Questions, Answers and Comments
* If you are trying to print
out only certain pages of this or any other document, use the Print-preview
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post all of the questions we receive, but only those that we can post and to
which we have the time to formulate a “post-worthy” response. Missing numbers were deleted to save space or
are covered elsewhere on our website.
Some Q &A
105- Question about material on the Faith and what we offer?
103- Any response to this attack on Sedevacantism?
102- What is the law on fasting before Communion?
101- Why would you say that John Vennari is a heretic?
100- Do you accept that catechumens can be saved without Baptism?
99- Is the Holy Ghost present when
Cardinals elect a Pope?
98- How can I prove to someone that Casti Connubii of Pius XI is infallible?
97- Questions about materials on the Faith
and Zionist control?
96- What Pope said that non-Catholic religions are the gates of hell?
95- Question about one of Benedict
XVI’s books?
94- Comment on Heresy of the Week about
Andre and Fulham
93- Follow up question on the SSPX’s schism?
92 – Questions about Thuc line, no Mass, etc.?
91 – Can a person ever receive baptism
validly without receiving the remission of original sin?
90 – Bob S. on “or” vs. “and” in the
Council of Trent?
89 – How can the SSPX be in schism for not being under an Antipope?
88 – Question about Benedict XVI and a note on one of his heresies
87 – Question about what it means to say people profess “communion” with someone?
86 – Question about a traditionalist
bishop?
85 – Question about indefectibility, Papal Election?
84- Question about a “traditional”
priest?
83 – Question about Cremation and Opus Dei?
82 – Question about “Pope” Joan, Apparitions and Our Lady?
81 – Question about St. Catherine’s statement accepting the devil as the Pope?
80 – The idea that a
heretic cannot be Pope is condemned by the Council of Constance?
79 – Are there exceptions on the issue of non-Catholics not receiving Communion
77 – Question about the
40 martyrs of Sebaste?
76 –
Another concern about the Novus Ordo words for the Consecration of the bread
being valid
74 – Question about
Ursula O.?
73 – How can one judge a
Pope?
70 – Question about
judging souls?
69 – An attempted to response on the Co-Redeemer issue
68 – Where does the
Church teach that the Sacraments cannot be changed?
66 – More Notes on
Gruner’s position from a reader
65 – More on the
question: Is Our Lady the Co-Redeemer?
61– An attempted response to the strongest argument
refuting baptism of desire
60– What do you think of Bishop Tom S. and Fr. Dennis
M.?
59– What is the strongest argument against baptism of
desire?
57– Where to attend Mass? SSPV? SSPX?
56– What about “Sister Lucia”? She accepted John Paul II. Is she condemned?
55– Reader informs us that Fr. Radecki of CMRI commends
John Paul II to people’s prayers!
54– How to approach Novus Ordo family members? What does one say?
52 – Can a Catholic pray privately for the soul of a
deceased heretic such as John Paul II?
51 – Question about the obelisk in the Vatican and the
possible destruction of Rome?
50 – Does such a website uphold Outside the Church There
is No Salvation?
49 – Question about the Abomination of Desolation and
the Eastern Rites?
48 – What is the Church’s teaching on the Schiavo case?
46 –
An objection concerning the upside down cross over John Paul II’s head
45 – A
comment and an update on the E-discussion
44 –
Can one attend the New Mass for any reason, such as Confirmation ceremony,
funeral, etc.
43 – So what were the changes that Paul VI made to the Sacrament of Confirmation?
42 – Why bother trying to avoid Hell when the odds are against me? And the Fewness of the Saved
41 – Help with a debate against a Vatican II apostate
40
– Do traditional priests have
Jurisdiction?
39 – Can one serve the altar at the SSPX?
38 –
What is the meaning of the term material heretic?
37 –
How can the New Mass be invalid if the Consecration of the Bread hasn’t been
changed?
36 –
Unmistakably Masonic symbols on Paul VI’s mother’s funeral monument
35 –
Some important questions from a new traditional Catholic?
34 –
Question about Mysterium Fidei; many
to all; and traditional bishops?
33 – A
comment and why don’t you debate the Novus Ordo types?
