Newsletter of the District
of Asia
Jan
- June 2003
St
Pius X :
“The Saint and the Guide for today’s men!”
(Pope
Pius XII, 1954)
By Fr. Daniel Couture
"By his
person and by his work, God has willed to prepare the Church to
the new and hard duties a troubled future was preparing.
To timely prepare a Church united in its doctrine, firm in discipline,
efficient in its pastors, generous laymen, an instructed people,a
youth sanctified in its first years, a well-formed conscience
in relation to the social problems.
If nowadays
the Church of God, far from backing up in the face of the forces
destructive of every spiritual value, suffers, fights, and by
the divine power progresses and continue to
redeem, that is thanks to the foreseeing action and sanctity of
Pius X.
It appears
manifest today that his whole Pontificate was supernaturally directed
according to a loving and redeeming plan to prepare souls to face
our own struggles and to ensure our victories and the victories
of future generations." Pius XII, sermon for the Beatification
of Pius X, June 3, 1951
"As apostle
of the interior life, he is given, in this age of machines and
technology, as the Saint and Guide of today’s men." Pius XII,
sermon for the Canonization of Blessed Pius X, May 29, 1954
The following
parallel between the writings of St. Pius X and some of the Conciliar
Church’s texts - a parallel that would need more development -
gives a striking illustration of the words
of the great Pope Pius XII quoted above, "to prepare souls
to face our own struggles..." We
mean here the struggle to keep the Catholic Faith in this day
and age when modernism, "the
synthesis of all heresies", has made its way to all aspects of
the Church’s life.
It is certainly
providential and admirable that the name and the whole program
of St Pius X is being kept well alive throughout the whole universe,
on the five continents, in all the world’s main languages, thanks
to a small "band of Gideon" called after the saintly Pope. It
is no accident. The welfare of His Immaculate Bride, the Church,
is too important for Our Lord not to provide at all times the
means to preserve its deposit of faith and its channels of grace,
the sacraments.
1) Christ-centered or man-centered religion?
St
Pius X
Encyclical
‘E Supremi Apostolatus’
Oct. 4, 1903
To restore all things in Christ.
"We
proclaim that We have no other program in the Supreme Pontificate
but that "of restoring all things in Christ" (Ephes. 1,
10), so that "Christ may be all and in all" (Coloss. 3,
2)... The interests of God shall be Our interest, and for
these We are resolved to
spend all Our strength and Our very life. Hence, should
anyone ask Us for a symbol as the expression of Our will,
We will give this and no other: "To restore all things in
Christ. (...)
When
all this is considered there is good reason
to fear lest this great perversity may be
as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning
of those evils which are reserved for
the last days; and that there may be already in
the world the "Son of Perdition" of whom the
Apostle speaks (II Thess. 2, 3). Such, in truth,
is the audacity and the wrath employed everywhere
in persecuting religion, in combating
the dogmas of the faith, in brazen effort
to uproot and destroy all relations between
man and the Divinity! While, on the other
hand, and this according to the same apostle
is the distinguishing mark of Antichrist,
man has with infinite temerity put himself in the place
of God, raising himself above all that is called God; in
such wise that although he cannot utterly extinguish in
himself all knowledge of God, he has condemned God’s majesty
and, as it were, made of the universe a temple wherein he
himself is to be adored. ‘He sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself as if he were God" (II Thess. 2, 2). (...)
But,
Venerable Brethren, we shall never, however much we exert
ourselves, succeed in calling men back to the majesty and
empire of God, except by means of Jesus Christ. ‘No one,’
the Apostle admonishes us, ‘can lay other foundation than
that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (I Cor.,
3, II.) It is Christ alone ‘whom the Father sanctified and
sent into this world’ (Is. 10, 36), ‘the splendor of the
Father and the image of His substance’ (Hebr. 1, 3), true
God and true man: without whom nobody can know God with
the knowledge for salvation, ‘neither doth anyone know the
Father but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son
to reveal Him.’ (Matth. 11, 27.) Hence it follows that to
restore all things in Christ and to lead men back to submission
to God is one and the same aim. To this, then, it behoves
Us to devote Our care - to lead back mankind under the dominion
of Christ; this done, We shall have brought it back to God.
When We say to God We do not mean to that inert being heedless
of all things human which the dream of materialists has
imagined, but to the true and living God, one in nature,
triple in person, Creator of the world, most wise Ordainer
of all things, Lawgiver most just, who punishes the wicked
and has reward in store for virtue." |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Vatican II
Closing
Discourse of Paul VI, Dec. 7 1965
"Yes,
the Church of the Council has been concerned,
not just with herself and with her relationship of union
with God, but with man - man as he really is today: living
man, man all wrapped up in himself, man who makes himself
not only the center of his every interest but dares to claim
that he is the principle and explanation of all reality.
Every perceptible element in man, every one of the countless
guises in which he appears, has, in a sense, been displayed
in full view of the Council Fathers. (...)
Secular
humanism, revealing itself in its horrible anticlerical
reality has, in a certain sense, defied the Council. The
religion of the God who became man has met the religion
(for such it is) of man who makes himself God. And what
happened? Was there a clash, a battle, a condemnation? There
could have been, but there was none. The old story of the
Samaritan has been the model of the spirituality of the
Council. A feeling of boundless sympathy has permeated the
whole of it. The attention of our Council has been absorbed
by the discovery of human needs (and these needs grow in
proportion to the greatness which the son of the earth claims
for himself). But we call upon those who term themselves
modern humanists, and who have renounced the transcendent
value of the highest realities, to give the Council credit
at least for one quality and to recognize our own new type
of humanism: we, too, in fact, we more than any others,
honor man. (...) But one must realize that this Council,
which exposed itself to human judgment, insisted very much
more upon this pleasant side of man, rather than on his
unpleasant one. Its attitude was very much and deliberately
optimistic. A wave of affection and admiration flowed from
the Council over the modern world of humanity. Errors were
condemned, indeed, because charity demanded this no less
than did truth, but for the persons themselves there was
only warming, respect and love. Instead of depressing diagnoses,
encouraging remedies; instead of direful prognostics, messages
of trust issued from the Council to the present-day world.
The modern world’s values were not only respected but honored,
its efforts approved, its aspirations purified and blessed.
(...)
Another
point we must stress is this: all this rich teaching is
channeled in one direction, the service of man, of every
condition, in every weakness and need. The Church has, so
to say, declared herself the servant of humanity, at the
very time when her teaching role and her pastoral government
have, by reason of the Council’s solemnity, assumed greater
splendor and vigor: the idea of service has been central.
It might be said that all this and everything else we might
say about the human values of the Council have diverted
the attention of the Church in Council to the trend of modern
culture, centered on humanity. We would say not diverted
but rather directed. (...)
