Mt. 5:37: "Let your manner of speaking be

yes yes no no

Year XXIV, n° 267

ANTIMODERNIST CATHOLIC MAGAZINE

because everything else comes from the Evil One".

November 2014

IF THE EPISCOPAL CONSAGATIONS REFORMED BY PAUL VI ARE VALID Anglican Liturgical Reformation and the Reformation

On June 18, 1968, Paul VI promulgates­

The validity of the rite as such is dependent on

the apostolic constitution Pontificalis Ro­

of three elements: matter, shape and form.

conciliate (3).

mani, by which it approved the new rites for the ordination of deacon, priest and bishop, reformed according to the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council. "Fu il primo libro liturgico dalla reforma ad essere pubblicato" (1). The rituals­

­intention (2). And these three things must be judgedaccording to the divine institution of the sacrament

2) Of matter and form

1) Of the divine ecclesiastical institution of the

sacrament of Orders

"Everyone knows that the sacraments of the new Law, as signs which are sensible and which produce invisible grace, must

The diaconate and the priesthood arise from a

more or less general reform of the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.­

The judgment about these three elements,

the same to signify the grace they produce,

but that of the episcopate - whose naniraleza had been especially considered­

not only from matter and form but also from

The work of the Council - is a totally new work - is a totally new work - is a totally new work.

­divine institution of the sacrament, the only autority capable of giving supernatural efficacy to

­that which they signify. This signific, although it must occur in the whole essential rite, that is to say, in the matter and the

The ritual is different from the preceding ritual.  If we take into account the anti-liturgical spirit that dominated the conciliar reform, the doctrine of the

almost heretical to the doctrine of the collegiality of the episcopate taught by Lumen Gentium.

gentium, which made the previous Note necessary, and the illness which has since affected the

The exercise of authority in the Church, especially of her magisterium, justifies the Catholic's uneasy questioning about the validity of this new rite. And this uneasiness

It borders on anguish when one thinks that on the validity of the episcopate depends the whole sacramental order and the very existence of the Church.

the intention, depends mainly on the

­a simple sign. It is a matter of faith that the seven sacraments were instituted immediately by Jesus Christ, but - a fundamental distinction for

­form, however,belongsprimarilyto the form, since it is the form

­matter is itself an undetermined part, which is determined by that­

­our purpose - they were withgreater or lesser determination, as it suited

lla" (4).  About this, in addition to what has been said about

for the nature of each sacrament. For

the greater or lesser determination in which the divine institution may leave the form and the

baptism and the Eucharist Our Lord pointed out in a definite way both the material element and the words to be used in baptism and the Eucharist.­

matter, let us make another clarification that seems necessary. To the one who reads the explanations of Saint

­to confer them. The other sacraments were instituted under a certain indeter­

Thomas on the desirability of the matter and

The Church is entrusted with the task and authority to specify them.

the significance of its effects, you may be left with the impression that it is necessary that the form

form of each sacrament with respect to the

Required by whoever has authority to

To distinguish in each sacrament what is

to do so, we give our humble opinion on

set by the divine institution and which has been

explicitly define the effect in order to be able to produce it, for "they produce what they mean".

so important a matter, humble not because of our great humility but because of our little science.  As is necessary, we first explain the

left to the determination of the ecclesiastical institution, the chronologically priority criterion is the­

This is convenient, but it is not necessary. The relationship of these signs to their meanings does not

is the very practice of the Church itself; because

is natural but conventional: by instituting them,

theological principles on which we rely and

­She is a faithful interpreter of the intentions of JesusChrist But theologically they have primacy

Our Lord linked the sacramental signs to their effects and explained to his Church how they were to be used in the sacraments.

­the explanations and definitions thatgiven by the magisterium concerning the

in Revelation, then, the Christian "convention" that links the two "conventions" is made explicit.

these matters. In order to judge the validity of the new rite of episcopal consecration, the following must be done­

­We must rely, therefore, on the comparisonwith the various liturgical uses of the

­­sacramental signs to their effects. Obviously, neither Our Lord nor His Church has used whimsical signs, but rather signsthat are suitably adapted, but the significance

It is not a question of judging whether this or that con­

Church, difficult terrain due to insecurity

sacraments can only be found in the

the concrete sacrament was valid, but whether the rite was valid,

of the information; but it will be necessary to support the­

profession of Christian faith. The expression "I will

as it is formulated in your text and with­

­Roman judgementon Anglican ordinationsis especially, because it does not

baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" suggests a sanctified washing!

only there the criteria are explained and applied

but which signifies, and therefore produces, the

the validity of the sacrament of Holy Orders, but also because there is a kinship between the sacrament of Holy Orders and the

erasure of original sin, the infusion of grace, virtues, and gifts, and the imprinting of the

We then apply them to the specific case at hand.

Elements for Judging the VALIDITY OF THE NEW RITE OF

Episcopal Consecration

text, whether or not it assures the validity of the sacrament.  De facto validity presupposes, in addition, the

validity of the minister and proper implementation

of the rite.




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The profession of the Christian faith indicates this sufficiently.

The priesthood of the priesthood is a gift of grace and power that characterizes such an order (as does the Roman rite). In the first­

­validity of the new episcopal consecrations, there are some who,

This is always the case with human signs: their meaning is determined by a certain

­any case, grace and power are implicitlyunderstood by the context of the

convention in the society in which they are used.  The Roman genius, exercised in the precision of the

profession of Christian faith.  In Sacramentum ordinis. Pius XII treats

only what Pius XII says in Sacramentufnordinis, they confuse things a little, demanding that the essential form means dis­

of legal definitions, he sought - whenever he could - to make the meaning of legal definitions as precise as possible.­

also of what is asked of the essential form of the sacrament of Holy Orders, saying: "Effec­

sacraments, and in this they are distinguished by the­

tus, qui sacra Diaconatus, Presbyteratus et Episcopatus Ordinatione produci

baptismal character, only the context of the

of the other oriental rites. The essential rite­

­rite of baptism was givenby Our Lordwith all precision, so it was untouched; the rite of confirmation was no longer, and the

Roman rite gathers as matter the imposition of the

and the anointing, and in the form he explicitly distinguishes between that which makes for grace and that which makes for character, a richness not found in

the other Catholic rites. In the Eucharist, the Romans removed all reference to the effects of the Eucharist.

in the first consecration, to make it clear that the sacrifice has not yet been made, and they detailed them precisely in the consecration

­power and the grace are inseparable, butthe power is implicit in the mention of the order given (10)  In reality, grace could also be implicit in the reference to the order conferred, being

et gratia" (7). But by "potestas" he will not understand, like Leo XIII, the determination

the expression of the latter alone the minimum required of the essential form, according to the usage of some Churches and the teaching of Leo XH1.

