> *[Church Militant](https://www.churchmilitantaction.org/) (a 501(c)4 corporation) is responsible for the content of this commentary.* If you also seek the truth, then please consider joining Church Militant today by supporting our work. Sign up for a [Church Militant Premium account](https://www.churchmilitant.com/gopremium) or simply [make a donation](https://www.churchmilitant.com/donate). Feel free to [contact Church Militant](https://www.churchmilitant.com/contact) with your questions, comments, or concerns, at anytime. And now, let's begin with today's [*Vortex*](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91feG5gFxM80FB-x7ZBqmNbz3c7Mk0p8)... > > **One excuse after another.** > > On the reality of the Society of Saint Pius X being in schism, perhaps the most vociferous protest to that by SSPX supporters is "But, but, Pope Francis gave the priests of the Society faculties to absolve and marry people, so, therefore, they can't be in schism." That wildly false conclusion is even trumpeted, unthinkingly or deceptively, by internet Catholic media types and websites. It is simply false. Being extended the faculties to absolve or marry does not regularize a priest or make the SSPX no longer in schism. > > What Pope Francis did during the 2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy, in order to encourage confessions by the faithful, was grant faculties to the schismatic SSPX so that those laymen who follow them would receive valid absolution. Notice a point here not talked about very often, especially by the Catholic internet/media types who support the schism: In order for him to grant them faculties, that means prior to that, they did not possess the faculties. But **the granting of faculties does not bring about the end of a schism.** > > The pope, whoever he may be, has supreme jurisdiction over the Church. And if he so desires, he may grant faculties to a priest — even if the priest is suspended or in schism. This is a matter of ecclesiastical law, again, of which the pope is the supreme lawgiver. As we discussed last week, it is the pope who has ultimate temporal jurisdiction over the Church — not the laity, not the bishops and so forth — the pope. If he dispenses with an ecclesiastical law for some reason, then it is dispensed with. Primary Video source and transcript continues here: https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vort-but-but-but > Please consider [Church Militant Evening News](https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/archive/evening-news) for daily hard-hitting news and analysis through an authentic Catholic lens, covering the latest developments in the Church, across the nation and around the world.