Hence
no one should ever say that a religion like the Catholic
religion is without use, seeing that when it has its greatest
self awareness and effectiveness, as it has in the Council,
it declares itself entirely on the side of man and in his
service. In this way the Catholic religion and human life
reaffirm their alliance with one another, the fact that
they converge on one single human reality: the Catholic
religion is for man. In a certain sense it is the life of
man. (...)
Our
humanism becomes Christianity, our Christianity becomes
centered on God; in such sort that we may say, to put it
differently: a knowledge of man is a prerequisite for a
knowledge of
God." |
John Paul II
The 25th
anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II will be celebrated
next Oct. 15-18, 2003. To prepare the commemoration "of this
Pontificate at the service of man and to put its historical value
in service" a colloquy has been held in the Vatican last May
8 –10, 2003.
Another
congress was held at the Lateran University at the same time on
the theme: "The Church at the service of man".
John
Paul II has expressed his satisfaction to the organizers of this
congress for having chosen this theme. "During all the periods
of my university life and of my pastoral ministry, he stated,
one of the essential points of reference has been for me the attention
to the person, put at the center of all philosophical or theological
research." (DICI, May 17, 2003)
2) The Sacred Liturgy : for God or for Man?
St
Pius X
Motu Proprio ‘Tra Le Sollicitudine’
Nov. 22, 1903
On Sacred Music, and the respect in
churches
"Among
the cares of the pastoral office, not
only of this Supreme Chair, which We, though unworthy, occupy
through the inscrutable dispositions of Providence, but
of every local church, a leading one is without question
that of maintaining and promoting the decorum of the House
of God in which the august mysteries of religion are celebrated,
and where the Christian people assemble to receive the grace
of the Sacraments, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the
Altar, to adore the most august Sacrament of the Lord’s
Body and to unite in the common prayer of the Church in
the public and solemn liturgical offices. Nothing should
have place, therefore, in the temple calculated to disturb
or even merely to diminish the piety and devotion of the
faithful, nothing that may give reasonable cause for disgust
or scandal, nothing, above all, which directly offends the
decorum and sanctity of the sacred functions and is thus
unworthy of the House of Prayer and of the Majesty of God.
Sacred
Music
Today
Our attention is directed to one of the most common of them,
one of the most difficult to eradicate, and the existence
of which is sometimes to be deplored in places where everything
else is deserving of the highest praise - the beauty and
sumptuousness of the temple, the splendor and the accurate
performance of the ceremonies, the attendance of the clergy,
the gravity and piety of the officiating ministers. Such
is the abuse affecting sacred chant and music. And indeed,whether
it is owing to the very nature of this art, fluctuating
and variable as it is in itself, or to the succeeding changes
in tastes and habits with the course of time, or to the
fatal influence exercised on sacred art by profane and theatrical
art, or to the pleasure that music directly produces, and
that is not always easily contained within the right limits,
or finally to the many prejudices on the matter, so lightly
introduced and so tenaciously maintained even among responsible
and pious persons, the fact remains that there is a general
tendency to deviate from the right rule, prescribed by the
end for which art is admitted to the service of public worship
and which is set forth very clearly in the ecclesiastical
Canons, in the Ordinances of the General and Provincial
Councils, in the prescriptions which have at various times
emanated from the Sacred Roman Congregations, and from Our
Predecessors the Sovereign Pontiffs." We do therefore publish,
motu proprio and with certain knowledge, Our present Instruction
to which, as to a juridical code of sacred music (quasi
a codice giuridice della musica sacra), We will with
the fullness of Our Apostolic Authority that the force of
law be given, and We do by Our present handwriting impose
its scrupulous observance on all. (...)
Sacred
music should consequently possess, in the highest degree,
the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity
and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the
final quality of universality. It must be holy, and
must, therefore, exclude all profanity not only in itself,
but in the manner in which it is presented by those who
execute it. It must be true art, for otherwise it
will be impossible for it to exercise on the minds of those
who listen to it that efficacy which the Church aims t obtaining
in admitting into her liturgy the art of musical sounds.
But
it must, at the same time, be universal
in the sense that while every nation is permitted to
admit into its ecclesiastical compositions those special
forms which may be said to constitute its native music,
still these forms must be subordinated in such a manner
to the general characteristics of sacred music that nobody
of any nation may receive an impression other than good
on hearing them." |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Vatican II
Constitution
‘Sacrosanctum Concilium’
Dec.
4, 1963
Latin
& Vernacular
"36.
(1) The use of the Latin language, with
due respect to particular law, is to be preserved in the
Latin rites. (2) But since the use of the vernacular, whether
in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or in
other parts of the liturgy, may frequently be of great advantage
to the people, a wider use may be made of it, especially
in readings, directives and in some prayers and chants.
Regulations governing this will be given separately in subsequent
chapters. (3) These norms being observed, it is for the
competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned
in Article 22:2, to decide whether, and to what extent,
the vernacular language is to be used.
Norms
for adapting the Liturgy to the temperament and traditions
of peoples
37.
Even in the liturgy the Church does not wish to impose a
rigid uniformity in matters which do not involve the faith
or the good of the whole community. Rather does she respect
and foster the qualities and talents of the various races
and nations. Anything in these people’s way of life which
is not indissolubly bound up with superstition and error
she studies with sympathy, and, if possible, preserves intact.
She sometimes even admits such things into the liturgy itself,
provided they harmonize with its true and authentic spirit.
38.
Provided that the substantial unity of the Roman rite is
preserved, provision shall be made, when revising the liturgical
books, for legitimate variations and adaptations to different
groups, regions and peoples, especially in mission countries.
This should be borne in mind when drawing up the rite and
determining rubrics.
39.
Within the limits set by the typical editions of the liturgical
books it shall be for the competent territorial ecclesiastical
authority mentioned in Article 22:2, to specify adaptations,
as regards the administration of the sacraments, sacramentals,
processions, liturgical language, sacred music and the arts,
according, however, to the fundamental norms laid down in
this Constitution.
40.
In some places and circumstances, however, an even more
radical adaptation of the liturgy is needed, and this entails
greater difficulties. For this reason: (1) The competent
territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Article
22:2, must in this matter, carefully and prudently consider
which elements from the traditions and cultures of individual
peoples might appropriately be admitted into divine worship.
Adaptations which are considered useful or necessary should
then be submitted to the Holy See, by whose consent they
may be introduced. (2) To ensure that adaptations may be
made with all the necessary, the Apostolic See will grant
power to this same ecclesiastical authority to permit and
direct, as the case requires, the necessary preliminary
experiments over a determined period of time among certain
groups suitable for the purpose. (3) Because liturgical
laws usually involve special difficulties with respect to
adaptation, especially in mission lands, men who are experts
in the matters in question must be employed to formulate
them."