­particular of the powers that each orderconfers, for example, the power to celebrate My­

­The disjunction á&Apostolicae curae isespecially stressed by the English bishops

The only thing that is mentioned for the presbyter is the generic mention of the order conferred, that is, what Leo

in his Vindication of the Papal Letter (1897),

ideoque significari debent, potestas scilicet

Christian faith, certain powers of their own,

­in refuting the Anglicans' Responsio to Leo XHI - they are authoritative interpreters, because they had been closely involved in the drafting of the document.Among many other things, the Anglicans object that what the pope demands from

XIII means the first member of your

disjunction. It is not a mistake, because - as we said - each order implies, according to the pro­

so that, for a Catholic, it is sufficient to say

its rites in terms of significance, is not fulfilled.

of the wine (in addition to having removed the epiclesis,

that the presbyterate is conferred so that we may know that

that in the oriental rites it puts doubts about

the power to celebrate Mass is conferred. Use­

in many accepted Catholic rites. To this the English bishops respond that the pope demands

­of the moment of consecration). In the ordination to the priesthood, the rite ofalso

So, using Leo XIII's formula to express Pius XII's request, we would have to say

­Roman Law specified both the form and the matter of the sacrament, with the giving of the instructionsand the reference to the power to celebrate Mass, which is the power in order to which­

that, since Sacramentum ordinis, the essential Roman form means "definite ordinem sacerdotii et eius gratiam", no longer meaning definite la potestas. It is almost ia

comes to define the priesthood, as the

formula used by Pius XH a little further on

profession of Christian faith. Underlining the centrality of the

of the place cited: "potestas Ordinis et gratia

In the case of the United States, the reason they were declared invalid is that for more than a century they did not even mean distinctly or­

­Eucharist in the sacramental order, he did not consider a new order to the Eucharist

Spiritus Sancti" (8).  Evidently, the decision which Pius XII

The teacher was able to explain to them the order given, and if they then added the explanation of each order conferred, the teacher would­

Sacramentum ordinis was a

The Anglican faith positively excluded that the priesthood implied the power to consecrate the Eucharist. In fact, for Leo XIII, the priesthood

episcopal consecration, because nothing is greater or comparable to the celebration of the sacrifice of the

Eucharistic.  But the Greek genius feels more comfortable

in the gloom of mystery, and did not seek such precision in his liturgical ordinances.

­­­Going in particular to the various ordination rites, one notes a great deal of in-determination about the effectsproduced by each order In one way or another

loss of determination in the essential elements of the sacrament of Orders, because - as St. Thomas teaches and as is evident from the rite - the words of the Preface refer explicitly only to the grace that confers the sacrament of Orders.

order, while the power is defined in the delivery of the instruments (9). Hence, as it is more convenient to define the sacer­

by power rather than by grace, the

­­­disjunctively that the rites explicitly expressthe order conferred OR [vel] grace and power, the two ways being equivalent because, according to the Catholic profession of faith,confer such an order means to confer such grace and power, and vice versa (11). If the Anglican rites were­

­determining defect of the Anglican ordinationsfor which they were declared invalid was not so much in the rite as in the context of their heretical doctrinal profession  As we have pointed out elsewhere (12), both the matter (13) and the form of the ordination rites can suffer so much indeterioration that they were declared invalid.­

other, the only thing that is always clearly determined is which order is involved: dialogue, dialogue­

­Roman Church, a lover of doctrinal rigour, hasadded as necessary also to

mination because - as St. Thomas says -

­no, presbyter or bishop. There is nomajor inconveniencein this, because the context of the profession of the Christian faith in which these rites are

the validity of the sacrament - according to the opinion

­generation, for the bishop communicates to theordained of what he is and has, and generation is a mode of univocal causality, determined by what he is and what he has, and generation is a mode of univocal causality, determined by what he is and has­

apply, it makes it clear what are the graces and

potestas. But while Pius XII renounces the

powers specific to each of these orders

determination of the essential elements of the sacrament, solution to the discussion on the­

(5).  Hence Leo XIII, when he had to judge

­of Anglican ordinations, he states,way of disjunction, that the essential form must mean "definite ordinem sacerdotii vel eius gratiam et potestatem" (6) That is to say, it must at least say clearly which order

­is conferred (as some rites are), or, better and more conveniently, definedas some rites are), or, better and more conveniently, definedsome r

theologically more serious - the handing over of the instruments with the explicit mention of the

this sacrament is conferred in the manner of a

nothing by the very nature of the originator.  For this reason, it is sufficient to specify whether the priesthood is transmitted in a partial way (deacon), substitutes for the priesthood, or in a partial way (deacon).­

­question posed about the elementsnecessary for validity by defining

tancial (presbyter) or full (bishop).

sure. In any case, in the rite it remained

3) Of the intention

the delivery of the instruments by explaining ex adiunctis what gave the essential form of the

­Preface. We pause to discuss this pointbecause, in the discussion that has arisen concerning the

­Intention can and should onlyconsidered insofar as it is demonstrated­

­objectively fest in the rite and in thecircumstances of its promulgation: "De mente vel vel


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3 uncertain origin, which only bears a resemblance to

intentione, utpote quae per se quidam est interius. Ecclesia non iudicat: at quatenus

by the Church -ab Ecclesia non receptus-, and to reject what the Church does, and that

extra proditur, iudicare de ea debet" (14).

belongs to the nature of the sacrament

Moreover, even if it were shown that

It is not a question of the personal intention of the

the Apostolic Traditio once had a use for the

material authors of the rite, which could be deduced­

according to Christ's intention, then it is clear that not only is the necessary intention lacking in the

the circumstances of your situation.

sacrament, but there is even an intention

VI is so novel that it cannot be said that it

the intention of the promulgating authority, considered in the context of the

contrary and opposed to the sacrament" (17).  The use of a rite ab Ecclesia non

of its enactment.  The proper intention is to do what it

receptus not only implies defect of intention, but also defect of form. Because for

the Church does. Now," says Leo XIII, "when someone, in order to administer and confer a sacrament, has seriously and seriously used

the sacraments the essential rite of which has not been

­taken as a source of inspiration. For all these reasons, even if the rite, consideredin itself, were totally orthodox and better in the expression of the

determined in particular by Jesus Christ, the form must not only be true, that is,

doctrine of the episcopate, it would not be legitimate, because no Pope has authority to

duly the matter and form required,

to have the proper meaning of the words according to the

break with the liturgical tradition of the Church.