32–What
are the heresies of John Paul II before his election?
30- How can a Catholic attend the Mass of a heretic?
Question
107- An important question about the how the entire Church could accept an
Antipope for a period of time?
My brother asked me a question today (in
the aforementioned conversation) which I couldn't answer: "If John
XXIII was an antipope, why didn't anyone say so at the time? Why was
sedevacantism a later development? Why would God allow the whole Church (as far
as we can see) to be in communion with an antipope (even if they were so
inculpably)?"
How would you answer that, Brother?
When did the first sedevacantists begin to write and speak, and why did so
much time elapse before they did? If the true Church must always be in
existence (which of course it must be), and if this true Church is not the
false Church ruled over by the Vatican II antipopes (John XXIII through
Benedict XVI), why wasn't the true Church an available alternative for
people in 1958?
If, on the other hand, we seek to escape
this problem by saying that the true Church at that time thought John XXIII was
the pope because his uncatholic nature only became manifest with the passage of
time, then how could the true Church be in error (thinking he was their pope)
for all that time? Any thoughts?
MHFM: I
would answer your brother’s question by reiterating, first of all, that people
don't attach themselves to the new Church (and thus leave the true Church)
until they obstinately embrace the heresies of the new sect or accept the
Vatican II Antipopes as Catholics after they've seen their heresies.
Hence, people can be Catholic and remain
part of the Catholic Church for a period of time believing that someone is the
true Pope who is not – as St. Vincent Ferrer did, and as many other cases in
Church history show. Thus, no claim
whatsoever can be made that the Church didn’t exist under John XXIII because
almost everyone accepted him as Pope. I
say “almost” everyone because those privy to John XXIII’s fraudulent “election”
and the illegal blocking of Siri’s, such as the Scortesco family, obviously had
their doubts.
Now, to your
question (how could the entire Church – or basically the entire Church
–mistakenly believe that John XXIII, an Antipope, was the true Pope?), I would
answer by quoting Pope Paul IV, who declared that Catholics could not accept
such a heretical impostor, even if obedience were given to him by
"all" – indicating by such a statement that this is a
possibility.
Pope Paul IV, Bull Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, Feb. 15, 1559: “6. In
addition, [by this Our Constitution, which is to remain valid in perpetuity We
enact, determine, decree and define:-] that if ever at any time it
shall appear that any Bishop, even if he be acting as an Archbishop, Patriarch
or Primate; or any Cardinal of the aforesaid Roman Church, or, as has already
been mentioned, any legate, or even the Roman Pontiff, prior to his promotion
or his elevation as Cardinal or Roman Pontiff, has deviated from the Catholic
Faith or fallen into some heresy:
(i) the promotion or elevation, even if it shall have been
uncontested and by the unanimous assent of all the Cardinals, shall be null,
void and worthless;
(ii) it shall not be possible for it to
acquire validity (nor for it to be said that it has thus acquired validity)
through the acceptance of the office, of consecration, of subsequent authority,
nor through possession of administration, nor through the putative
enthronement of a Roman Pontiff, or Veneration, or obedience accorded to such
by all, nor through the lapse of any period of time in the foregoing
situation;
Obviously,
Pope Paul IV wouldn’t have stated “nor…through obedience accorded to such by all” if it were
theoretically impossible for all to give obedience to an Antipope. This clearly suffices to answer your
brother’s objection. It’s quite obvious
that this Bull of Paul IV was not only inspired by God, but prophetic. It’s as if God were making sure that what He
would allow to happen in the last days (a counterfeit sect and a series of
Antipopes, with the first one, John XXIII, being accepted by basically everyone
for a short period of time) was foreseen in the Magisterial teaching of the
Church. It’s as if God made sure
that the resistance He would require of true Catholics in the last days and the
Great Apostasy was given its theological justification and precision five
hundred years in advance! This is
further intimated by the fact that Paul IV said at the beginning of the Bull
that he was writing it to prevent the arrival of the “abomination of
desolation” in the holy place – a prophetic intimation that his teaching, and
the issue it covers (a heretical Antipope in the Vatican), will be relevant at
the time of the abomination of desolation.