Comments:
Liturgical inculturation has destroyed the four marks of
Sacred Liturgy: Universality or Catholicity:
the liturgy has become a local - sometimes not even national
- ‘product’, un-exportable, unusable outside its immediate
circumstances; Unity is gone with the
vernacular and the promotion of liturgical creativity -
which is not an abuse as can be read in the text above (n.38);
Apostolicity, that is the link
with apostolic and multi-secular rites and prayers - gone
at the profit of the spur-of-the-moment rites, rites even
borrowed occasionally from non-Christian religions...(see
n.37) Sanctity: perhaps the
most striking and significant absentee in this reform. |
3)
Holy Communion
St
Pius X
Decree ‘Sacra Tridentina Synodus’
Dec. 20, 1905
On the dispositions for frequent
communion
“
1.Frequent and daily communion being greatly desired by
Our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Catholic Church, must be
made accessible to all faithful of whatever class and condition
they be, in such a way that, none if he be in the state
of grace and approach the Holy Table with a right intention,
may not be denied.
2.
The right intention consists in approaching the Holy Table,
not by habit or vanity, or for human reasons, but to satisfy
the Will of God, to be more united to Him by charity, and
thanks to this divine remedy, to combat his defects and
infirmities.
3.
Although it is highly desirable that they who receive frequent
and daily communion be free from affection to venial sins,
at least fully deliberated, it is enough that they be without
mortal sin with the firm resolution not to sin in the future.
With this firm purpose, it is not possible that those who
do communicate daily do not also overcome venial sins and
the affection to these sins.”
Decree
‘Quam Singulari’ Aug. 8, 1910
On
the age of First Holy Communion
“This
practice of preventing the faithful from receiving on the
plea of safeguarding the august Sacrament has been the cause
of many evils. It happened that children in their innocence
were forced away from the
embrace
of Christ and deprived of the food of their interior life;
and from this it also happened that in their youth, destitute
of this strong help, surrounded by so many temptations,
they lost their innocence and fell into vicious habits even
before tasting of the Sacred Mysteries. And even if a thorough
instruction and a careful Sacramental Confession should
precede Holy Communion, which does not everywhere occur,
still the loss of first innocence is always to be deplored
and might have been avoided by reception of the Eucharist
in more tender years. No less worthy of condemnation is
that practice which prevails in many places prohibiting
from Sacramental Confession children who have not yet made
their First Holy Communion, or of not giving them absolution.
Thus it happens that they, perhaps having fallen into serious
sin, remain in that very dangerous state for a longtime.
(...)
The age of discretion for receiving Holy Communion is
that at which the child knows the difference between the
Eucharistic Bread and ordinary, material bread, and can
therefore approach the altar with proper devotion. Perfect
knowledge of the things of faith, therefore, is not required,
for an elementary knowledge suffices-some knowledge (aliquacognitio);
similarly full use of reason is not required, for a certain
beginning of the use of reason, that is, some use of reason
(aliqualis usus rationis) suffices. To postpone Communion,
therefore, until later and to insist on a more mature age
for its reception must be absolutely discouraged, and indeed
such practice was condemned more than once by the Holy See." |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Code of Canon Law (1983)
Proper
dispositions
“Can.
916 Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate
Mass or receive the Body of the Lord without previously
having been to sacramental confession, unless there is a
grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in
this case the person is to remember the obligation to make
an act of perfect contrition, which includes the resolve
to go to confession as soon as possible.”
Comment:
The case of the priest in the state of sin who has to offer
the Holy Mass is different - as the common good is involved
- from that of the faithful. The practice of simply making
an act of contrition rather than going to confession has
been frequently recommended to the faithful, especially
in the case of penitential ceremonies with general absolution.
This leads to a very Protestant attitude of confessing directly
to God.
“An
interior disposition of devotion is necessary for the reception
of the Eucharist.” Archbishop Nicolas Chia of Singapore,
‘Catholic News’, June 22 & 29, 2003, p. 1.
Comments:
What
remains of the other requirements: of being Catholic, in
the state of grace, fasting, modestly dressed, etc..?
Frequency
“Can. 917 One who has received the blessed Eucharist may receive it again on the same day
only within a eucharistic celebration in which that person
participates, without prejudice to the provision of can.
921 §2."
Children
"Can. 913 §1
For holy communion to be administered to children, it is
required that they have sufficient knowledge and be accurately
prepared, so that according to their capacity they understand
what the mystery of Christ means, and are able to receive
the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion.
Can. 989 All the faithful who have reached the age of
discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins
at least once a year."
Comments:
In spite of this, the age of holy Communion is being delayed
in many places (as in Ireland in the 1990s when it went from
7 to 8 years old; in Malaysia it is 8 or 9 years old). In
many places, the first confession is after the First Holy
Communion. Canon 989 does not mention the need of confession
before the first communion:
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4) The Priest, a man of God or a man of the world?
St
Pius X
Exhortation 'Haerent Animo'
Aug.
4, 1908
To
encourage priestly sanctity
"Therefore,
beloved sons, we will begin this exhortation by stimulating
you to that sanctity of life which the dignity of your office
demands. Anyone who exercises the priestly ministry exercises
it not for himself alone, but for others. For every high
priest taken from among men is appointed for men in the
things that pertain to God. (Heb. 5,1) Christ himself taught
that lesson when he compared the priest to salt and to light,
in order to show the nature of the priestly ministry. The
priest then is the light of the world and the salt of the
earth. Everyone knows that he fulfills this function chiefly
by the teaching of Christian truth; and who can be unaware
that this ministry of teaching is practically useless if
the priest fails to confirm by the example of his life the
truths which he teaches? Those who hear him might say, insultingly
it is true, but not without justification: They profess
that they know God but in their works they deny him (Tit.
1,16) they will refuse to accept his teaching and will derive
no benefit from the light of the priest. Christ himself,
the model of priests, taught first by the example of his
deeds and then by his words: Jesus began to do and then
to teach. (Acts 1,1) Likewise, a priest who neglects his
own sanctification can never be the salt of the earth; what
is corrupt and contaminated is utterly incapable of preserving
from corruption; where sanctity is lacking, there corruption
will inevitably find its way. Hence Christ, continuing this
comparison, calls such priests salt that has lost its savor,
which is good for nothing any more, but to be cast out and
to be trodden on by men. (...)
Priestly
Associations
Another
suggestion which we warmly recommend is that priests, as
befits brothers, should form a closer union among themselves,
with the approval and under the direction of the bishop.
It is strongly to be recommended that they should form an
association in order to help one another in adversity, to
defend the honor of their name and office against attack,
and for other similar objects. But it is even more important
that they should form an association with a view to the
cultivation of sacred learning, particularly in order to
apply themselves with greater solicitude to the object of
their vocation and to promote the welfare of souls by concerting
their ideas and their efforts. The annals of the Church
show that at times when priests generally lived in a form
of common life, this association produced many good results.