This is precisely why it is considered to have tried to do what the Church does. About

divine institution, but it must also be legitimate, that is to say, it must have been determined in

The invention of a new rite is an act

This principle supports the doctrine which maintains that it is truly a sacrament even if it is not a sacrament.

his words by the ecclesiastical institution.

Pope or an angel from heaven who pretends to this­

that which is given by the ministry of a heretical or unbaptized man, as long as it is with the

On the validity of the new rite of Episcopal Consecration

with liturgical rites recognized by the Church.

as a catholic liturgical rite, the rite of Paul

reform of it, but has only reformed it, and has only

certainly illegitimate, however illegitimate it may be.

Judgment on intent, then, must

According to what we have said, the first thing

ble it.  Second. The liturgical reform in general and the new rite of consecration in particular are tinged by the principles of modernist theology. This will only be dealt with in the

to be objective, that is, in a certain way unbiased.­

that we need to consider in the new rite

insofar as it has to do with the validity of the

pending what the minister thinks about

of episcopal consecration is its legitimacy.

of the Church. If the minister belongs to a

We will deal with its validity later.

of the rite. But just as the Fraternity has been forced to declare the illegitimacy of the

Catholic rite" (15).

novus ordo Missae, on account of the doctrines of the­

­heretical sect, which he considers to be the true church, but uses the same rite that the true Church uses, then, in spite of his heretical error, he wants to do what the Church But if a heretical bishop validly

by his apostolic constitution Ponti­

illegitimate mind.

consecrated uses to order a rite that observes all that the divine institution demands,

ficalis Romani, is certainly illegitimate. for the accumulation of two reasons: first,

2) The new rite is probably valid

that is to say, whose matter and form signify their­

because no Pope has the authority to

­heretical sect has determined in particular, that is to say, inessentially meant to signify, but that it has been determined by the heretical sect in particular, that is to say, in whatessentially meant to signify

The second reason is that the contagion of modernist doctrines makes it impossible for the faith to be affected by this, and a particular liturgy cannot have the force of law.­

that Our Lord left to define His Church, such a bishop lacks the intention

and their ordinations are invalid.

­For however subjectively he may believe that his sect is the church of Christ and he may be persuadedthat by accepting the rite instituted by it

1) The new rite is certainly illegitimate The new rite, which Paul VI claimed to be pro­

mination contrary to the common good of the Church.  First. In his reforming fever and

protected by the complicity of the same

The novus ordo of episcopal consecration is also to be recognized as a certain kind of a "new ordo" of the Paschal Mystery that animates it (18), and so it must also be recognized that the novus ordo of episcopal consecration is a certain kind of a "new ordo".­

A sacramental rite can certainly be

illegitimate, but not necessarily invalid. Bishop Lefébvre and the Fraternity

have argued that the novus ordo Missae is illegitimate, but they have not argued that it is

­Is it valid to hold the same positions with regard to the novus ordo Consecrationis? As we pointed out in the first part, among these

­­Paul VI, the experts of the Consilium daredto completely set aside the traditional Roman rite of consecration of bishopsno Pope has the authority to abrogate the traditional liturgical rites of the Roman Church, a sentence that does not apply to us

­There is an important difference between the two sacraments: the matter and form of the Eucharist have been determined in particular by the institution of the E

We spend a lot of time demonstrating it because it is too obvious, so much so that even the current Pope himself

The alleged institution of the new rite of episcopal consecration by Paul VI is illegitimate.­

determination was left to the Church, it is not enough that the essential rite complies with what is required by the divine institution, but a rite must be used

recognizes this.  If a pope should seek to abrogate the Roman liturgical tradition and accept a liturgy of

The shadows that are cast over the validity of this sacrament are thicker than ever.

­accepted by the Church -ab Ecclesia receptus-, because she alone has the authority to

­the Eastern tradition, the manoeuvre would be illegitimate, but the rite, considered in itself,would still be Catholic But the experts of the Consi­

­what the church does, it is not objectivelytrue, because it does not use a rite of worship

Catholic.  In the sacraments of Baptism and

Eucharist this does not occur, because the divine institution fixed the substance of the rite in particular, but in the other sacraments whose ultimate

legitimately establish such a determination­

lium, in the most excessive archaeologism,

cation (16).  In the case of Anglican ordinations,

took as the basis of their reform the Traditio

this was another of the main reasons for the

apostolic, an ancient document that does not

that were declared invalid: "If the rite is changed to introduce an unapproved rite, the rite is to be changed to introduce an unapproved rite.

belongs to any particular liturgical tradition of the East or the West, or to any particular

divine, while those of the sacrament of Holy Orders are by ecclesiastical institution.

Therefore, by having to recognize that the

than in the case of the Mass. But let us go by parts, from the clearest to the most obscure. a) The intention.  If the Consilium had acted under the authority of the queen of England, we could

to declare it invalid without further investigation due to a defect of intention, because we would be in the presence of a sect that proposes a rite

ab Ecclesia non receptus. But Bugnini and


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Theologians thought that, in the ordination of deacons and priests, the giving of the instructions and the

complete peace of conscience, we should ask the Popes for an unfaithful declaration.­

with its narrow-cardaban formula

for each of the vernacular versions

liturgical tradition with the motive, in itself sufficient, of the greatest benefit to the al­

moral union with the imposition of hands and the

­of sacramental forms. Unfortunately, there remains room for controversy and confusion

­more (19).In fact, care was taken not to go openlyagainst the dogmas, in the doctrinal order­

The two rites are, however, liturgically even more separate. No

and against the divine liturgical institution, in the practical order; care in which the moderator of the­

