Vol 10 Issue 14 ~ Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward Krier
April 8, 2017 ~ Saturday in Passion Week
1. Is the Chair of Peter Vacant? An Argument for Sedevacantism
2. Palm Sunday
3. Saint Mary of Cleophas
4. Family and Marriage
5. Articles and notices
Dear Reader:
I know that many of my readers will, if they have the opportunity to attend Holy Mass during Holy Week, find themselves assisting at the Liturgy that preceded the Restored Liturgy. Some wrongly claim that Pope Pius XII had no right to change the Liturgy and that it contradicts the Quo Primum decree of Pope St. Pius V. The first claim would deny Pope Pius XII was a true Pope. The second claim would put the Missal of Pope St Pius V on our altar without the prefaces of Saint Joseph and for Masses for the Dead (1919), Christ the King (1925), Sacred Heart (1929), without the feasts of Saint Joseph and several feasts of Our Lady as well as all the Saints whose feast were introduced after Pope Saint Pius V. Pope St. Pius X removed prefaces but Benedict XV introduced new ones. In other words, there is a distinction made in the Missal between the Propers that do change and the Ordinary that does not change, though can vary, and still more the Canon of the Mass that has not changed in any way for over 1500 years. The Canon does have minor ancient variations which have been retained to this day as seen in the different Communicantes and the Holy Thursday Qui pridie. But one can note that even though a preface of Saint Joseph is allowed, his name was not placed in the Canon; and even though there is a new preface for the Sacred Heart, there is no new Communicantes. As Johannes Baur states in his Liturgical Handbook for Holy Mass (1961): Under Pius V the Canon was definitively established even in its details, and purified of all the unauthorized additions. The Council of Trent (Sess. 22, Can. 6) declared that the Canon is free of all doctrinal error (p. 89). The Missale Romanum that is placed on the Altar contains the decree not only of Pope Saint Pius V (Quo primum tempore) but also those of the Popes who revised the Missal in some way: Clement VII, Urban VIII and Pius X. Therefore, when someone says the Mass Propers, like the Holy Week Liturgy, cannot change you can see why the Conciliar liturgists laugh and say these people are just nostalgic, i.e., wanting a past that does not exist. If you review Missals for the use of other Orders in the Roman Rite you will see that they have variations of the Holy Week Liturgy prior to 1955. (I have a Carthusian Missale of 1750 with just the four lessons and other similarities.)
Still, someone might say, Bugnini was the author of the Restored Holy Week Liturgy. Be that as it is, it was approved by Pope Pius XII. We cannot say Christ erred when He chose Judas—who betrayed Him. We cannot say that Savonarola was correct in opposing Alexander VI or we would have to agree with Martin Luther and Jan Hus and all those who attacked the Church because some clergy were scoundrels. We have to acknowledge that the Church is a Divine Institution guided by the Holy Ghost and therefore what she authoritatively provides to us must be accepted or we reject that authority and we are schismatic. Do we like what was done? It doesn’t matter. Do we think we would have been better? In our pride we may think so, but in humility we humbly submit. This is what distinguishes the Roman Catholic Church from the Conciliar Modernist Church: In the Roman Catholic Church we know that the Holy Ghost guides the Church unerringly and we know that in submitting to the Church we submit to Christ whose bride the Church is; In the Conciliar Modernist Church they believe the Church is a human institution and that as such it can error and therefore they continuously try to change what they believe is erroneous.
I will not judge my fellow priests who insist on a different liturgy and those who partake—but I will defend Holy Mother Church.
During the Holy Week Liturgy, let us, as members of the Church the bride, be there at the foot of the Cross pledging our fidelity to Christ, the Bridegroom who is giving His life for us.
As always, enjoy the readings and commentaries provided for your benefit. —The Editor
___________________
Is the Chair of Peter Vacant?
An Argument for Sedevacantism
by Rev. Courtney Edward Krier
3. The Church Possesses the Attributes of Authority, Infallibility and Indefectibility
Continued:
c. The Authority of the Church consists in her Authority to teach, to sanctify and to govern in a unity. Her authority to teach is bound in her mission. Her authority to sanctify is bound in her orders. Her authority to govern is bound in her hierarchy. It is acknowledged in the Visibility of the Church, in which the Hierarchy, Priesthood and Teachings are one and known by all. The authority, as presented here, is reflective of the threefold office of Christ which He confers on His Apostles and which they confer on their successors: teacher (Magisterium), priest (Ministerium) and king (Imperium).