Why might not one re-establish in our own day something
of the kind, with due attention to differences of country
and priestly duties? Might not one justifiably hope, and
the Church would rejoice at it, that such an institution
would yield the same good results as formerly? There are,
indeed, associations of this kind which enjoy episcopal
approval; and the advantages they confer are all the greater
if one becomes a member early in life, in the very first
years of the priesthood."
Comments:
The SSPX therefore corresponds exactly to this warm desire
of the Saintly Pope!
|
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The
Conciliar Church
Pope
John Paul II has written many times on the issue of the
priesthood, urging priests to live up to their noble calling.
However, since the doors of the aggiornamento — updating
of the Church to the world — have been opened with Vatican
II, without strict and strong disciplinary action on the
part of the Vatican, written documents have remain dead
letters.
"How
many of the reforms of Vatican II reflect Luther's own conclusions?
The abandonment of clerical and religious dress, widespread
marriages of the religious sanctioned even by the Holy See,
the suppression of distinctions between priest and lay man.
This egalitarianism is further manifested in the sharing
of liturgical functions formerly reserved to the Priesthood.
The
abolition of the minor orders and the sub-diaconate, and
the creation of a married diaconate, have also contributed
to the purely administrative conception of the priest, to
the detriment of his essentially priestly character, Thus
one is ordained primarily to serve the community and no
longer for the purpose of offering Christ's Sacrifice which
alone is the justification for the Catholic concept of the
Priesthood.
Worker-priests,
priests in labor unions, or in positions remunerated by
the State similarly contribute to the blurring of distinctions
between Priesthood and laity. In fact, the innovations go
much further than those of Luther." (Archbishop Lefebvre,
'Luther's Mass', 1975)
"In
our countries there are no more vocations because the priest
has lost his sense of identity", Archbishop Bernardin
of Cincinnati speaking for English-speaking countries of
the world at the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
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5) Social Kingship or Separation
of Church and State?
St
Pius X
Encyclical
'Vehementer' Feb. 11, 1906
Encyclical
'Une fois encore', Jan. 6, 1907
Encyclical
'Iamdudum in Lusitania'
May
24, 1911
Against the separation of
Church and State
"That
the State must be separated from the Church is a thesis
absolutely false, a most pernicious error. Based, as it
is, on the principle that the State must not recognize any
religious cult, it is in the first place guilty of a great
injustice to God; for the Creator of man is also the Founder
of human societies, and preserves their existence as He
preserves our own. We owe Him, therefore, not only a private
cult, but a public and social worship to honor Him. Besides,
this thesis is an obvious negation of the supernatural order.
(...)
Hence
the Roman Pontiffs have never ceased, as circumstances required,
to refute and condemn the doctrine of the separation of
Church and State. Our illustrious predecessor, Leo XIII,
especially, has frequently and magnificently expounded Catholic
teaching on the relations which should subsist between the
two societies. 'Between them,' he says, 'there must necessarily
be a suitable union, which may not improperly be compared
with that existing between body and soul.' He proceeds:
'Human societies cannot, without becoming criminal, act
as if God did not exist or refuse to concern themselves
with religion, as though it were something foreign to them,
or of no purpose to them.' (...)
Hence,
mindful of Our Apostolic charge and conscious of the imperious
duty incumbent upon Us of defending and preserving against
all assaults the full and absolute integrity of the sacred
and inviolable rights of the Church, We do, by virtue of
the supreme authority which God has confided to Us, and
on the grounds above set forth, reprove and condemn the
kw voted in France for the separation of Church and State,
as deeply unjust to God whom it denies, and as laying down
the principle that the Republic recognizes no cult. We reprove
and condemn it as violating the natural law, the law of
nations, and fidelity to treaties; as contrary to the Divine
constitution of the Church, to her essential rights and
to her liberty; as destroying justice and trampling underfoot
the rights of property which the Church has acquired by
many titles and, in addition, by virtue of the Concordat.
We reprove and condemn it as gravely offensive to the dignity
of this Apostolic See, to Our own person, to the Episcopacy,
and to the clergy and all the Catholics of France. Therefore,
We protest solemnly and with all Our strength against the
introduction, the voting and the promulgation of this law,
declaring that it can never be alleged against the imprescriptible
rights of the Church." ('Vehementer', nn. 3,13)
"Accordingly,
under the admonition of the duty of Our Apostolic office
that, in the face of such audacity on the part of the enemies
of God, We should most vigilantly protect the dignity and
honor of religion and preserve the sacred rights of the
Catholic Church, We by our Apostolic authority denounce,
condemn, and reject the Law for the Separation of Church
and State in the Portuguese Republic. This law despises
God and repudiates the Catholic faith; it annuls the treaties
solemnly made between Portugal and the Apostolic See, and
violates the law of nature and of her property; it oppresses
the liberty of the Church, and assails her divine Constitution;
it injures and insults the majesty of the Roman Pontificate,
the order of Bishops, the Portuguese clergy and people,
and so the Catholics of the world. And whilst We strenuously
complain that such a law should have been made, sanctioned,
and published, We utter a solemn protest against those who
have had a part in it as authors or helpers, and, at the
same time, We proclaim and denounce as null and void, and
to be so regarded, all that the law has enacted against
the inviolable rights of the Church." ('Jamdudum',
n.9) |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Declaration Dignitatis Humanae'
On Religious liberty
"2.
This Vatican Council declares that the human person has
a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all
men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals
or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise
that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary
to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether
alone or in association with others within due limits. The
Council further declares that the right to religious freedom
has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person
as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God
and by reason itself. This right of the human person to
religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional
law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become
a civil right. (...)
6.
(...) Government is to see to it that equality of citizens
before the law, which is itself an element of the common
good, is never violated, whether openly or covertly, for
religious reasons. Nor is there to be discrimination among
citizens. It follows that a wrong is done when government
imposes upon its people, by force or fear or other means,
the profession or repudiation of any religion, or when it
hinders men from joining or leaving a religious community.
All the more is it a violation of the will of God and of
the sacred rights of the person and the family of nations
when force is brought to bear in any way in order to destroy
or repress religion, either in the whole of mankind or in
a particular country or in a definite community."
Paul
VI
Closing
Speech of Vatican II, Dec. 7,1965
To
the Rulers
"And
what does this Church ask of you after close to 2,000 years
of experiences of all kinds in her relations with you, the
powers of the earth? What does the Church ask of you today?
She tells you in one of the major documents of this council.
She asks of you only liberty, the liberty to believe and
to preach her faith, the freedom to love her God and serve
Him, the freedom to live and to bring to men her message
of life. Do not fear her. She is made after the image of
her Master, whose mysterious action does not interfere with
your prerogatives but heals everything human of its fatal
weakness, transfigures it and fills it with hope, truth
and beauty." |
6) The Structure of the
Church
St
Pius X
Encyclical 'Gravissimo Munere'
Aug.