Pope Paul IV, Bull Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, Feb. 15, 1559: “1.…Remembering also
that, where danger is greater, it must more fully and more diligently be
counteracted, We have been concerned lest false prophets or others, even if
they have only secular jurisdiction, should wretchedly ensnare the souls of the
simple, and drag with them into perdition, destruction and damnation countless
peoples committed to their care and rule, either in spiritual or in temporal
matters; and We have been concerned also
lest it may befall Us to see the abomination of
desolation, which was spoken of by the prophet Daniel, in the holy place.
In view of this, Our desire has been to fulfill our Pastoral duty, insofar as,
with the help of God, We are able, so as to arrest the foxes who are occupying
themselves in the destruction of the vineyard of the Lord and to keep the
wolves from the sheepfolds, lest We seem to be dumb watchdogs that cannot bark
and lest We perish with the wicked husbandman and be compared with the
hireling…
Question 106- An important question about the
interpretation of dogmatic statements and one’s authority to use them?
Hi,
Some say
that quoting dogmatic statements to prove that Benedict XVI is a heretic, that
a heretic is not the Pope, that people cannot be saved without Baptism, etc. is
like a Protestant privately interpreting Sacred Scripture. What is the response to this?
MHFM: Thank you
for your question. The people who make
this assertion don’t understand Catholic teaching or what constitutes fidelity
to the Magisterium. This issue of
“interpretation” was addressed in our book Outside
the Catholic Church There is Absolutely No Salvation, but we’ve recently
come across an additional point that is extremely important in this
regard. In its Decree on the Sacrament
of Order, the Council of Trent solemnly declared that the dogmatic canons of
Trent are for the use of all the faithful!
Pope Pius
IV, Council of Trent, Sess. 13, Chap.
4: “These are the matters which in general it seemed well to the sacred Council
to teach to the faithful of Christ regarding the sacrament of order. It
has, however, resolved to condemn the contrary in definite and appropriate
canons in the following manner, so that all, making use of the rule of
faith, with the assistance of Christ, may be able to recognize more easily the
Catholic truth in the midst of the darkness of so many errors.” (Denz.
960)
The word “canon" (in Greek: kanon)
means a reed; a straight rod or bar; a measuring stick; something serving to
determine, rule, or measure. The Council
of Trent is infallibly declaring that its canons are measuring rods for “all” so that they, making use of these rules of
Faith (the meaning of the word “canon”), may be able to recognize and
defend the truth in the midst of darkness!
This very important statement blows away the claim of those who
say that using dogmas to prove points is “private interpretation.” This canon teaches exactly the opposite of
what they assert: that all cannot make use of these rules of Faith! This is a very important statement not only
for the salvation/baptism controversy, but also for the sedevacantist issue.
The point of the dogmas is so that the
faithful know what they must believe and reject, so that they are independent
of the mere opinions of men, and are following the infallible truth of
Christ. If the faithful have to rely on
someone else giving their version or understanding of the dogmatic definition,
then that (fallible) person becomes the rule of faith, and not the infallible
dogmatic definition.
St.
Francis De Sales explained it well against the Protestants.
St. Francis De
Sales (Doctor of the Church), The
Catholic Controversy, c. 1602, p. 228: “The Councils… decide and define some article. If after all this another test has to be tried before their [the Council’s]
determination is received, will not another
also be wanted? Who will not want to
apply his test, and whenever will the matter be settled?... And why not
a third to know if the second is faithful? – and then a fourth, to test the
third? Everything must be done over
again, and posterity will never trust antiquity but will go ever turning upside
down the holiest articles of faith in the wheel of their understandings…
what we say is that when a Council has
applied this test, our brains have not
now to revise but to believe.”
The “interpretation” ends
with the words of the dogma itself! If
it doesn’t, then it never ends, as we saw above – you just have fallible interpretation after fallible
interpretation after fallible interpretation after fallible interpretation. If the buck doesn’t stop with the infallible
definition (the Chair of Peter), then it never stops. I pointed this fact out to a somewhat
well-known “apologist” for the Vatican II sect in a telephone
conversation. He was arguing that our
usage of Catholic dogmatic teaching (the teaching of the Chair of Peter) is
like Protestant “private interpretation.”