­it seems, then, thatsufficiency of the subject mattercan be seriously

­specialised rite, in hiswill to remain Catholic Therefore, even if the rite introduced is not legitimate, it cannot be said that the one who uses it does not want to do what the Church does, because it was the

­(c) Form.  Absence of an authoritative sentence. Paul VI establishes, in the constitution Pontificalis romani, the essential elements of episcopal consecration: "The subject matter of the

authority of the Church which, in appearance,

ordination of the bishop is the imposition of

The company acted under close dependence on the highest authority of the true Church. Paul VI justified the rupture of the

approved it.  There is, however, a certain shadow in

­­intentiondialectical game that modernism sets in motionThe modernist reformerdoes not put a contrary intention

what the Church had done up to that time: it puts it in the first place and then it

words of the Preface, completing its meaning.­

of conscience.  2. Ordinary Universal Magisterium. As Benedict XVI has recognized. Paul VI did not

had authority to abrogate the traditional Roman rite. But if he had introduced into the Roman Church some liturgical usage ab Ecclesia receptus, although his act would have been illegitimate, the

rite would certainly be valid with the guarantees

hands on the head of the chosen one, made

­of the ordinary universal magisterium, which is infallible.For theChurchmeans nothing else But the experts of the Consi­

in silence by the consecrating Bishops, or at least by the principal consecrating one, before

lium, although they did not invent the consecratory prayer entirely de novo, they based it on the

of the consecratory prayer; the form is the

Traditio apostolica, which is an ancient document, of uncertain origin, which as such was not in use in any Eastern Church nor was it in use in any of the Eastern Churches.

­consecratory prayer itself, of which the"The nunc effunde super

the West.  Theological judgment. Lacking a sentence

supposedly overcome it in a second

hunc Electum eam virtutem, quae a te est. Spiritum principalem, quem dedisti dilecto

moment. The neo-liturgists' critique of the rite

Filio Tuo lesu Christo, quem Ipse donavit

of higher authority, we have no choice for the time being but to judge in the light of our own

traditional episcopal consecration is fierce

sanctis Apostolis, qui constituerunt Ecclesiam per singula loca, ut sanctuarium

theological authority. In order to judge its validity, the essential form must be considered in itself.­

tuum, in gloriam et laudem indeficientem nominis tui". Now, the sentence affirming the validity of this form does not have the guarantees of the extraordinary magisterium, nor does the

The Church's mission is to be seen in the context of the rite in which it is inserted and in the wider context of its institution.

of the ordinary universal magisterium: 1. Extraordinary Magisterium. Paul VI

to be validated or invalidated by its context.­

and they manifest their unwillingness to continue doing what the Church had done up to that time (20). But if they are pressed, they do not want to dissociate themselves from what has gone before and they justify, incoherently, the Church's actions with the historical circumstances. And since they have now been the same

authorities of the Church who take on this procedure, this contrary intention remains

and does not become manifest. Therefore, the

The new rite does not imply a stmpliciter intention opposed to the intention of the Church, but only secundum quid: Whoever uses the new rite does not seem to want to do what until then had been done by the Church.

b) The matter.  The traditional Roman ordo commands the imposition of the Gospels as a yoke, on the neck and shoulders of the Elect, and then to make the

­imposition of hands of Jos consecrating bishops. The novus ordo inserts the imposition of the Gospel on the head of the Elect between the imposition of hands and the consecratory Preface. This is a daring modification, since the timing and manner of the imposition of hands

­­of the Gospel - the book is opened like two hands on the head - does not appear as an ancillary rite but as determining the undeterminedlaying on of handsBut even if it were seen as intto specify the essential matter, it does not leave the

­­­­It seems to suggest that his constitution has a value similar to Pius XII's Sacramentum Ordinis, from which it takes its own expressions: "It has seemed necessary to us, in order to avoid any controversy or cause of disturbance of conscience, to declare which parts of the reformed rite are to be considered essentialFor this reason, with our supreme apostolic authority, we decide and dispose as followsconcerning the matter and form of each Order" (21)Pius XII's decision, even though it is not dogmatic but practical in character, all theologians agreed in recognizinginfallible If the decision of Paul VI could be recognized as infallible, there would truly be no controversy or disturbance of conscience. But, as we have

In other words, verbal expressions must be considered in their context. From the Conci­

­lio and Ecclesiam suam, the expression "supreme apostolic authority" means something very different than it did for Pius XII, and the hierarchical actsno longer offer us the certainty of the

­creation of a rite cannot be said to breakthe moral union between matter and form

divine authority (22). Moreover, the new Roman liturgical prescriptions are only a framework to be taken into account for inculturation.

Prior to the definition of Pius XII. serious

liturgy in each place. If we wanted to

the laying on of hands and the intercession of hands.­

­An insufficient form in itself is irremediably invalid, but if it is ambiguous, it can be­

to (23).  The form of Anglican ordinations, the example we are interested in keeping in mind, was for more than a century invalid in itself.

­For both for the ordination of deacons and priests, and for the consecration of bishops, the following words were used as formulas: "Accipe Spiritum Sanctumdonde not only did they not specify the grace and power conferred, but they did not even

it was distinguished which order was intended to be given in each case. Then, affected by the Catholic critics, they added: "Accipe Spiritum Sanctum ad officium et opus episcopivel

­presbyteri'. etc.Although ambiguous, since they do not say what these offices are, they could be validin a Catholic context But considered

the context of its institution, are certainly invalid, because the Anglican sect excluded from the rite and from its profession of faith the essential

relationship of the priesthood to the sacrifice of the Mass (24). Let it be established, then, that in order to judge an ambiguous form, "nothing

­surely it is as worthwhile to consider carefully under what conditions - quibus adimetis rerum - it was composed and publiclyconstituted" (25)  3. The form itself. Considered in


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themselves, the essential words suffer

principalis, quem tradidisti dilecto Filio

nism subverts, is the notion of authority;

certainly some ambiguity, because some ambiguity is asked for.

tuo, Domino nostro lesu Christo". There are those who object that this is not a rite of

­Vatican Council II madethe greatest efforts to give a more accurate version of the

that the Holy Spirit may be poured out on the chosen one,

which is the source of every gift, whether it be of grace or of

episcopal consecration, because the one chosen

more democratic ecclesiastical authority,

power. But there are two determinations that can be understood as referring to special­

to be a patriarch he had to be a bishop beforehand.  But it is likely that at the beginning he did have

under the sophism of "collegiality". However, if the rite of episcopal consecration does not