Devivier defines this authority as the spiritual rights and powers over the souls of men as well as over the means of salvation (Christian Apologetics, p. 391) and states the Church has all the power necessary to continue the work of redemption till the end of the world. (Ibid., p. 393)
The Authority to Teach is found in that of the words of Christ: Going therefore, teach ye all nations; . . . Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19, 20; cf. Mark 16:15.) The unity of faith to be taught has been discussed under the Church’s Unity, Infallibility and Indefectibility. The Teaching is Authoritative because it is the Truth. Leo XIII, in his Encyclical, Satis cognitum (June 29, 1896), states it in these words:
And, since it was necessary that His divine mission should be perpetuated to the end of time, He took to Himself Disciples, trained by himself, and made them partakers of His own authority. And, when He had invoked upon them from Heaven the Spirit of Truth, He bade them go through the whole world and faithfully preach to all nations, what He had taught and what He had commanded, so that by the profession of His doctrine, and the observance of His laws, the human race might attain to holiness on earth and never-ending happiness in Heaven. In this wise, and on this principle, the Church was begotten. If we consider the chief end of His Church and the proximate efficient causes of salvation, it is undoubtedly spiritual; but in regard to those who constitute it, and to the things which lead to these spiritual gifts, it is external and necessarily visible. The Apostles received a mission to teach by visible and audible signs, and they discharged their mission only by words and acts which certainly appealed to the senses. So that their voices falling upon the ears of those who heard them begot faith in souls—”Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the words of Christ” (Rom. x., 17). And faith itself—that is assent given to the first and supreme truth – though residing essentially in the intellect, must be manifested by outward profession—”For with the heart we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. x., 10). In the same way in man, nothing is more internal than heavenly grace which begets sanctity, but the ordinary and chief means of obtaining grace are external: that is to say, the sacraments which are administered by men specially chosen for that purpose, by means of certain ordinances.
Jesus Christ commanded His Apostles and their successors to the end of time to teach and rule the nations. He ordered the nations to accept their teaching and obey their authority. But his correlation of rights and duties in the Christian commonwealth not only could not have been made permanent, but could not even have been initiated except through the senses, which are of all things the messengers and interpreters. (par. 3.)
Hunter writes in this way of the Teaching Authority:
The Prophetical or teaching office committed by Christ to His Church finds its proper place in the present Treatise, and we proceed to show that there is in the Church authority to teach. We have seen in the last section, that there is in the Church, by Divine institution, a distinction of governors and governed, and there being authority to teach, it is consistent that the governors are they who teach the governed, and thus we have the distinction of the Church as Teacher and the Church as Learner. We shall see in its proper place (n. 208) that the Church as Teacher is constituted by the Bishops united with the Roman Pontiff. At present, it will suffice if we speak of teachers, without defining more particularly who they are.
That the Church has authority to teach follows from what we have said upon her nature and office. For the Church is the company of believers in Christ (n, 166), and faith comes by hearing (Romans x. 14, 17); and there is to be one faith even as there is one Lord and one Baptism (Ephes, iv. 5), which oneness of belief cannot be secured unless there is a judge of controversies who speaks intelligibly and whom all may obey: but this judge cannot be the reason of each man which is weak and variable and has no binding force on the multitude: nor is it the Christian people at large, for we nowhere find that such power has been given to them as the Apostles claimed for themselves (see especially I Cor. ix. I, Ephes. ii. 20): nor the head of the civil state, who has his own functions, but is within the, Church as a Learner; nor, lastly, does it please God to settle controversies by revelations (n. 112), except perhaps by private revelations that avail no one but the receiver. (n. 22.) The Scripture is dead and cannot make its voice heard, and those who profess to be its expounders are at variance: there is no living voice but that of the Church that can be the judge of whose existence we are assured.(Outlines of Dogmatic Theology, pp. 288-290.)
Again, Devivier explains it as follows: The Church has received from her divine Founder the power to teach, or doctrinal authority, that is, the right and duty to preach the moral and dogmatic doctrine of Jesus Christ, and to impose this, doctrine upon all men. (Ibid.)
Saint Paul expresses it in these words:
How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things! But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: Lord, who hath believed our report? Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:14-17)
Paul had already opened this epistle in that of establishing his authority to teach: By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in all nations (Rom. 1:5.) And, if one were to return to the words of Our Lord, besides that of the command to teach found in the close of Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels which He gave at the time of His Ascension, Luke quotes Him addressing the Apostles earlier saying: He that heareth you, heareth Me: and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me. And he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me. (Luke 10:16.) And the Acts of the Apostles, following the words of Mark’s Gospel, they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed (Mark 16:20.), has them replying to those who would silence them: Peter and John answering, said to them: If it be just in the sight of God, to hear you rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20); and, later, the Jewish leaders reproached them, saying: Commanding we commanded you, that you should not teach in this name; and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you have a mind to bring the blood of this man upon us; the answer by Peter and the apostles: We ought to obey God, rather than men. (Ibid. 5:28, 29.)