He was saying this in an attempt to defend some of his heretical beliefs
which contradict dogma, such as his belief that non-Catholics can be saved. I said to him, “then who interprets the
dogma? And who interprets the
interpretation of the dogma?” After I said “who interprets the interpretation
of the dogma… and who interprets the interpretation of the interpretation… and
who interprets the interpretation of the interpretation of the interpretation…”
he remained deadly silent for the first time in the conversation. He obviously had no response to the factual
point that was made, simply because there is no response. In the heretical view of dogmatic teaching
that he espoused, the Catholic Faith is nothing more than Protestantism –
fallible, private, human interpretation with no Chair of Peter to give one the
final word. The following quotation also illustrates this point
very well.
“Why did
Athanasius know he was right? Because he
clung to the infallible definition, no matter what everyone else said. Not
all the learning in the world, nor all the rank of office, can substitute for
the truth of one infallibly defined Catholic teaching. Even the simplest member of the faithful,
clinging to an infallible definition, will know more than the most ‘learned’
theologian who denies or undermines the definition. That
is the whole purpose of the Church’s infallibly defined teaching – to
make us independent of the mere opinions of men, however learned, however
high their rank.” (The Devil’s Final
Battle, p. 183. *we don’t endorse this book, but this is an excellent
point.*)
BUT CAN’T MEN MISUNDERSTAND A DOGMATIC DEFINITION?
Of course they can. Men can misunderstand or pervert anything and
any form of teaching that could ever be transmitted. If Jesus Christ (the Truth Himself) were here
speaking to us, many people would without doubt misunderstand or pervert what
He said, just as many did when He came the first time. Likewise, just because some can and do
misunderstand what the Chair of Peter is declaring, it does not mean that those
who faithfully adhere to and make use of its definitions are engaging in
Protestant “private interpretation.” It
is just the opposite, as we saw from the Council of Trent above. And that is why the Magisterium has condemned
the idea that dogmas are just “interpretations”!
Pope Pius X,
Lamentabile, The Errors of the Modernists, July 3, 1907, #22:
“The
dogmas which the Church professes as revealed are not truths fallen from
heaven, but they are a kind of interpretation of religious facts,
which the human mind by a laborious effort prepared for itself.”- Condemned
(Denz. 2022)
Pope Pius X,
Lamentabile, The Errors of the Modernists, July 3, 1907, #54:
“The
dogmas, the sacraments, the hierarchy, as far as pertains both to the
notion and to the reality, are nothing but interpretations and the
evolution of Christian intelligence, which have increased and perfected the
little germ latent in the Gospel.”- Condemned (Denz. 2054)
Pope Gregory
XVI, Mirari Vos (#7), Aug. 15, 1832:
“… nothing of the things appointed ought to be diminished; nothing changed;
nothing added; but they must be preserved
both as regards expression and meaning.”
*Note: We’ve added a section about this to
our main-page, in the section “Guide for the rest of this Website.”
Question
105- Question about material on the Faith and what we offer?
… I wish to know what you offer
and I can utilise in my faith as a catholic christian
Regards
ALPHONSE KIKWAI
KENYA
MHFM: We have re-organized our website, and added
information that we feel is critical for people to know. So I would look at some of those sections on
the website. We will also soon be responding to a few recent attacks against
Sedevacantism.
Question 104- How to get this item?
PLEASE
RESPOND TO THIS E-MAL
I WANT VERY
MUCH TO BUY THE BOOK : OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO
SALVATION , written by Brother Peter Dimond
I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET ONE ??? LIVE IN NORWAY, PLEASE HELP
MOST
SINCERELY
MR ROY
LINDQUIST
From a brother of the same faith…….
MHFM: Hello, those outside the U.S.A. can purchase
the book for $7.00 in US funds (price includes shipping). It’s $4.00 for those inside the
U.S.A. You can send a check or a money
order to the address below, or give us a credit card. The address is:
Most Holy Family Monastery
4425 Schneider Rd.
Fillmore, NY
14735
Or you may want to order our 7
video or 7 dvd special, which is $25.00 US funds for those outside the
U.S.A. This special includes the book for free, plus 3 audio tapes. (This special is only $15.00 for those inside
the U.S.A.)