The Spirit is described as the Spirit of God.

consequential efficacy, because in the first

was reformed but rather created de novo, was

"principalis", implying that it is infused as a cause of principality, and is proper to the

centuries, a bishop would never leave his diocese, from

justly so that the lex orandi would express

­so that the one chosen for patriarch was always, necessarily, a simple presbyter(29) In any case, even when he was not

the conciliar lex credendi.  If we would like to point out what is at the heart of the new thinking on the episcopate, we believe we would not be wrong in saying that it consists of­

bishop to be prince in the Church, Moreover, it is said to be the same as that which was given to the Apostles

"qui constituerunt Ecclesiam", an operation related to the principality and which belongs to them as first bishops and sources of the

episcopate.  As Father Pierrc Marie OP (26) points out, the validity of this interpretation is confirmed by the fact that the bishops of the dioceses of the dioceses of the Holy See are­

was a sacramental rite, it does not fail to show that the mention of the principal Spirit is

in the denial of personal powers

The form in the context of the episcopal office.  Form in the context of the rite. The

of the bishop: that of teaching (proper in exclusi­

ambiguity suffered by the essential words, is sufficiently eliminated.

rist (proper to priests in general).

­If the bishop has personal powers, he hascelebrate the Eucharist and the right to celebrate the Eucharist

The great resemblance of this shape is

for the rest of the consecratory prayer. Inme­

personal authority, which Christianity abhors.­

with those of two other Catholic rites ah Eccle­

democratic state. The effort of the moder­

sia recepti: the rite of episcopal consecration of the Coptic Catholics and that of consecration

diately before he says: "qui constituisti principes et sacerdotes, et sanctuarium tuum sine ministerio non dereliquisti". To

of the bully patriarch. The prayers with

to say there that God constitutes ministers

of both rites show a close relationship between the

of the sanctuary as princes and priests, it is sufficiently clear that, in the

God. Conciliar doctrine is at pains to show that the priesthood belongs to the

­­kinship with the Apostolic Traditio. The copy rite brings: "Tu iterum nunc effunde virtutem Spiritus tui hegemonici, quem donaste Apostolis tuis in nomine tuo"It does not say that the virtue is the principal Spirit himself, but that it comes from the hegemonic or principal Spirit (which is the meaning of the Greek term); but this variation is notsignificant, because whenever the Spirit is given in the name of the apostle, it is always

following words, the outpouring of the Spirit

The principal means the operation by which they are constituted. And the words immediately following dissipate all possible ambiguity: "Da, cordium cognitor Pater, huic servo tuo. quem elegisti ad

nism was directed, therefore, at transferring those powers to a broader subject: the People of God.

Church as a whole, which the whole Church teaches and celebrates.  Hence the new rites tend to avoid references to the transmission of power.

The concept of personal priesthood and keep only the concepts of presidency and principality over the ecclesiastical community. Nothing could have been more evident than the change in what had been theexcellence

Holy, it is given as the source of some gift.

Episcopatum, ut pascat gregem sanctum tuum, et summum sacerdotium tibi exhibeat sine reprehensione". Sufficiency

Since these words are considered

of these concepts is endorsed, as is the

commonly as the essentials in prayer

we said, because of the resemblance with the Coptic rites

consecratori a copta (27), evidently the mention of the principality must be sufficient to signify the episcopate,

­and Maronite(30).The form in the context of its institution. The darkest shadow appears when considering the broad context of the reformation

sacrificium Deo, Missasque celebrare, tam pro vivis, quam pro defunctis". In the novus ordo it is said: "Receive the offering of the people

that is given (28).  The consecration of the patriarch Maron i ta

­­liturgy, and of the novus ordo consecrationis in particular, because if we considerthe circumstances of the institution of the

You do and imitate what you commemorate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord's cross" (31).  Personal power has been changed into a

brings: "-Illumina eum et effunde super eum gratiam et intelligentiam Spiritus tui

new rite, it is notorious the modernist spirit that guided its creation. If there is one thing that the modernist­

presidential function with regard to the "holy people".  The entire rite of episcopal consecration is

because the rite is certainly valid and could not be valid without sufficiently defining the order of the rite.

of the Roman rite of ordination of priests, the formula for the presentation of the paten and the chalice,

where the proper and principal power of the priesthood was defined: "Accipe potestatem offerre

to present it to God: consider what you

CHRISTUS REGNAT Jesus does not reign in the territories of the States, but in souls through the Eucharist.

A king must reign by means of his laws and of the love that his subjects profess for him.  Now the Eucharist is the law of the Christian, the law of charity, promulgated in the Upper Room, with the admirable discourse of the Last Supper: This I command you, that you love one another. This is my precept, that you love one another as I have loved you. If you keep my precepts, you will abide in my love. It is a law revealed in communion because through it, as

the disciples of Emmaus, the Christian is enlightened and knows the fullness of the law.  The law of Jesus Christ is holy, universal, eternal: nothing will change in it, nothing will weaken it; Jesus himself, its divine author, is its guardian. He imprints it on our hearts through his love. The lawgiver himself promulgates his divine law to every soul.  It is a lev of love. Now, how many are the kings who reign with love? Apart from Jesus Christ there is, perhaps, no other whose yoke is not imposed by force: the reign of Jesus is sweetness itself; his true subjects profess devotion to him in life and in death: they die to remain faithful to him.