10,1906
On the French Association of worship
Historical
Note: The French government, having voted the law of separation
of Church and State, tried also to force St Pius X to accept
committee-run dioceses and parishes. These committees —
Associations of Worship — would have been composed of clergy
and laymen.
"
It is for this reason that, with reference to the associations
for public worship as the law establishes them, we decree
that it is absolutely impossible for them to be formed without
a violation of the sacred rights pertaining to the very
life of the Church. But as this hope fails Us while the
law remains what it is, We declare that it is not permissible
to try this other kind of association as long as it is not
established in a sure and legal manner that the Divine Constitution
of the Church, the immutable rights of the Roman Pontiff
and of the Bishops, as well as their authority over the
necessary property of the Church and particularly over the
sacred edifices, shall be irrevocably placed in the said
associations in full security. To desire the contrary is
impossible for us, without betraying the sanctity of Our
office and bringing about the ruin of the Church of France." |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Vatican
II
Constit.
'Lumen Gentium', Nov. 21, 1964
On Collegiality
"37.
(...) Let the spiritual shepherds recognize and promote
the dignity as well as the responsibility of the laity in
the Church. Let them willingly employ their prudent advice.
Let them confidently assign duties to them in the service
of the Church, allowing them freedom and room for action.
Further, let them encourage lay people so that they may
undertake tasks on their own initiative. Attentively in
Christ, let them consider with fatherly love the projects,
suggestions and desires proposed by the laity. However,
let the shepherds respectfully acknowledge that just freedom
which belongs to everyone in this earthly city.
A great
many wonderful things are to be hoped for from this familiar
dialogue between the laity and their spiritual leaders:
in the laity a strengthened sense of personal responsibility;
a renewed enthusiasm; a more ready application of their
talents to the projects of their spiritual leaders. The
latter, on the other hand, aided by the experience of the
laity, can more clearly and more incisively come to decisions
regarding both spiritual and temporal matters. In this way,
the whole Church, strengthened by each one of its members,
may more effectively fulfill is mission for the life of
the world." |
Code of
Canon Law (1983)
"Can.
536 §1 If, after consulting the council of priests, the diocesan
Bishop considers it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established
in each parish. In this council, which is presided over by the
parish priest, Christ's faithful, together with those who by virtue
of their office are engaged in pastoral care in the parish, give
their help in fostering pastoral action. §2 The pastoral council
has only a consultative vote, and it is regulated by the norms
laid down by the diocesan Bishop.
Can. 537
In each parish there is to be a finance committee to help the
parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish,
without prejudice to can. 532. It is ruled by the universal kw
and by the norms laid down by the diocesan Bishop, and it is comprised
of members of the faithful selected according to these norms."
Comments:
Diocesan and Parish Councils composed of priests and laity are
paralyzing the power of Bishops and Parish priests, not just in
financial matters but also in truly ecclesiastical ones. Two very
recent, simple and typical examples:
1) In
the Angelus of May 2003, p-14, we read the letter of the bishop
of Phoenix, USA to a priest, Fr. Polycarpio, rebuking him for
having returned to the traditional Mass recently:
"(This
issue) has come up for discussion at meetings both of the Presbyteral
Council and Diocesan Pastoral Council. The last time the issue
was addressed, it was strongly recommended to me by both my priests
and members of the laity that I not grant permission for this
Mass to be celebrated. My decision was not an arbitrary one, but
involved consultation with both clergy and laity."
2)
This May 2003, in an Asian country, a Traditional Funeral Mass
was allowed in a parish church by permission of the parish priest.
Afterwards, the parish priest was severely rebuked by his parish
Council, mostly lay people, for having given this permission.
7)
Conversion or Ecumenism?
St
Pius X
Apostolic Letter 'Our Apostolic Mandate'
Aug.
25, 1910
Against the French movement "Sillon"
"The
same applies to the notion of Fraternity which they found
on the love of common interest or, beyond all philosophies
and religions, on the mere notion of humanity, thus embracing
with an equal love and tolerance all human beings and their
miseries, whether these are intellectual, moral, or physical
and temporal. But Catholic doctrine tells us that the primary
duty of charity does not he in the toleration of false ideas,
however sincere they may be, nor in the theoretical or practical
indifference towards the errors and vices in which we see
our brethren plunged, but in the zeal for their intellectual
and moral improvement as well as for their material well-being.
Catholic doctrine further tells us that love for our neighbor
flows from our love for God, Who is Father to all, and goal
of the whole human family; and in Jesus Christ whose members
we are, to the point that in doing good to others we are
doing good to Jesus Christ Himself. Any other kind of love
is sheer illusion, sterile and fleeting.
Indeed,
we have the human experience of pagan and secular societies
of ages past to show that concern for common interests or
affinities of nature weigh very little against the passions
and wild desires of the heart. No, Venerable Brethren, there
is no genuine fraternity outside Christian charity. Through
the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ Our Saviour, Christian
charity embraces all men, comforts all, and leads all to
the same faith and same heavenly happiness. (...)
We
fear that worse is to come: the end result of this developing
promiscuousness, the beneficiary of this cosmopolitan social
action, can only be a Democracy which will be neither Catholic,
nor Protestant, nor Jewish. It will be a religion (for Sillonism,
so the leaders have said, is a religion) more universal
than the Catholic Church, uniting all men become brothers
and comrades at last in the 'Kingdom of God'. - 'We do not
work for the Church, we work for mankind.'
And
now, overwhelmed with the deepest sadness, We ask Ourselves,
Venerable Brethren, what has become of the Catholicism of
the Sillon? Alas! this organization which formerly afforded
such promising expectations, this limpid and impetuous stream,
has been harnessed in its course by the modern enemies of
the Church, and is now no more than a miserable affluent
of the great movement of apostasy being organized in every
country for the establishment of a One-World Church which
shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy, neither discipline
for the mind, nor curb for the passions, and which, under
the pretext of freedom and human dignity, would bring back
to the world (if such a Church could overcome) the reign
of legalized cunning and force, and the oppression of the
weak, and of all those who toil and suffer."
|
|
The
Conciliar Church John Paul II
Message to Heads of State
Feb. 24, 2002
False ecumenism, the meetings of Assist. Towards One
World Church
"The
inspired reflections of these men and women, representatives
of different religious confessions, their sincere desire
to work for peace, and their common quest for the true progress
of the whole human family, found a sublime and yet concrete
form in the 'Decalogue' proclaimed at the end of this exceptional
day.
I have
the honor of presenting to Your Excellency the text of this
common agreement, convinced that these ten propositions
can inspire the political and social action of your government.