Sincerely,
MHFM
Question
103- Any response to this attack on Sedevacantism?
Greetings,
In the new Summer Issue of "The Fatima
Crusader" Nicholas Gruner and Christopher Ferrara have attacked
sedevacantism, the latter vulgarly reffering to it as "the
Enterprise." Please answer these erroneous remarks as soon as you obtain a
copy or it is published in the internet, as many people… are using these very
arguments to lure people to the clutches of the anti-church and the anti-pope.
MHFM:
Yes, we will be responding, so please stay tuned. But we just got our hands on a copy of The Fatima Crusader today.
Question 102- What is the law on fasting before
Communion?
What is the
required time to not eat or drink (besides water ?) prior to receiving Holy
Communion.
M of CT
MHFM:
The 1957 law
of Pius XII states that priests and faithful before Mass or Holy Communion
respectively – whether it is the morning, afternoon, evening or Midnight Mass –
must abstain for three hours from solid foods and alcoholic beverages, and for
one hour from non-alcoholic beverages.
Water does not break the fast.
Question 101- Why would you say that John Vennari is a heretic?
Why would you say that John Vennari is a
heretic?
MHFM: There is a very specific and very simple
answer to this question. Every honest
person will agree with this, since it is an undeniable fact. John Vennari holds that one can reject the
Catholic Faith and still be a Catholic.
Here’s the proof:
John Vennari, Catholic Family News, “Father Ratzinger’s Denial of Extra Ecclesia Nulla
Salus,” July 2005, Editor’s Postscript, p. 11: “This is not the first time Father Ratzinger denied the dogma
‘Outside the Church there is no salvation’.
In his 1966 book Theological Highlights of Vatican II, which was a
commentary on the Second Vatican Council, Father Ratzinger rejoices that the
true teaching of the Council document Lumen Gentium, according to the minds of
the progressivists who drafted the document, (Ratzinger was one of them) was
that conversion is now an option for the non-Catholic, not an obligation. He writes: ‘…A basic unity – of churches that
remain churches, yet become one Church – must replace the idea of conversion,
even though conversion retains its meaningfulness for those in conscience
motivate to seek it.’ Cardinal Ratzinger admitted on numerous
occasions that he had not changed since the time of the Council when he
wrote these heterodox statements. In
1984, Ratzinger said that since the Council he ‘has not changed.’”
John Vennari
fully admits that Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) has rejected the dogma Outside the
Church There is No Salvation for years and still rejects it. Yet, he holds that Ratzinger is a
Catholic. It is a fact,
therefore, that John Vennari holds that
one can reject the Catholic Faith and still be a Catholic. John Vennari is a complete heretic and is not
a Catholic. The same applies to
“Tradition in Action,” who wrote the article entitled “Father Ratzinger’s Denial
of Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salus” yet still holds that he is a Catholic. By continually admitting that people whom
they still regard as Catholics reject Catholic dogma, they are simply mocking
and denying the necessity of accepting Catholic dogma to be part of the
Church.
Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 9),
June 29, 1896:
"No one who merely disbelieves in all (these heresies) can for that reason regard himself as a Catholic or call
himself one. For there may be or arise some other heresies, which are not set
out in this work of ours, and, if any one holds to one single one of
these he is not a Catholic."
Question 100- Do we accept that catechumens can be saved without the Sacrament of Baptism?
Hello, Do
you accept that catechumens have been saved without baptism of water? Thank you
for your help,
Louis B.
MHFM: No, of course not. Unbaptized catechumens cannot be saved
because no one can be saved without the Sacrament of Baptism.
Pope Eugene
IV, The Council of Florence, “Exultate Deo,” Nov. 22, 1439: “Holy
baptism, which is the gateway to the spiritual life, holds the first place
among all the sacraments; through it we are made members of Christ and of the
body of the Church. And since
death entered the universe through the first man, ‘unless we are born again of water and the Spirit, we cannot,’ as the
Truth says, ‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ [John 3:5]. The matter of this sacrament is real and
natural water.”