St. Peter J ulian Eymard




November 2014

no earthquake

diluted in this direction. Delivery of the mitre,

what it should mean, but rather that most of the

which signifies the power to teach, and it was done with great solemnity after Mass had been celebrated:

its elements are taken from rituals and rites of reci­

Notes:

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­1) A. Bugnini, La reforma liturgica, Edizione Liturgiche. Rome 1983, p. 697.  2) Matter and form must not only be valid in themselves "Imponimus, Domine, capiti hujus Antistitis themselves separately, per seorsum, but the agonistae tui galeam munitionis et salutis, also - as the terms themselves indicate - important, which we could classify to one quatenus decorata facie, et armato capite, must be given united in the same meaning, canonical and the other theological: cornibus utriusque Testamenti terribilis because matter is said matter with respect to one - Canonical defect. For what has been said above appareat adversariis veritatis; et, te ei form to which it is subject and the form is said form above, it cannot be considered legitimate with respect to a matter to which it determines. largiente gratiam, impugnator eorum 3) Cf. Leo Xm, letter Apostolicae Curae, 13 de robustus exsistat, qui Moysifamuli tuifaciem institution of this new rite. September 1896 (DS 3315-3319). Bibliography - Theological flaw. The novus ordo no ex tui sermonis consortio decoratam, lucion this decision is very abundant John is equal but only similar to other rites dissimis tuae claritatis ac veritatis comibus Paul II opened access to the Vatican archives of accepted by the Church. Although certainly the Commission that prepared this document (in an insignisti: et capiti Aaron Pontificis tui tiaram attempt at revision for ecumenical purposes). Until the imponi jussisti". In the new rite, the mitre will be valid, these rites, on the one hand, are little moment we only know of the publication of a pri"imposes in silence" We even dare to be precise in their concepts; and on the other hand, the more precise are the documents: Fontes archivi sancti affirm that if, in the essential words, it has differences introduced by the novus ordo Officii romani, La validité des ordinatioris anglisiguen tendencies of bad doctrine. All this avoided speaking of the infusion of a virtue canes. Les documents de la Commission préparatoire makes theological judgment, always difficult in created, as does the Traditio and the rites á la lettre "Apostolicae curae", tome I: Les dossiers Coptic and Maronite, and speaks of the infusion of the these matters, becomes even more difficult. précédents. Firenze, Leo S. Olschki editore. 1997. by von Ounten OP (who died at the time of thethis volume)This volume brings a justly following the tendency to prevent the votum of J-B Franzelin, of great authority and utilipriesthoodfrombeing understood as a certain valid power of the episcopate, it is necessary to take into account thethatG. Rambaldi SJ has published several articles.If the institution of the novus ordo conseriamim, as well as in other publications. crationis had been made in the context of 4) Leo XIII, Apostolicae curaeDS 3315. the sentence of theologians, but with the sentence an explicit profession of these doctrines mo5) Chanoine Léon Marcha! "Ordinatior Anglicanes", infallible of the Magisterium. dernists, it seems clear to us that it would be necessary to DTC volume XI, col.1177: "Si l'on compare entreelles As for the practical attitude to hold toutes ces formules de consécration [Eastern rites to declare it invalid for the same reason as for the new consecrations episcoand ancient Western rites], on constatera quel'ordre conferé est toujours nettement menñonné; Anglican ordwere declared invalid; l'ordre conferé est toujours nettement menñonné:for understanding the priesthood pales, it seems to us justified that until now theFraternity had held that the nature of the function is not also in a non-Catholic way, especially for the Fraternity: clairement détermince Ainsi pour le diaconal, on ne 1. The very probable validity of the rite does not refer us essentially to the celebration of the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice trouve qu'une fots la précision: ministerium mensae sacrificio eucarísdco.But here we must return it seems that it makes it morally acceptable to attend sanctae, tuae (lit. arménienne); partout ailleurs. occasionally to the Mass (traditional rite) celeministerium ecclesiae, ministerium altarisDans ia to point out what we said about the intencollation of the pretrise, il est parlé plus ou moins brada by a priest or an ordained bishop: The conciliar hierarchy was infected by the or consecrated in the new rite, and even communion vaguementdu pouvoir de sacrifier dans les liturgies modernist doctrines, but has not made de grecque. maromte. nestorienne et des Constitutions in it; it seems acceptable to us, in case of them an explicit profession.contrary, apostoliques; explicirementdans les liturgies gallicane need, receive absolution on behalf of although with the incoherence proper to the moet arménienne; les liturgies copte et rontaine if and font them; treat them as priests and bishops and aucune allusion Nulle part. il n est question du dernista catholic, has always said and repeated pouvoir deremettre les péchés Pour l'épiscopat. le that the new orientations do not go against the not as lay people in disguise; it seems to us sacramentarte léonien est tres vague, pariant acceptable to allow them to celebrate in our traditional doctrine and practice. Benedict XVI seulement d'aulorité episcopale, summum is, perhaps, the last survivor and the best of our own houses. Because the shadows that float sacerdotium. Les plus explícites sont les riméis sur la validité de son sacerdotium ne sont plus exemple du contradictoire esprit conciliar, jacobite et syrien. On peut done conclure que le que le que shadows and in all those activities not minimum requis est la mention générique de 1 ordre looking for with all conviction the synthesis of conféré; il ne peut étre exige que la désignation des des se compromise not our responsibility acerla continuity between the traditional thesis and the pouvoirs propres á chaqué ordre, en particulier la antithesis de la rupture conciliar For this reason, the priesthood is exercised.And the riska communion or absolution being invalid is not so serious, even though it is easy to see that the larvae of the new doctrines that. grown, 1'ordinat ion. puisque certaines de ces formes, 2. But the positive and objective defects recognized valides, ne Pont pas. Mais onremarquera would lead to invalidity, however, can not les fonctions de diacre, de pretre et d'évéque, it can not be said that the new rite was instituted in a suffering this rite, which prevent certainty élaient sufftsatnment détenmnées par ailleurs; of its validity, it seems to us that - until no explicit denial of the traditional doctrine d 'abord par la croyance de ces Églises et rintention has Roman sentence, for which they would have to of the priesthood.  du consécrateur [it would be better to speak of ia intention to change many things- justify and make those particular Churches in the institution of the nto- the necessary reordering under condition of underlining of this sentence is ours-], pour qui le Conclusion presbytérat étair un vcritable sacerdoce.Induant le priests consecrated by new bishops and, pouvoir de consacrer le corps du Christ; ensuite par par arrivée le cas, la reconsecration sous conIf we consider lamateria, form et intendes rites secondaires, par fes priéres qui précédaiem dition de ces obispasIt is not possible to undergo such a mention in the context of the rite and in the circumstances uncertainties at the very root of the generic of the 'ordre, specify ainsi que nous 1' avons dit, constitue done le minimum strictement indispensacraments (33)of its institution, it seems to us that it is very prosable pour la validité du sacrement de l'ordre" Father Alvaro Calderón bably valid, because it not only means

bened by the Church (32).  But we also believe that there is no certainty as to its validity, because it suffers from two defects