I observed
that those who took part in the Assisi Meeting were more
than ever motivated by a common conviction: humanity must
choose between love and hatred. All of them, feeling that
they belong to one and the same human family, were able
to express their aspiration through these ten points, convinced
that if hatred destroys, love, on the contrary, builds up.
I hope
that the spirit and commitment of Assisi will lead all people
of goodwill to seek truth, justice, freedom and love, so
that every human person may enjoy his inalienable rights
and every people, peace. For her part, the Catholic Church,
who trusts and hopes in 'the God of love and peace' (II
Cor 13,11), will continue to work for loyal dialogue, reciprocal
forgiveness and mutual harmony to clear the way for people
in this third millennium."
"Assisi"
Decalogue for Peace
1.
We commit ourselves to proclaiming our firm conviction that
violence and terrorism are incompatible with the authentic
Spirit of religion, and, as we condemn every recourse to
violence and war in the name of God or religion, we commit
ourselves to doing everything possible to eliminate the
root causes of terrorism.
2.
We commit ourselves to educating people to mutual respect
and esteem, in order to help bring about a peaceful and
fraternal coexistence between people of different ethnic
groups, cultures, and religions.
3.
We commit ourselves to fostering the culture of dialogue,
so that there will be an increase of understanding and mutual
trust between individuals and among peoples, for these are
the premises of authentic peace. (...)"(Zenit, March
4, 2002)
|
8) Teach all
nations!
St
Pius X
Encyclical
Acerbo nimis April 20,1905
Publication
of a universal catechism, 1912
On the necessity of teaching catechism as
the great means of evangelization
"We
are forced to agree with those who hold that the chief cause
of the present indifference and, as it were, infirmity of
soul, and the serious evils that result from it, is to be
found above all in ignorance of things divine. This is fully
in accord with what God Himself declared through the Prophet
Osee: 'And there is no knowledge of God in the land. Cursing
and lying and killing and theft and adultery have overflowed:
and blood hath touched blood. Thereafter shall the land
mourn, and everyone that dwelleth in it shall languish.'
It
is a common complaint, unfortunately too well founded, that
there are large numbers of Christians in our own time who
are entirely ignorant of those truths necessary for salvation.
And when we mention Christians, We refer not only to the
masses or to those in the lower walks of life — for these
find some excuse for their ignorance in the fact that the
demands of their harsh employers hardly leave them time
to take care of themselves or of their dear ones — but We
refer to those especially who do not lack culture or talents
and, indeed, are possessed of abundant knowledge regarding
things of the world but live rashly and imprudently with
regard to religion. It is hard to find words to describe
how profound is the darkness in which they are engulfed
and, what is most deplorable of all, how tranquilly they
repose there.
And
so Our Predecessor, Benedict XIV, had just cause to write:
'We declare that a great number of those who are condemned
to eternal punishment suffer that everlasting calamity because
of ignorance of those mysteries of faith which must be known
and believed in order to be numbered among the elect.' "
|
|
The
Conciliar Church
Since
Vatican II, we have noticed a complete destruction of the
teaching of catechism. "The new catechesis has become
a search rather than a teaching, and seeks to produce existential
answers rather than intellectual convictions. "(Iota
Unum, P-259)
Multiplicity
of catechisms have been encouraged, with a contempt of memorization.
The
modern catechisms have changed so much that after 10-12
years in Catholic schools, most Catholic students barely
know their faith.
Many
catechisms — approved by the national Bishops' Conferences—actually
deny some articles of faith or points of morality. The infamous
Dutch Catechism denied the existence of angels, of a sacramental
priesthood, of the real presence; the Canadian Catechism
promoted Marxism; the French "Pierres Vivantes"
denied the Ascension, etc.
|
9) Fight against or promotion
of Modernism
St
Pius X
Syllabus
'Lamentabili', July 3,1907
Encyclical 'Pascendi Dominici'
Sept. 8, 1907
Condemnation of the errors of
Modernism, and indicating thomistic
philosophy as the first means to eradicate modernism
Decree
'Sacrorum Anstitistum'
Sept. 1, 1910
Practical rules to fight Modernism in
seminaries, Anti-modemist-oath
"Although
(the modernists) express their astonishment that We should
number them amongst the enemies of the Church, no one will
be reasonably surprised that We should do so, if, leaving
out of account the internal disposition of the soul, of
which God alone is the Judge, he considers their tenets,
their manner of speech, and their action. Nor indeed would
he be wrong in regarding them as the most pernicious of
all the adversaries of the Church. For, as We have said,
they put into operation their designs for her undoing, not
from without but from within. Hence, the danger is present
almost in the very veins and heart of the Church, whose
injury is the more certain from the very fact that their
knowledge of her is more intimate. Moreover, they lay the
axe not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root,
that is, to the faith and its deepest fibers. And once having
struck at this root of immortality, they proceed to diffuse
poison through the whole tree, so that there is no part
of Catholic truth which they leave untouched, none that
they do not strive to corrupt. Further, none is more skillful,
none more astute than they, in the employment of a thousand
noxious devices; for they play the double part of rationalist
and Catholic, and this so craftily that they easily lead
the unwary into error; and as audacity is their chief characteristic,
there is no conclusion of any kind from which they shrink
or which they do not thrust forward with pertinacity and
assurance. To this must be added the fact, which indeed
is well calculated to deceive souls, that they lead a life
of the greatest activity, of assiduous and ardent application
to every branch of learning, and that they possess, as a
rule, a reputation for irreproachable morality. Finally,
there is the fact which is all but fatal to the hope of
cure that their very doctrines have given such a bent to
their minds, that they disdain all authority and brook no
restraint; and relying upon a false conscience, they attempt
to ascribe to a love of truth that which is in reality the
result of pride and obstinacy. (...)
Remedies
to Modernism
In
the first place, with regard to studies, We will and strictly
ordain that scholastic philosophy be made the basis of the
sacred sciences. (...) And let it be clearly understood
above all things that when We prescribe scholastic philosophy
We understand chiefly that which the Angelic Doctor has
bequeathed to us, and We, therefore, declare that all the
ordinances of Our predecessor on this subject continue fully
in force, and, as far as may be necessary, We do decree
anew, and confirm, and order that they shall be strictly
observed by all. In seminaries where they have been neglected
it will be for the Bishops to exact and require their observance
in the future; and let this apply also to the superiors
of religious orders. Further, We admonish professors to
bear well in mind that they cannot set aside St. Thomas,
grave disadvantage." ('Pascendi' nn. 3,45)
Motu
Proprio 'Doctoris Angelici'
June
29, 1914
"So
far as studies are concerned, it is Our will and We hereby
explicitly ordain that the Scholastic philosophy be considered
as the basis of sacred studies. . . . And what is of capital
importance in prescribing that Stochastic philosophy is
to be followed, We have in mind particularly the philosophy
which has been transmitted to us by St. Thomas Aquinas.