Pope Paul
III, The Council of Trent, Sess. 7, Can. 5 on the Sacrament of
Baptism, ex cathedra: “If anyone says that baptism [the
Sacrament] is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation (cf. Jn. 3:5): let
him be anathema.”
Pope Paul
III, The Council of Trent, Can. 2 on the Sacrament of Baptism, Sess. 7,
1547, ex cathedra: “If anyone shall say that real and natural
water is not necessary for baptism, and on that account those words of Our
Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Unless a man be
born again of water and the Holy Spirit’ [John 3:5], are distorted into
some sort of metaphor: let him be anathema.”
Unbaptized catechumens are also not members
of the Church; they are not subject to the Roman Pontiff; and they don’t have
the Faith – but rather beg for it – which bestows life eternal. Unbaptized catechumens don’t have the faith
to be saved until they receive it in the Sacrament of Faith, Baptism.
Pope Paul
III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 7 on Justification, ex
cathedra: “… the instrumental cause [of Justification] is the
Sacrament of Baptism, which is the ‘Sacrament of Faith,’ without faith no
one is ever justified… This
Faith, in accordance with Apostolic Tradition, catechumens beg of the Church
before the Sacrament of Baptism, when they ask for ‘faith which bestows
life eternal,’ (Rit. Rom., Ordo Baptismi).”
This is why catechumens who died without
baptism were forbidden ecclesiastical burial since apostolic times.
The Catholic
Encyclopedia (1907):“A certain statement in the funeral oration of St. Ambrose
over the Emperor Valentinian II has been brought forward as a proof that the
Church offered sacrifices and prayers for catechumens who died before baptism. There is not a vestige of such a custom to
be found anywhere… The practice of the Church is more correctly shown in
the canon (xvii) of the Second Council of Braga (572 AD): ‘Neither the commemoration of Sacrifice
[oblationis] nor the service of chanting [psallendi] is
to be employed for catechumens who have died without baptism.’”
St. John
Chrysostom, The Consolation of Death: “And plainly
must we grieve for our own catechumens, should they, either through their
own unbelief or through their own neglect, depart
this life without the saving grace of baptism.”
And it should be emphasized that no
Catholic should support any group or priest or individual who doesn’t publicly
state that he does not accept the idea that people can be saved without
baptism by “baptism of desire.”
Question 99- Is the Holy Ghost present when Cardinals elect a Pope?
I have enjoyed reading your Email exchanges. They have been very enlightening and informative. I have been taught during my Catholic Education that the Holy Ghost was present during the election of a Pope and guided the Cardinals in their choice. If that be the case, then how could the Popes since Pius XII have been so heretical? I would appreciate you thoughts.
Jack Bryant
Orlando, Florida
MHFM: No, the Holy Ghost doesn’t necessarily guide the Cardinals electing a Pope. The Holy Ghost protects the validly elected Pope from speaking error in his authoritative teaching capacity. The fact that the Holy Ghost doesn’t necessarily guide the Cardinals’ choice, but only the valid Pope’s authoritative teaching, is why there have been some very bad, yet valid, Popes.
Regarding the
post-Vatican II “elections,” it is a different case altogether. It is a different case since we are talking
about men who were not even validly elected by the Cardinals, due to heresy
prior to the election and the fact that Cardinal Siri was the man elected in
1958 whose election was unlawfully pushed aside, as much evidence
indicates. This illegal treatment of the
Pope-elect Cardinal Siri invalidated the subsequent “election” of John XXIII,
the man who began the Vatican II apostasy.
This means that the man who started the Vatican II religion was not even
validly chosen by the College of Cardinals.
This is why his authoritative teaching, and the authoritative teaching
of the subsequent Antipopes who came from this invalid line (Paul VI, John Paul
I, John Paul II), was not protected by the Holy Ghost from error. The Cardinal Siri Elections in Brief -
relating to the Papal Conclaves and Invalid Elections of John XXIII [1958] and
Paul VI [1963]
Question 98- How can I prove to someone
that Casti Connubii of Pius XI is infallible?
Greetings Brothers...
