Here are my thoughts:
1. In general, they will not win their canonical battles, nor be re-inserted back into public ministry under a Novus Ordo Bishop. May as well come to terms with that now.
2. Even if they were, they would either a) have to "go along (with modernism) to get along (not be cancelled all over again)" which for them is impossible, b) once re-inserted, they continue the fight and will certainly get cancelled all over again, or c) face the facts and leave their diocesan positions.
Common sense says we're looking square at c).
3. When they leave for good, the Novus Ordo "conservative" priests, cancelled for some other orthodox stand than a stand on Catholic Tradition or the TLM, who generally accept VII and the Novus Ordo as a good thing, and therefore have a spirit of blind obedience, will return to lay life as a laicized priest, and probably get married. Or maybe be allowed to say Mass in private while living a lay life working in the world, as (Fr.) Malachi Martin was allowed to do.
4. That leaves the cancelled Traditionalist diocesan priests. They have a few choices:
a) Apply to the FSSP/Institute/etc. But likely in the long run the Ecclesia Dei groups will not take them in, as they are want not to do. That would anger the Bishops, and jeopardize their "charism" for the Latin Mass," which as of July 16th, 2021, the Day the Nuclear Bomb was dropped on the Trad Movement (i.e. the invalid TC motu proprio from hell), Bishops are to not found NEW "Latin Mass groups" in the diocese, which includes them. For now on, they are brought to a halt, which makes them even less of an option for the "cancelled priests."
In reality for many years to come, we are looking a the next pope being a Pope Francis II type, who at best will just jerk Tradition around with more "motu proprios."
b) Apply to the SSPX. If they basically agree to the SSPX positions, and have the temperament to submit to their approach, they can be either incardinated and given faculties through them, or work with the Society as an affiliate priest.
c) But, a variety of reasons will indicate that some of the cancelled Trad priests will not work out in the SSPX. Fr. Altman, as much as he is want to follow his own course and speak out publicly online, may be an example of such a priest that would not work out joining the SSPX.
5. This leaves us logically with Option D: go independent. And this I think is what many of these cancelled priests will be forced by hard circumstances to consider doing, if they are called by God to continue the active ministry of the Priesthood, to offer Mass, administer the sacraments, preach and teach, and direct souls.
This Option D, of a Network of independent Traditional Catholic priests, once cancelled by their dioceses, is what needs to be seriously considered right now going forward, in my opinion.
Here is why. In many dioceses, or parts of dioceses, there is no TLM provided, or not allowed by the Bishop, even worse in some dioceses now ended because of the Motu Proprio. The field is then ripe for converts to Traditional Catholicism everywhere. And when a priest relies on that supplied jurisdiction given to him by Canon Law itself, which is given to us by the Church, and when presented by crazy developments like this new Motu Proprio, which demands TOTAL acceptance of VII/Liturgical Reform, then he and his flock are protected from the modernist Powers-that-Be. To Keep the Faith without compromise.
They can speak out publicly in their chapels, Mass circuits, at conferences, and now on Youtube. Every priest can set up a Youtube channel to stream his live Masses, sermons, spiritual conferences to the world, during the Covid Pandemic #2/#3/#4/etc for years to come, while not denying access to Mass or the sacraments during church lock downs.
This is not unprecedented, by the way. From 1970 onward, many diocesan priests refused to say the Novus Ordo, but to only say the TLM, being kicked out of their diocese, only to continue by establishing Traditional Catholic Chapels and TLM mass circuits. Fr. Graham Walters did this, ousted from his diocese in Oklahoma when we were one diocese (Tulsa + OKC), setting up Queen of Angels Chapel with inherited money, where he lived, prayed, and offered daily Mass until his retirement.
These cancelled priests then have a precedent. They can live in community together, and go out on Mass circuits to dioceses where the TLM and Trads have been themselves cancelled.
And here is where I think Archbishop Vigano has a role. Whereas Archbishop Lefebvre established the worldwide SSPX after his own retirement, now we have Archbishop V giving speeches from some secret hiding place. He too can come out of the woodwork and shepherd these priests, oversee their work/chapels/priestly communities, administer confirmations if they start independent chapels, bless their holy oils and altars, and preach to the faithful as a Successor to the Apostles.
I could be wrong, but this is the direction I think many of these priests will go, and should consider.
Praise be Jesus Christ!
Questions, constructive feedback, or just to say hello, email me at: JosephOstermeir@gmail.com