­­­­­­­November 2014 6) Leo XIII. Apostolícele curae, DS 3316. 7) Pius XII, Sacramentum ordinis, November 30, 1947, DS 3858. 8) Pius XII, Sacramentum ordinis. DS 3859: "Decernimus et disponimus: Sacrorum Ordinum Diaconatus, Presbyteratus et Episcopatus materiam eamque unam esse manuum impositionem; formam vero itemque unam esse verba applicationem huius materiae determinantia, quibus univoce significantur effectus sacramentales scilicet potestas Ordinis et gratia Spiritus Sancti-, quaeque ab Ecclesia qua talia accipiuntur et usurpantur"The last words indicate that such power and grace must be understood according to the doctrine of the Church, for in such brief sentences as are the sacramental formulae, they are necessarily very indetermined  9) Summa Theologica. Suppl. q. 37, a.5: "Per manus impositionem datur plenitudo gratiae, per quam ad magna officia sunt idonei.... Sed potestatis collatio fit per hoc quod datur eis aliquid quod ad proprium actum pertinet. Et quia principalis actus sacerdotis est consecrare corpus et sanguinem Christi, ideo in ipsa datione calicis, sub forma verborum determinata, character sacerdotalis imprimitur"  10) Cf. Rev. Anthony Cekada, Absolutely nuil and utterly void: "Pius XII, in his Apostolic Constitution Sacramentum Ordinis, laid down the general principie when he dcclared that for Holy Orders these must "univocally signify the sacramental effects - that is, the power of the Order and the grace of the Holy Ghost". Note the two elements that it must univocally li.e., unambiguously) express: the specific order being conferred (diaconate, priesthood or episcopacy) and the grace of the Holy Ghost". 11) Cardinal Vaughan and Bishops of Westroinster, A vindicatum of the bull "Apostolica: curat", 29December 1897, n. 26: "These forms flos Catholic riteswhich appear not to meet the requirements of Leo XIII], however, fully satisfy the requirements of the Bull You have failed to observe the word "or" in the propositiori in which the Bull states what the requirements are. The proposition is disjunctive. The rite for the priesthood, the Pope says, "must definitely express the sacred Order of the priesthood or its grace and power, which is chiefly the power of consecrating and offering the true Body and Blood of the Lord".  You do not seem to have perceived the importance of this titile word "or". and have taken it to be the equivalen! of "and". What. Leo XIII means is that the Order to which the candidate is being promotor! must be distinctly indicated either by its accepted yam or by an explicit reference to the grace and power which belongs to it. And, of course, he means us to understand that the same alternative requirements hold with regard to the form for the episcopale. The form must either designate the Order by its accepted ñame of "bishop" or "high priest". or it must indicate that the high priesthood is the grace and power imparted. Ñor is such a disjunctive statement unreasonable, for in the Catholic Church the alternative phrases are perfectly equivalent. The Catholic Church has always meant by the term "priest" (sacerdos) a person appointed and empowered to offér sacrifice, and again by the terms "priest" (presbyteri and "bishop" (episcopus) or "high priest" (summus sacerdos), the possessors of this power in its substance and in its plenitude respectiveiy.  121 Cf. Le sel de la terre n" 58. "Sont-ils evoques? La validi té du rite de consccration episcopale", p. 215216. 13) Leo XIII, Apostolicae curae, DS 3315: "[The matter for conferring the sacrament of Orders] is the imposition

