The article from the [National Catholic Register](https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/chapp-church-situation-sspx) portal, authored by Larry Chapp, attempts to address the perceived crisis within the Catholic Church, specifically focusing on the claims of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) regarding widespread apostasy. Chapp argues that while the Church faces difficulties, the situation is not as dire as the SSPX suggests, advocating instead for a renewed focus on positive aspects and a deeper engagement with the Church’s contemplative core. He also touches upon the “Synodal Way” in Germany and the general exhaustion among engaged Catholics. The article, however, fundamentally misdiagnoses the nature of the crisis, mistaking a profound spiritual and doctrinal collapse for mere “negativity” or “exhaustion,” thereby revealing the very modernist myopia it seeks to overcome.
The Illusion of “Normalcy” and the Denial of Apostasy
Larry Chapp’s central thesis—that the Church is not in a “grave crisis of apostasy” as claimed by the SSPX, but rather faces “many problems” akin to historical challenges—is a profound theological error that ignores the unique and unprecedented nature of the current ecclesial situation. His assertion that “the best counterargument the Church can give to the SSPX is to begin a renewed focus on what is right with the Church” is a classic modernist deflection, prioritizing a superficial optimism over a rigorous examination of conscience and doctrinal fidelity.
The crisis is not merely one of “problems” or “controversies” but of a systemic abandonment of Catholic doctrine and practice, a direct consequence of the Second Vatican Council and its subsequent implementation. To claim otherwise is to deny the clear warnings of Our Lady of Fatima, the explicit condemnations of Modernism by St. Pius X, and the consistent teaching of the pre-conciliar Magisterium. The “positive things” Chapp alludes to are often themselves fruits of the very modernist spirit he fails to identify: a focus on “dialogue,” “ecumenism,” and “human dignity” at the expense of the unchanging truths of the Faith.
Misidentifying the “Radical Traditionalists” and the “Catholic Left”
Chapp’s attempt to draw a parallel between the “radical traditionalists” (like the SSPX) and the “Catholic left” (like the German Synodal Way) is a false equivalence that further obscures the truth. While both may perceive a crisis, their diagnoses and proposed solutions are diametrically opposed and, in the case of the “Catholic left,” explicitly heretical.
The SSPX, despite its own internal contradictions and errors (as detailed in the provided framework), correctly identifies the *source* of the crisis: the modernist infiltration and the subsequent apostasy from Catholic doctrine. Their error lies in their refusal to fully embrace the logical conclusion of their own premises—namely, that a manifestly heretical “pope” cannot be the true head of the Church, and thus, the structures he leads are devoid of true authority. This is the core of sedevacantism, a position supported by centuries of Catholic theology, as articulated by St. Robert Bellarmine and others, who taught that a manifest heretic *ipso facto* loses his office.
On the other hand, the “Catholic left” and the German Synodal Way represent the *fruit* of this modernist apostasy. Their aims—to “morally legitimize homosexual relationships, turn Church governance over to a ‘board’ dominated by laypeople, and ordain women and married men”—are not merely “problems” but direct assaults on divine law and the constitution of the Church. These are not “crises” to be managed but heresies to be condemned. Pius XI, in his encyclical *Quas Primas*, unequivocally stated that the Church’s authority to teach, govern, and lead all to eternal happiness is derived from Christ and cannot depend on anyone’s will, especially not the “thought world and moral values of Western, secular, liberal, democratic countries.” The Synodal Way’s demand for the Church to conform to “modern secularity” is precisely the “secularism” and “laicism” that Pius XI identified as a “plague that poisons human society.”
The “Exhaustion” as a Symptom of Spiritual Acedia
Chapp’s description of “ecclesial exhaustion” among engaged Catholics, priests, and laity is a poignant observation, but his interpretation is flawed. He attributes this exhaustion to a “constant barrage of negative news stories,” “social media,” and the “turmoil of the Francis papacy.” While these are contributing factors, they are merely symptoms of a deeper spiritual malaise: the loss of faith and the absence of true spiritual nourishment.
The “numbness” and “spiritual acedia” Chapp describes are not simply psychological reactions to “negativity” but the natural consequence of a Church that has largely abandoned its supernatural mission. When the liturgy is reduced to a “pro forma exercise in futility” and “sacraments seem empty,” it is because the true sense of the sacred, the propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass, and the objective reality of grace have been obscured or denied by modernist innovations. The “therapeutic culture of narcissistic navel gazing” Chapp decries is itself a product of the modernist shift from the objective truths of the Faith to subjective experience and sentimentality.
The False Remedy of “Contemplative Core” Without Doctrine
Chapp’s proposed remedy—a “renewed focus on what is right with the Church” and “drilling deeply into the Church’s contemplative core”—is insufficient and ultimately misleading if not grounded in unchanging Catholic doctrine. He speaks of “vicarious representation” and “suffering through [crises] in our souls and to offer this suffering up to the Father as reparation and healing,” echoing Pope Benedict. While these are indeed profound spiritual truths, they cannot be separated from the objective truths of the Faith.
True contemplation is not a mere feeling or an escape from “negativity” but a deepening understanding and love of God as He has revealed Himself, through His Church, in His sacraments, and in His unchanging doctrines. Without a firm adherence to the *depositum fidei*, “contemplation” risks becoming a subjective, sentimental experience, detached from the objective reality of sin, grace, and redemption. The “hidden fire in the equations of prayer” Chapp mentions is only accessible through a faith that is both intellectually sound and spiritually vibrant, a faith that the modernist “Church” has systematically undermined.
The Call to “Charity” as a Mask for Indifference
Chapp’s exhortation to “double down on charity, praying for all in the cenacle of our souls” is, in itself, a good counsel. However, in the context of his article, it risks becoming a pretext for doctrinal indifference. True charity demands the proclamation of truth, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. To “love our neighbor in the quiet cenacle of our souls” while remaining silent in the face of manifest heresy and apostasy is not charity but a derelogical duty. St. Paul explicitly warns against false teachers and those who pervert the Gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). The “thicket of controversies” Chapp describes is not merely a distraction but a battle for the very soul of the Church, and retreat into “silent despair” or “quiet resignation” is a betrayal of the faith.
Conclusion: The Unavoidable Reality of Apostasy
Larry Chapp’s article, while expressing a understandable weariness with ecclesial conflicts, ultimately fails to grasp the true nature of the crisis. His attempt to find a middle ground between “radical traditionalists” and the “Catholic left” is a false equivalence that ignores the fundamental doctrinal chasm between them. The “exhaustion” he describes is not merely a psychological state but a spiritual malaise born from the widespread abandonment of Catholic truth.
The “Church” he defends, with its “problems” and “controversies,” is not the Catholic Church of all ages but the conciliar sect that has emerged since Vatican II, characterized by its embrace of modernist errors, its ecumenical relativism, and its submission to secular pressures. The true crisis is not one of “negativity” but of a profound apostasy that demands a clear and unequivocal rejection of all that contradicts the unchanging Faith of the Saints. The “best counterargument” is not a focus on “positive things” but a return to the full, integral, and immutable Catholic Tradition, recognizing that the structures currently occupying the Vatican are not the true Church but an “abomination of desolation” that has led countless souls astray.
Source:
Is the Church as Troubled as the SSPX Claims? (ncregister.com)
Date: 04.06.2026