It is Our desire that all the enactments of Our Predecessor
in respect thereto be maintained in full force; and, where
need be, We renew and confirm them and order them to be
strictly observed by all concerned. Let Bishops urge and
compel their observance in future in any Seminary in which
they may have been neglected. The same injunction applies
also to Superiors of Religious Orders. St. Thomas perfected
and augmented still further by the almost angelic quality
of his intellect all this superb patrimony of wisdom which
he inherited from his predecessors and applied it to prepare,
illustrate and protect sacred doctrine in the minds of men.
Sound reason suggests that it would be foolish to neglect
it and religion will not suffer it to be in any way attenuated.
And rightly, because, if Catholic doctrine is once deprived
of this strong bulwark, it is useless to seek the slightest
assistance for its defence in a philosophy whose principles
are either common to the errors of materialism, monism,
pantheism, socialism and modernism, or certainly not opposed
to such systems.
|
|
The
Conciliar Church
Vatican
II
Decree
'Optatam Totius', Oct. 28, 1965
"15.
The philosophical disciplines are to be taught in such a
way that the students are first of all led to acquire a
solid and coherent knowledge of man, the world and of God,
relying on a philosophical patrimony which is perennially
valid and taking into accounts the philosophical investigations
of later ages. This is especially true of those investigations
which exercise a greater influence in their own nations.
Account should also be taken of the more recent progress
of the sciences. The net result should be that the students,
correctly understanding the characteristics of the contemporary
mind will be duly prepared for dialogue with men of their
time.
The
history of philosophy should be so taught that the students,
while reaching the ultimate principles of the various systems,
will hold on to what is proven to be true therein and will
be able to detect the roots of errors and to refute them.
In
the very manner of teaching there should be stirred up in
the students a love of rigorously searching for the truth
and of maintaining and demonstrating it, together with an
honest recognition of the limits of human knowledge. Attention
must be carefully drawn to the necessary connection between
philosophy and the true problems of life, as well as the
questions which preoccupy the minds of the students. Likewise
students should be helped to perceive the links between
the subject matter of philosophy and the mysteries of salvation
which are considered in theology under the higher light
of faith."
Comments:
The specific mention of Thomism is omitted in the above.
15 on the formation of priests, a mention that was ordered
by Leo XIII in 'Aeterni Patris' and by Canon Law
(1917), c. 1366.
With
Vatican II, and the New Theology re-habilitated by Vatican
II, we have witnessed the flooding of all these condemned
errors, the rejection of thomistic philosophy, in most seminaries.
"Scholasticism
doesn't adapt itself to non Western people... The Council
should not take position on philosophical systems"
Cardinal Leger, Intervention during Vatican II (Iota Unum
(French) p.439.) This was the exact attitude of many bishops
during the Asian Synod, in 1998.
The
anti-modernist oath was suppressed in 1967. Why?
In
the fight against modernism by maintaining the Tridentine
Mass, those who have accepted the Indult and put themselves
under Ecclesia Dei Commission, have never the less been
obliged to remain silent on the very existence of the modernist
crisis and of its causes (compare with the letter of St
Pius X, Oct. 20, 1912, below) as can be seen by the first
condition of the 1984 Indult.
Indult
for the Traditional Mass
Oct. 3, 1984
"(T)he
Supreme Pontiff... grants ... an indult whereby priests
and faithful, who shall be expressly indicated in the letter
of request to be presented to their own bishop, may be able
to celebrate Mass by using the Roman Missal according to
the 1962 edition, but under the following conditions:
1.
That it be made publicly clear beyond all ambiguity that
such priests and their respective faithful in no way share
the positions of those who call in question the legitimacy
and doctrinal exactitude of the Roman Missal promulgated
by Pope Paul VI in 1970."
Comments:
On the occasion of Assist II, the Apostolic Administration
of St John Vianney of Campos, which had been very vocal
in condemning Assist I, in 1986, kept mysteriously silent.
"You see, there is a time to speak and a time to be
silent.." (Bishop Rifan, in Versailles, Sept.
2002, BTAG 148, 20 April, 2003). They had been approved
by Rome one week earlier...
|
Letter "I answer with my own hand"
Oct. 20, 1912
On the attitude towards newspapers 'of penetration',
i.e. which appear Catholic but ignore the modernist crisis raging.
"How
can We approve certain newspapers, hiding under the banner "Catholic",
because they sometimes relate papal audiences and reproduce Vatican
notes, while not only do they never say a word on the liberty
and independence of the Church, but also pretend not to see the
war done to the Church? (These newspapers), without converting
any of our adversaries (who despise them for their sole Catholic
appearance), cause the greatest harm to good people: these latter
seeking light find only darkness; needing food, they suck poison;
instead of finding truth and strength to maintain themselves firm
in the faith, they find arguments to become, in such a grave matter,
careless, apathetic, indifferent. Oh, how much harm do these newspapers
do to the Church and to souls! And what great responsibility,
especially for the clerics who spread them, encourage them, recommend
them!" ('Documents Pontificaux de St Pie X', Editions
du Courrier de Rome, vol. 2, p. 480-481)
10)
Principles of Social Issues
St
Pius X
Motu Proprio 'Fin dalla Prima'
Dec.
18,1903
Apostolic Letter 'Our Apostolic Mandate'
Aug.
25,1910
"Human
society, as God established it, is composed of unequal elements,
just as the members of the body are unequal; to make them
all equal is impossible, and would be the destruction of
society itself.
To
calm the strife between rich and poor, it is necessary to
distinguish between justice and charity. Only when justice
has been violated is there a right to make a claim in the
strict sense of the word. (...)
The
poor, on their part, ought not to blush for their poverty,
nor disdain the charity of the rich above all when they
think of Jesus Our Redeemer who... made Himself poor. ('Fin
dalla Prima' nn. 1, 2, 7)
"We
know well that they flatter themselves with the idea of
raising human dignity. (...) But... by ignoring the laws
governing human nature and by breaking the bounds within
which they operate, the human person is lead, not toward
progress, but towards death. This, nevertheless, is what
they want to do with human society; they dream of changing
its natural and traditional foundations; they dream of a
Future City built on different principles, and they dare
to proclaim these more fruitful and more beneficial than
the principles upon which the present Christian City rests.
No,
Venerable Brethren, We must repeat with the utmost energy
in these times of social and intellectual anarchy when everyone
takes it upon himself to teach as a teacher and lawmaker
- the City cannot be built otherwise than as God has built
it; society cannot be setup unless the Church lays the foundations
and supervises the work; no, civilization is not something
yet to be found, nor is the New City to be built on hazy
notions; it has been in existence and still is: it is Christian
civilization, it is the Catholic City. It has only to be
set up and restored continually against the unremitting
attacks of insane dreamers rebels and miscreants. OMNIA
INSTAURARE IN CHRISTO. (...)
