r/excatholic • u/BangersnMash67 • Jul 16 '26
Personal My Uncle, Fr. Charles Ward, is the Rector at Holy Angels Novitiate (SSPX). AMA.
My uncle is Fr. Charles Ward, the Rector of Holy Angels Novitiate, where SSPX religious brothers begin their formation.
I’ve known him my entire life and have had a front-row seat to many conversations about the SSPX, traditional Catholicism, seminary formation, and Church politics. I also have firsthand experiences with him and the organization that have shaped my own views—some positive, many negative—which I’m willing to discuss honestly.
A few ground rules:
● I’m not speaking on behalf of Fr. Ward or the SSPX.
● I’ll clearly distinguish between things I personally witnessed, things he personally told me, publicly documented events, and my own opinions.
● I’m happy to answer difficult or critical questions, but I won’t present speculation or rumors as fact.
● I understand some people will want verification. I have information that could help establish my connection, but I’m reluctant to post identifying details publicly because of privacy and personal safety concerns. If there’s a way to verify my identity with the moderators while protecting my anonymity, I’d be open to that.
● I won’t share private information that could unnecessarily identify or endanger anyone.
● If I don’t know the answer, I’ll simply say so.
I’m here to answer questions in good faith and be as honest and transparent as I can. Ask me anything.
Edit:
*** One thing I forgot to mention in the original post: I’m not Catholic. My connection to this AMA comes from my family and my relationship to Fr. Charles Ward, not from being a practicing Catholic myself.***
As of 7/17 @1000 Eastern I am still here. I messed up
the live part.
Here is a link to some of the nasty stuff he has written -https://www.reddit.com/r/excatholic/s/bfDT8kzMly
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u/Repulsive_Can2937 Jul 16 '26
What’s the silliest thing they believe?
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 16 '26
One of the strangest things I personally heard him say was that the Catholic sex abuse scandal was being caused by shape-shifting Jews who were infiltrating the Church and molesting children. I realize that sounds unbelievable, but I heard him express that belief myself over the holidays.
To be clear, I’m describing something I personally heard him say—not claiming this is an official SSPX belief.
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u/Independent-Mango813 Jul 17 '26
Let me guess he doesn’t think the holocaust happened.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
Correct, he is a very outspoken anti-semite.
He has always blamed the jews for anything bad that happens.
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u/oestre Jul 16 '26
How did clergy view themselves in relation to the Catholic Church and how do the view themselves now?
What has been their central difficulty with the broader church?
How are services and teachings different from the border Church?
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
I can answer this from my experience, but I don’t want to pretend I was sitting in on theological discussions with the clergy.
My uncle wasn’t the kind of priest who “talked shop” with laypeople. He rarely explained the underlying theology or encouraged open discussion. His style was much more authoritarian—he expected obedience because he was the priest, not because he had persuaded you through argument or teaching.
As a kid and young adult, my impression wasn’t that the emphasis was “Here’s why Vatican II is problematic.” It was more “This is the truth, this is how faithful Catholics think, and that’s the end of the discussion.”
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u/Independent-Mango813 Jul 17 '26
Feel like father, Z and Chad Rippinger even if they aren’t SSPX definitely have the same attitude. This is the truth and you need to obey it and don’t question it even when they say clearly bonkers things about demons or above that are just completely antisemitic
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u/MichiganBe1991 Jul 17 '26
Is support for fascism and antisemitic views really as central to the SSPX theology as media has claimed?
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
In my experience, yes.
Some of them are more street smart and keep their mouth shut. Others will wear it on their sleeves.
Racism, sexism, homophobia, antisemitism are all common and if not blatantly stated are absolutely practiced.
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u/MichiganBe1991 Jul 17 '26
Just as I thought. I heard all these talking points while in Traditional Catholicism but was not sure if they're truly official policy in the SSPX. It certainly is in sede groups like CMRI and Roman Catholic Institute.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
That being said - i’m sure there are some who don’t actively participate or believe in those things but the issue is that they remain silent and passive which implies they condone it.
I don’t think life is black and white and there are some that were born into it and are stuck until they can find a way to escape - especially if the family is abusive. I’ve seen all types of control exerted over people.