On Relevant Radio… A so called "Catholic" radio station..They were promoting NFP, I called the show and read them many of the statements made by Pope Pius 11th in Casti Connubii…I kept stating over and over on the show that NFP is the intention NOT TO HAVE A CHILD in which goes against the primary end, nature & purpose of marriage.. My question is: What would my answer be to people that state that Casti Connubbi is not infallible.
Steve
MHFM: Casti Connubii is an encyclical addressed to the entire Church. In this encyclical, Pius XI plainly states what the Faith of the Church is on Christian Marriage. When a Pope plainly and authoritatively states what the Faith of the Church is in an encyclical to the entire Church, that represents the teaching of the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium, to which a Catholic is bound. In addition, there is solemn language used by Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubbii which constitutes a solemn, ex cathedra pronouncement. Note the bolded and underlined portions:
Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (#’s 53-56), Dec. 31, 1930: “Since, therefore, openly departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition some recently have judged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, to whom God has entrusted the defense of the integrity and purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds her, in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, raises her voice in token of her divine ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offence against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.”
Notice that Pope Pius XI here is stating in so many words that he is speaking from the Chair of Peter to bind the entire Church. He says that “the Catholic Church…raises her voice… and through Our mouth proclaims anew”. This is infallible, ex cathedra language; anyone who denies this simply doesn’t know what he is talking about. This also serves to refute those many voices today who say things such as: “there have only been two infallible statements in Church history, the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception.” That is complete nonsense, of course; but one hears it quite frequently.
Question 97- Questions about materials on the Faith
and Zionist control?
Dear Sir,
I have been reading your web site with much interest. For a long time I have
been looking for information on the traditional Catholic faith, and I
believe I finally found a really serious web site on the subject. I would really be interested in any
literature you could provide me with or
information on traditional Catholicism, do you have any materials you could
send me on the Catholic Faith, its doctrines and the state of the church
scholarly booklets or materials?
Also are there any other web sites, organizations, or places you could direct
me to for further information on Traditional Catholicism? I am particularly
interested in your information regarding masonic conspiracies as this is
something I have been studying seriously for several years, I am interested as
well in zionist control of the US media etc. These are subjects most people are
very ignorant of in America today and I applaud you for speaking about them.
I am very interested in the eastern rites of the Catholic Church, and their
liturgies as well. Are there traditional true catholics and/or organizations
representing those rites and liturgical traditions today at the present time?
And do they have any web sites or associations you know of?
Sincerely,
Patrick C.
MHFM: With regard to many of your questions, I would recommend ordering all the tapes that we offer on our special offers order form, as well as our video/dvd on the New Mass and New Rite of Ordination. In addition to that, we encourage everyone to order and read the books: Preparation for Death by St. Alphonsus (abridged version); True Devotion to Mary and The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis De Montfort; and Our Lady of Fatima by William Thomas Walsh. There are many other important books, but those take priority, in our view. All of these books are available from Tan Books (1-800-437-5876). Regarding the Zionist or Jewish control of the media, if you want the information on that issue I would recommend the book The New Jerusalem by Michael Collins Piper, available at www.americanfreepress.net. It shows the profound extent of Jewish influence of the media and other aspects of life.
Question 96- What Pope said that non-Catholic
religions are the gates of hell?
Brother Dimond and fellow Monks;
I have enjoyed your writings and videos very much over the years. Please
keep up your good works.
However; I quoted the following to a fellow
parishoner,"Prostantism and other noncatholic religions are the Gates of
Hell" There was a Pope who said this but I could not remember His
name or the video in which the statement was made. Can You Help me?
Samuel G. Porter
MHFM: Actually, Popes have declared that “heretics”
are the gates of hell. We quoted this on
the “Why Antipope John Paul II Cannot be the Pope” video.
Pope
Vigilius, Second Council of Constantinople,
553:
“…
we bear in mind what was promised about the holy Church and Him who said the
gates of hell will not prevail against it (by these we understand the death-dealing tongues of heretics)…”
Pope
St. Leo IX, Sept. 2, 1053:
“The
holy Church built upon a rock, that is Christ, and upon Peter… because by the
gates of Hell, that is, by the disputations of heretics which lead the
vain to destruction, it would never be overcome.” (Denz. 351)
St.