Devivier continues in setting forth the understanding of the teaching authority:
The Church’s manner of teaching is always twofold. The ordinary teaching is that which is administered daily through the bishops or their delegates and under their surveillance, by the aid of preaching, or catechising, or theological lectures, etc. The extraordinary teaching is that which is given by the Pope, or the Councils when they proclaim a dogma or condemn an error. It is evident that the extraordinary form of teaching is in no way required to make a doctrine an article of faith to Christians, otherwise the dogma of the Eucharist, for example, would not have been of faith before the tenth century, and in our own day the visibility of the Church, her indefectibility, etc., would not be articles of faith, since they have never been solemnly defined. The Church cannot err in her constant and universal teaching any more than in her definitions of dogma. The promises made by Christ admit of no exception. Heresy may consist, therefore, in denying wittingly a dogma proclaimed by the ordinary and uniform teaching of the entire Church.
In consequence of this mission and this power the Church is obliged to maintain the purity of faith, to guard the faithful against erroneous, impious, and immoral doctrines, to forbid the reading of books and papers that might corrupt faith and morals, to supervise all dogmatic and moral teaching given in society by any teachers whether private or official, that is, appointed by the state . . . . (op. cit., p. 395-96.)
The Authority of the Church to teach is intertwined, then, with Infallibility and Indefectibility, because this Authority from Christ pertains to bringing to the knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4) and salvation (cf. ibid.) to man which would not possible if the Authority to Teach and demand obedience of faith (cf. Rom. 16:26.) was authorizing error and perdition. John quotes our Lord promising: I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever. The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him: but you shall know him; because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16-17.) The same Truth must be taught throughout the ages for our Lord, again, promised: Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matt. 28:20.) He said this after giving the command: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (ibid.)
The Authority, as has been noted, is not just in teaching, but also in ministering, that is, the power to confer the Sacraments. Turning again to Devivier, one reads: The Church has received the power of regulating all that concerns the administration of the sacraments, the celebration of the holy sacrifice, of deciding, in a word, all that belongs to public worship.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent, in explaining the Sacrament of Orders, connects the Authority of the Church in the Hierarchy of the Church which is also found in that of the priesthood:
This power is two-fold, of jurisdiction, and of orders: the power of orders has reference to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, that of jurisdiction to his mystical body, the Church; for to this latter belong the government of his spiritual kingdom on earth, and the direction of the faithful in the way of salvation. In the power of Orders is included not only that of consecrating the Holy Eucharist, but also of preparing the soul for its worthy reception, and whatever else has reference to the sacred mysteries. Of this the Scriptures afford numerous attestations, amongst which the most striking and weighty are contained in the words recorded by St. John and St. Matthew on this subject: “As the Father hath sent me,” says the Redeemer, “I send you: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained;” [1 John xx. 21, 22, 23.] and again, ” Amen, I say unto you, whatever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.” [Matt. xviii.18.] (Catech. Conc. Trid., pt. II, c. vii, n. 6.)
(To be continued)
————————–
The Ecclesiastical Year (1880)
INSTRUCTION ON PALM SUNDAY
Why is this day called Palm Sunday?
In memory of our Saviour’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when the multitude strewed palm branches before Him, for which reason the Church, on this day, blesses palms, and carries them in procession.
Why are palms blessed?
That those who carry them with devotion, or keep them in their houses, may receive protection of soul and body, as prayed for in the blessing; that those who carry the palms may, by means of the prayers of the Church, adorn their souls with good works and thus, in spirit, meet the Saviour; that, through Christ whose members we are, we may conquer the kingdom of death and darkness, and be made worthy to share in His glorious resurrection and triumphant entrance into heaven. St. Augustine writes of the palms: “They are the emblem of praise, and sign of victory, because the Lord by death conquered death, and with the sign of victory, the cross, overcame the devil, the prince of death.” Therefore, preceded by the cross, we go in procession around the church singing hymns of praise; when we come to the church door, we find it locked; the priest knocks at it with the cross. Heaven was closed to us by the sin of Adam, and it is opened to us by reconciliation through Jesus on the cross.
To move us to compassion for the suffering Redeemer, the Church, in the person of Christ, cries in lamenting tones at the Introit: O Lord, remove not Thy help to a distance from me, look towards my defence: save me from the lion’s mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. O God, my God! look on me, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. O Lord! Remove not, &c. (Ps. xxi.)
COLLECT. Almighty and everlasting God! who didst vouchsafe to send Thy Son, our Saviour, to take upon Him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, to give mankind an example of humility; mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of His patience, and be made partakers of His Resurrection. Through the same &c.
EPISTLE. (Philip. ii. 5-11.) Brethren, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery himself to be equal to God; but debased himself, taking the form of a servant, being made to the likeness of men, and in shape found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name, which is above every name: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that the Lord, Jesus Christ, is in the glory of God, the Father.
…
[Message clipped] View entire message