In 1978, SSPX arrived in St. Marys, Kansas, and by 2023, it finished construction of a 66,400-square-foot, $42 million church building known as Immaculata – the largest SSPX-built church in the world.
The SSPX rejects many modern ways of living, requiring modest dress for women, enforcing strict divisions between genders and encouraging large families. Interestingly, following the SSPX’ 1978 arrival in St. Marys, the town’s population increased to 2,800 persons — a 50% jump since 1980 and in sharp contrast to declining populations in other rural Kansas communities.
Of concern are reports of alleged, clergy-focused sexual abuse against its parishioners, including children, over a period of many years, with investigations at both the national and local level beginning in earnest during 2020, but with no apparent charges or convictions resulting.
The Kansas Reflector article may be read in full HERE.
The SSPX District for the USA’s website describes the organization as a society of Catholic priests, with its main objective being the formation of holy priests, and a living witness of the fertility of Catholic tradition throughout the world by continually building new churches, schools and seminaries.
As a ‘breakaway sect’ from the established Roman Catholic Church currently under the papacy of Pope Francis, the SSPX has been a difficult situation for the Vatican since 1988 when four Catholic priests were consecrated as bishops at the International Seminary of Saint Pius X in violation of canonical law. The bishops were subsequently excommunicated for the schismatic act; however, the excommunications were remitted in 2009. Talks between the society and the Holy See are at an impasse, and the Holy See considers that the society has broken away from communion with the Catholic Church. Wikipedia has several pages regarding SSPX, including HERE.
My brothers and sisters, as even numerous FGGAM articles from the recent past attest, the issue of sexual sin, including allegations of child sexual abuse, are far too common in churches – whether Catholic or Protestant! The acts perpetrated upon children can have emotional impact for a lifetime and upon future generations, and reflect the seriousness of sexual sin.
God designed male and female bodies to allow them to come together in an act of physical intimacy joining them for life and allowing for procreation, as they are no longer two, but one flesh:
Mark 10:6-9 (NKJV)
“But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh [emphasis mine]. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
The bible is clear that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are commanded to flee from sexual immorality:
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NKJV)
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [emphases mine] who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1 Thessalonians 4:2-4 (NKJV)
Abstain from Sexual Immorality
“…for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor…”.
According to the bible, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and those who do not repent of their sins and believe upon the name of Jesus, including those who sin sexually, risk the ‘second death’ in the lake of fire:
John 14:6 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Revelation 21:6-8 (NKJV)
“And He [Jesus] said to me [Apostle John], ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral [emphasis mine], sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
But praise God! The good news is that every single one of us has been given the gift of eternal salvation in the very presence God Almighty through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who allowed Himself to be tortured and murdered upon the cross at Calvary, shedding His blood as the propitiation (the once-and-for-all sacrifice) for our sin – if we will only accept this gift by turning from our sin (repentance) and believing upon Jesus as our Lord and Savior:
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)
“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
1 John 4:9-10 (NKJV)
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [emphasis mine].”
My brothers and sisters, no matter what mistakes we may have made in this life, even sexual immorality, it is the will of God for ALL to be saved! It is never too late, until we pass into eternity. Please remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed. The time to get on your knees and to ask Jesus into your life is right now:
1 Timothy 2:4-6 (NKJV)
God Desires All To Be Saved
“[God our Savior] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…”.