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­It is used for certain orders as well as for confirmation".  14) Leo XIII. Apostolicae curae, DS 3318. 15) Leo XIII. Apostolicae curae, DS 3318. 16) So teaches St. Thomas, III, q.60. a.8: "Circa omnes istas mutationes quae possunt in formis sacramentorum contingere, duo videntur esse consideranda. Unum quidem ex parte eius qui profert verba, cuius intentio requiritur ad sacramentum, ut infra dicetur. Et ideo, si intendat per huiusinodi additionem vel di minutionem alium ritum inducere qui non sit ab Ecclesia receptus, non videtur perfici sacramentum [even if the proper sense of the words is not taken away], quia non videtur quod intendat facete id quod facit EcclesiaAliud autem est considerandum ex parte significationis verborum [in the above consideration it is not necessary to take into account the meaning of the words: they could have the proper meaning]Cum enim verba operentur in sacramentis quantum ad sensum quem faciunt, ut supra dictum est, oportet considerare utrum per talem mutationem tollatur debitus sensus verborum, quia sic manifestum est quod tollitur veritas sacramentiManifestum est autem quod, si diminuatur aliquid eorum quae sunt de substantia formae sacraméntate, tollitur debitus sensus verborum, et ideo non perficitur sacramentum"  17) Leo XIII, Apostolicae curae, DS 3318. In the paragraph quoted above, Leo XIII says that there is a certain lack ofintention when a rite non receptus is introduced, and he adds for abundance -because this was the case with Anglican ordinations- that even more clearly there is a lack ofdue intention when not even what "belongs to the nature of the sacrament according to the intention of Christ" is respected, that is, what is of divine institution But certainly the intention to introduce a new rite non receptus would suffice for there to be invalidity, no matter how much respect is shown for what pertains to the nature of the sacrament (for, we repeat, this nature was not determined in words by Christ):"Ainsi le rejet du rite adopté par l'Église, Fadoption d'un rite nouveau, dans le dessein d'introduire I'hérésie, sont bien une preuve de 1 ' absence, chez le ministre, de l'intention de faire ce que fait l'Église; il n'est méme pas besoin, au sentiment du cardinal d'Annibale, que des changements essentiels soient apportés à la forme: une modification accidentelie, avec ce dessein d'introduire un nouveau rite ou une hérésie, suffit pour témoigner du défaut d'intention" (L. Marchal, "Ordinations anglicanes", DTC t. XI, col. 1190). 18) Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, The Problemof the Liturgical Reform, n. 122 and appendix: "It cannot be said that the rite of the Mass resulting from the liturgical reform of 1969 is that of the Church [ritus non receptus], even if it wasconceived by men of the Church"The Missal of Paul VI, because of its grave theological defects, contributes positively to the diminof faith, piety and religious practice, as daily experience shows. For this reason, it is neither honest, nor just, nor useful for the good of the community, and therefore it has not the character of true law, nor can it be obligatory.  19) Certainly the health of souls is the law.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­7 first of the Church's action, and for it the rest must be sacrificed. The health of souls, for examplejustified St. Gregory VII's abrogation in Spain ofthe already secular use of the Mozarabic liturgy: evenif Christian peoples have the right tovary their liturgical usages, these rights yield to that which favors the unity of the Church, such as liturgical uniformityIf, for some circumstance, the Roman liturgical usage were to the detriment of souls, the Pope could and ought to abrogate it20) A. Bugnini, LaRiforma liturgica, p. 693: "La parteromana [of the old Roman pontifical] svolge un solo tema: il vescovo é il sommo sacerdote del nuovo Testamentorifforma liturgica, p. 693: "La parteromana [of the old Roman pontifical] svolge un solo tema: il vescovo é il sommo sacerdote del nuovo Testamento Cosa vera, ma troppo esigua dopo la dottrina del Vaticano II suH'episcopato.... The Gallican part is not more than a hundred of scriptural quotations that can be applied in part to the apostles and in part to all Christians. Even here there is no doctrine concerning the episcopate. Inoltre si si ha Fimpressione che il vescovo sia il successore più dell'sommo sacerdote dell'antico Testamento che degli apostoli di Cristo".  21) Paul VI, Pontificalis romani. Pius XII said in Sacramentum ordinis, DS 3859: "It follows that we declare, as if to close the way to all controversy and anxiety of conscience, with ourapostolic authority we truly declare and, if it had ever been legitimately provided otherwise, we statute that, at least henceforth, the delivery of the instruments is not necessary for the validity of the sacred orders of diaconate, presbyterate and episcopateAs regards the matter and form in the collation of orders, by Our own apostolic authority We decree and consecratethe following" Paul VI says nothing about what happens with the traditional rite: he did not dare to declare it abrogated.22) We have discussed this at length in another parle. 23) Father Cekada insists that the words of the form must signify order and grace (we saw that the former is sufficient) in a univocal and unambiguous way, relying on what Pius XII said: "[declaramus formam esse verba] quibus univoce significantur effectus sacramentales -scilicet potestas Ordinis et gratia Spiritus Sancti-" (DS 3859)This is true, but considering the wordsnot in themselves, but in their broad contextThat is why the quotation from Pius XII goes on to say: "quaeque ab Ecclesia qua talis accipiuntur el usurpantur", that is, that the words must mean univoce according to the use made of them by the Church in thetext of the rite This Father takes time to distinguish the various senses that the expression "Spiritus principalis" could have, stopping at twelve. If we were to consider what "baptizare" might mean in isolation, we could easily arrive at twenty-fourThe only meaning that matters is the one thatis intended in the context of the rite and its institution  24) Leo XIII. Apostolicae curae, DS 3317a: "aware of the necessary linkbetween faith and worship, between the rule of faith and the rule of prayer, they have in many ways distorted theorder of the liturgy in the sense of the errors of the innovators, and this under the pretext of reinstatingits primitive form, in the whole Ordinale, not only is there no clear mention of sacrifice, of consecration and of the priest's power to consecrate and to offer sacrifice, but the few traces of such realities­


­­­­­­­­8 which still remained in the prayers of the Catholic rite that were not totally rejected,suppressed and erased with the carementioned above.25) Leo XIII.Apostolicae curae, 1)8 3317a: "Ad rectam vero plenamque Ordinalis anglicani aestimationem, praeter ista per aliquas eius partes notata, nihil profecto tam valet quam si probe aestimetur quibus adiunctis rerum conditum sit et publice constitutum"  26) Bro Pierrc-Marre op, "Le nouveau rituel de consécration épiscopale est-il valide? Le sel de la terre n° 54, p. 72-129. On pages 101-104 he brings a comparative table of the new rite with the Traditio and the Coptic and Maronite rites. 27) So does L. Marcha] in the cited article of the PTC. vol. XI, col. 1176. 28) When Fr Cekada, in the cited article,considers the various meanings of "Spiritus principalis"studies what the dictionaries, the50thPsalm, the Fathers of the Church, some ancient and modern theologians, and even some non-sacramental ceremonies of the Coptic ritesay, but he neverconsiders the meaning it has in the Coptic rite of episcopal consecrationAlthough hisstudy "reveals a dozen positive meanings­

­­­conclude that "neither of these expressions means specifically theCopticepisin general nor the fullness of the Holy Ordersthat a bishop possesses" At least in the Coptic rite (and in the Maronite rite) it has little meaning.  29) This is what Dom Puniet says for the Patriarch of the West, the Pope, in Le pontifical romain. torne II, p. 26: "Assez tardi vernent 1' usage s' est introduit dans FÉglise de choisir pour successeur de Pierre un prélat deja revétu du caractére episcopal. But what has become the rule since the beginning of the XVF century, was considered illegal because of 1 ' interdiction against the translation of eggs. Jusqti'au IX° siécle, on ne connaít pas un seul pape qui ait été déjá évéque au moment de son élection au tróne pontifical".  30) A major defect in Father Cekada's study is the little attention he pays to the influence of the context on the significance of the essential form. does not consider this point of doctrine among the "principles to be applied", taking it into account only as an objection of Fr Pierre-Marie OP (n. IX of his article) He responds to the objection by affirming that "the new form does not even equivocally signify one of the elements whose expression Pius XII had demanded in the sacramental form, viz,

­­­November 2014 the power of Order that is conferred". But we have pointed out that this is not true, confirming it with the Coptic and Maronite rites.  31.) "Recevez l'offrande du peuple Saint pour la présenter a Dieu. Be aware of what you are doing, imitate in your life what you accomplish by these rites, and conform yourselves to the mystery of the cross of the Lord".  32) Father Cekada concludes that the rite is invalid.But - as can be seen even more clearly in the summary of his position in a later article: Toujours nul et toujours vain -he makes two errorsin arrivingat this conclusion: 1. Relyingexclusively on Sacramentum ordinis of Pius XII, when it would be appropriate to take into account Apostolicae curae of Leo XIII, he demands that the essential form mention the Order and the grace that is conferred, when the former is sufficient2. He arbitrarily denies that the new form can signify, even ambiguously, the episcopal Order; for which purpose he always avoids discussing the meaning of "Spiritus principalis" in the Coptic and Maronite Rites  33) Much is said by moralists about the need for certainty in the validity of the Sacraments.