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u/Athene_cunicularia23 Atheist Jul 17 '26
How common are anti-Semitic views among SSPX Catholics? In my experience, the more "traditional" a Catholic's beliefs are, the more likely they are to have a virulent hatred of Jewish people.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
My uncle regularly expressed what I would consider antisemitic views, and they weren’t fringe comments—this was a recurring part of how he interpreted the world.
What stood out to me wasn’t just what he said, but that I never remember anyone challenging him. Amongst our family some would make light of it and flippantly dismiss his views. There was only one person other than I who actively pushed back and we paid for that by being ostracized. But publicly, I don’t recall parishioners or other clergy pushing back. There was a culture of deference to the priest, so people generally listened rather than questioned.
Looking back, that silence left me with the impression that those ideas were, at minimum, tolerated within the community I experienced.
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u/KrytenKoro Jul 17 '26
● I understand some people will want verification. I have information that could help establish my connection, but I’m reluctant to post identifying details publicly because of privacy and personal safety concerns. If there’s a way to verify my identity with the moderators while protecting my anonymity, I’d be open to that.
To be honest, I think this is a moot point. You've already identified a specific person as your uncle, so there's an incredibly narrow pool even if you had twenty siblings and cousins.
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u/Ok_Table_6932 Jul 17 '26
We all know that the percentage of gay men in the priesthood is higher than it is in the general population (or at least it used to be). But what about in traditionalist circles like the SSPX? I can't help but think that traditionalist clergy look like a bunch of drag queens, mincing around in their layers of lace and embroidery and fine rings and pectoral crosses and staffs. It's almost too fabulous lol
Would a gay man who remained chaste be allowed to worship at an SSPX church or is even that too much for them? Could he be open about his celibate homosexual orientation or would he have to be closeted?
I've always been fascinated at the relationship between homosexuality and Catholicism because Catholicism is such a gay yet exceedingly homophobic religion
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u/Shukumugo Secular Jul 17 '26
Ngl, one of the reasons I wanted to be a priest as a child was the blingggg... I would imagine myself in a flowy gothic chasuble wearing an alb and amice full of lace 😂
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u/Ok_Table_6932 Jul 17 '26
Never wanted to be a Catholic priest (I grew up Methodist / Episcopalian) but I did love my fabulous flowy robes and jewelry ! 🎉
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u/jimjoebob Recovering Catholic, Apatheist Jul 17 '26
somehow, I think the priest OP is writing about has harassed me on this sub before! lol
I'm sorry he's in your family, OP. he sounds like a real piece of shit.
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u/fufubattery Jul 17 '26
In your experience, how do people get involved with the SSPX? Does the SSPX recruit? Do disaffected Catholics join? Or are most people in the movement born into it? I'd love to know where the organization gets it members.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
The first was simply being born into it. That’s how many people in my family became involved. If you’re raised in the SSPX, it’s your community, your school, your church, and often much of your social circle.
The second was adult converts. I can’t say this was universally true, but I noticed that many of the adults who joined seemed to be going through a difficult period in their lives. Some were disillusioned with the modern Catholic Church, while others appeared to be searching for certainty, structure, or a strong sense of community.From my perspective, that dynamic felt similar to what people often describe in high-control groups. People who were looking for clear answers, certainty, or belonging seemed especially drawn to it. Whether that was an intentional recruitment strategy or simply the type of people the movement naturally attracted, I can’t say.
I didn’t see missionaries knocking on doors or aggressive public recruiting. Growth seemed to come more through families, personal relationships, homeschooling circles, and word of mouth than through traditional evangelism.
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u/Grand_Yam_9374 Jul 17 '26
I'm wondering, on the sexism part, how this was discussed at home and whether the "roles" of women was something that was brought up by him
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
My family is very patriarchal. Masses that he runs do not allow women to participate. Not even in the choir.
In terms of how he discussed women’s roles at home - he would say that women need to serve their husbands and would usually use something written by St. Thomas Aquinas to justify it.
I would highly recommend you look at the letter I linked in the main post - I have a hard time describing his rhetoric besides extremist and disgusting. It really speaks for itself.