Finally,
at the root of all their fallacies on social questions he
the false hopes of Sillonists on human dignity. According
to them, man will be a man truly worthy of the name only
when he has acquired a strong, enlightened, and independent
consciousness, able to do without a master, obeying only
himself, and able to assume the most demanding responsibilities
without faltering. Such are the big words by which human
pride is exalted, like a dream carrying man away without
light, without guidance, and without help into the realm
of illusion in which he will be destroyed by his errors
and passions whilst awaiting the glorious day of his full
consciousness." ('Our Apostolic Mandate', nn.
10, 11, 25) |
|
The
Conciliar Church
Liberation
theology
Liberation
theology, a term first used in 1973 by Gustavo Gutierrez,
a Peruvian Roman Catholic priest, is a school of thought
among Latin American Catholics according to which the Gospel
of Christ demands that the church concentrate its efforts
on liberating the people of the world from poverty and oppression.
The
liberation-theology movement was partly inspired by the
Second Vatican Council and the 1967 papal encyclical Populorum
progressio. The liberationists have received encouragement
from the Latin American bishops, especially in resolutions
adopted at a 1968 conference in Medellin, Colombia.
Liberation
Theology pretends that the Gospel is a principle conformed
to the Marxist revolution, and among other tenets, it sees
poverty as an evil and demands that social justice be not
given to the poor but taken, grabbed from the rich by the
poor themselves.
Human
rights, Human dignity
John
Paul II
Discourse
after the signing of the new
concordate with Italy, June 2,1984
"Recognition
and the guarantee of the inviolable rights of man as an
individual and in social groups in which he can develop
and expand his personality; (...) dignity and equality of
all citizens without discrimination before the kw (...)
These are some of the fundamental principles placed prominently
in the Italian charter. May Italy continue to be an example
in the defense of human rights and the values of liberty
and justice..." (Peter, lovest Thou Me, p.27)
Letter
to Heads of State, Feb. 24, 2002
"I
hope that the spirit and commitment of Assisi will lead
all people of goodwill to seek truth, justice, freedom and
love, so that every human person may enjoy his inalienable
rights and every people, peace."
|
11) For the honor
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St
Pius X
Encyclical
'Ad diem illum', Feb. 2, 1904
Note:
This encyclical is a theological landmark for the doctrine
of Our Lady Mediatrix of all graces and Cored.
"Moreover
it was not only the prerogative of the Most Holy Mother
to have furnished the material of His flesh to the Only
Son of God, Who was to be born with human members of which
material should be prepared the Victim for the salvation
of men; but hers was also the office of tending and nourishing
that Victim, and at the appointed time presenting Him for
the sacrifice. Hence that uninterrupted community of life
and labors of the Son and the Mother, so that of both might
have been uttered the words of the Psalmist 'My life is
consumed in sorrow and my years in groans' (Ps 30., 11).
When the supreme hour of the Son came, beside the Cross
of Jesus there stood Mary His Mother, not merely occupied
in contemplating the cruel spectacle, but rejoicing that
her Only Son was offered for the salvation of mankind, and
so entirely participating in His Passion, that if it had
been possible she would have gladly borne all the torments
that her Son bore. And from this community of will and suffering
between Christ and Mary she merited to become most worthily
the Reparatrix of the lost world and Dispensatrix of
all the gifts that Our Savior purchased for us by His Death
and by His Blood.
It
cannot, of course, be denied that the dispensation of these
treasures is the particular and peculiar right of Jesus
Christ, for they are the exclusive fruit of His Death, who
by His nature is the mediator between God and man. Nevertheless,
by this companionship in sorrow and suffering already mentioned
between the Mother and the Son, it has been allowed to the
august Virgin to be the most powerful mediatrix and advocate
of the whole world with her Divine Son.
We
are then, it will be seen, very far from attributing to
the Mother of God a productive power of grace — a power
which belongs to God alone. Yet, since Mary carries it over
all in holiness and union with Jesus Christ, and has been
associated by Jesus Christ in the work of redemption, she
merits for us 'de congruo', in the language of theologians,
what Jesus Christ merits for us 'de condigno', and she
is the supreme Minister of the distribution of graces." |
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The
Conciliar Church
Our Lady Mediatrix and Ecumenism
Pre-Council
Vota of the Bishops
311
bishops (about 10%) requested Pope John XXIII to define
the doctrine of the Mediation of Our Lady, during Vatican
II. But it was purposely avoided in the name of ecumenism
with the Protestants. (Acts of II SiSiNoNo Congress, 1996,
p. 93)
Pope
John Paul II
Osservatore
Romano, May 9,1996
"In
the case of the Blessed Virgin, God's action appears truly
surprising. Mary doesn't possess any human title to receive
the announcement of the coming of the Messiah. (...) There
is no allusion to the behavior of Mary. With such a literary
criterion, Luke highlights that all in her comes from a
sovereign grace. None of what is granted her comes from
any title of merit, but uniquely from the free and gratuitous
divine predilection."
Theological
Commission of the Czestochowa Congress, Aug, 18-24 1996
The
Holy See asked this Congress to study the possibility and
opportunity of the definition of the Marian titles of Mediatrix,
Coredemptrix and Advocate.
"The
titles, as they are proposed are ambiguous, since they can
be understood in various way. Consequently, we must not
abandon the theological orientation of Vatican II which
did not want to define any of these terms. (...) Their definition
in the present situation would not be theologically obvious.
(...)
Finally, theologians, especially the non-Catholic, have
expressed their worries in regards to the ecumenical difficulties
that would follow the definition of the titles mentioned."
Groupe
des Dombes
Between
1991 - 1997, the 'Groupe des Dombes' (France), a group of
39 theologians (19 Catholic, 20 Protestants!) studied the
place of the Blessed Virgin in the ecumenical debate. They
produced a text in 1997 that was approved later by the International
Marian Pontifical Academy.
"It
is not opportune to abandon the path traced by Vatican II,
and to proceed to the definition of a new dogma. "The
Academy even expressed its surprised at the request of the
dogmatic definition of “a title towards which the Magisterium
has some reserves and which it keeps aside systematically."
"But
on the structural point of view, or concerning her statute,
her 'cooperation' is no different than any other person
justified by grace. (...) One can not therefore speak of
an action of Mary independent of that of Christ.
Mary
is also present at the Cross. She does not cooperate to
the unique sacrifice which Christ alone accomplishes. The
case of Mary is an example of what happens for all the saved."
(Groupe des Dombes, Document, 1997, nn. 217-219,
in Documentation sur la Révolution dans 1'Église,
No. 8, p.76)
Comments:
On
one side, Our Lady's very special cooperation to the mystery
of Redemption is explicitly denied, on the other hand, every
faithful 'saved', is also a Mediator. |
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