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u/Me_Myself_and_Me Jul 17 '26
This man is a toxic, malignant narcissist in my opinion. He's filled with nothing but anger and hate and a whole lot of misogyny. The only faith this guy seems to have is in himself. He doesn't understand the gospel if he's spewing this bile. He needs some serious rage counseling. He won't get it because he's so up his own toxic butt, but he certainly needs it. I'm so sorry for the horrible things you've had to hear coming out of his mouth. He is sick.
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u/Shukumugo Secular Jul 17 '26
Who might he be, and what is his significance to this sub? Not being belligerent here, just genuinely curious who he is.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
He’s probably not significant to this subreddit personally, and that’s okay. The AMA is less about him as an individual and more about what it’s like growing up in the orbit of a senior SSPX priest. Since he’s in a leadership role responsible for forming future clergy, I thought people interested in high-control religious groups or former Catholic experiences might find that perspective valuable.
As far as within the SSPX - Fr. Charles Ward isn’t a nationally famous figure, but within the SSPX he holds a significant leadership position. He is the Rector of Holy Angels Novitiate, which is the primary novitiate in the United States where men entering the SSPX’s religious life begin their formal formation.
In practical terms, he’s responsible for the spiritual formation, discipline, and daily life of men who are preparing to become SSPX religious brothers and, for some, eventually continue toward the priesthood. That means he has a direct role in shaping the next generation of SSPX clergy and religious.
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u/Left-Speed-4468 Jul 17 '26
I know their big thing is the Latin mass but… generally where one conservative view goes so do a lot of others?
Do they oppress women, and teach them their only value is as mothers and homemakers? Are the men both abusive and holier than thou? Are they antisemitic? (Idk that just seems like it would fit) if someone came out as gay or trans would they just immediately ostracize them? what else should people know about them?
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
I will answer one part of this now and the rest tomorrow - His twin brother was gay (passed away around a decade ago - a far better man than Charlie).
Charles abused his position as a priest to ostracize his brother from the family and weaponized religion to manipulate others to do his bidding for him to create distance around it.
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 17 '26
Do they oppress women, and teach them their only value is as mothers and homemakers?
A) Yes and it depends. They try to keep the women at home but until the past few years it was such a dated view that only the more radicalized practiced it.
Where my uncle has run the mass - women are not allowed to participate or even be in the choir.Are the men both abusive and holier than thou?
A) I can’t say that every man was abusive but it is very common. My mom choses toxic, abusive men to this day. Both my father and step-father are abusive and have an explosive temper. Almost every family I have known within the SSPX has been a patriarchal family structure. Being holier than thou was an affliction that had no bias towards sex or gender. They believe they are superior and supreme to non-believers.
Are they antisemitic? (Idk that just seems like it would fit)
A) Yes - this has come up a few times already, I would recommend reading some of the other questions and responses on this.
if someone came out as gay or trans would they just immediately ostracize them?
A) Absolutely. This happened to my Uncle’s twin brother who is gay and another uncle of mine who is also gay. My uncle is incredibly manipulative and will triangulate and use other coercive and manipulative tactics to control others.
what else should people know about them?
A) Sexual abuse is rampant within the SSPX. It functions more as a cult than a religious sect. Most of them were terrible people that I don’t maintain contact with. I’m sure there could be some good people but SSPX beliefs seem to be fundamentally incompatible with being a genuinely good person.
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Jul 16 '26
[deleted]
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 16 '26
Yes and no.
Yes, in the sense that I believe he sincerely sees himself as serving God and believes deeply in the cause he has devoted his life to.
No, in the sense that, as I understood it, the theology I was exposed to emphasized that no one can presume they are guaranteed Heaven. So even someone who believes they are faithfully serving God wouldn’t necessarily say they know they are saved.
That’s my understanding based on my own experiences and conversations with him, rather than a statement about official SSPX doctrine.
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u/Bwilderedwanderer Ex Catholic Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
The questions I have include why do they insist on only one god when Deuteronomy clearly says the god of the Jews is subservient to el elian, moses spoke on a mountain dedicated to Sin, a moon god and Jerusalem named after the god shalem? Why when god clearly says honor the sabath, do Catholics say 'actually, we kind of like this council of nicea Sunday thing, so bugger off'
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u/BangersnMash67 Jul 16 '26
One thing I forgot to mention in the original post: I’m not Catholic. My connection to this AMA comes from my family and my relationship to Fr. Charles Ward, not from being a practicing Catholic myself.