Thomas Aquinas taught the same in his epistle to Pope Urban IV on the
publication of the Catena Aurea:
St.
Thomas Aquinas: “Thy heart, Most Holy Father, who art lawful heir of this Faith
and this Confession, gives watchful care that the light of this so wondrous
Wisdom may fill the hearts of the faithful, and put to silence the dread folly
of heretics, fittingly referred to as
the gates of hell.” (The Sunday
Sermons of the Great Fathers, Vol. 1, pp. xxiii, xxiv.)
Along
the same lines, though perhaps not quite as precisely, St. Bede the Venerable
taught:
St.
Bede the Venerable: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The
gates of hell are evil doctrines, which by seducing the unwary drag them
down to hell.” (The Sunday Sermons of the
Great Fathers, Vol. 3, p. 274.)
The
fact that heretics are the gates of hell, as officially declared by Popes, is
something very important to understand.
When we correctly point out that heretics cannot be members of the
Church, and that the heretical Vatican II Antipopes cannot be true Popes, we
are not asserting that the gates of hell have prevailed against the
Church. It is just the opposite: those
who assert that the “Church” can be headed by a heretic and can teach evil
doctrines are asserting that the gates of hell have prevailed. The fact that heretics are the gates of hell
is precisely why all the Doctors of the Church who addressed the issue agree
that a manifest heretic could not be the Pope.
Question 95- Question about one of
Benedict XVI’s books?
Brothers,
I read with great interest you article on B16's 1982 book. I would like to read this book myself. I found this book at amazon.com
It has the same title but has a 1987 publication date. Is this the same book?
Thanks for your help! Terry
MHFM: Yes, the book “Principles of Catholic
Theology” by Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) was originally published in 1982 in
German, but published by Ignatius Press in 1987. It has to be the single most heretical book
I’ve ever read in my life. It should
also be remembered that Ratzinger was the Prefect for the “Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith” when the book was published.
Question 94- Comment on Heresy of the
Week about Andre and Fulham
Brother Michael and
Brother Peter,
Thank you so much for finally exposing Bishop Fulham. It is really quite
amusing that he hung up on you when he wrote in another article on his website
that a certain cleric (un-named) had a problem with him and, instead of
"calling him on the phone and debating the issue", the cleric wrote a
criticism of him on his website. I told you before about my experience with
Sister Mary Michaela (Bishop Fulham's secretary). She hung up on me THREE
TIMES! When I called back after she hung up on me the first time, she denied
hanging up on me, saying that she had to take another call. When I asked her
why she didn't just put me on hold, she said that she didn't know how to do
that. She then proceeded to hang up on me again, and when I called again I got
the answering machine! Yes, she knew how to do that! Haha These people are of
totally bad will. They think they can live in their little world and disregard
the battle around them. All they apparently care about is ceremony. As a matter
of fact, when I tried to pin Sister down on whether or not JPII was a true pope
or not, she tried to stress the fact that that issue wasn't as important as
teaching my children the Catholic faith! In other words, what's one heresy
among friends, eh? Also, I found what
you wrote about Brother Andre Marie very interesting. I had no idea that he is
seeking ordination from Bishop Fulham. No wonder he has visited Spring Hill a
couple times. Brother Andre had written a paper that stated that independent
bishops hold no jurisdiction, yet he wants ordination from one! I have not
heard that he ever retracted his statement either.
Another thing about St. Benedict Center is the fact that they try to show that
they are in good standing in the Novus Ordo church by showing 2 documents on
their website from someone in authority that says that the dogma Outside the
Church There is No Salvation has been declared and definitive, but the
interpretation of the dogma can be problematical and it would seem that people who hold a strict interpretation should
be given as much leeway as those who hold more liberal views! I
wonder what Fr. Feeney would say about such a document. So much for everyone
being "One" in Faith, when you can interpret a defined dogma of the
Catholic Church any way you want to. God Bless!
Bridget
MHFM: The fact that Bro. Andre wrote
a paper stating that independent Bishops have no jurisdiction is very
interesting. It just illustrates again
what a complete schismatic and hypocrite he is.
Regarding the St. Benedict Center’s desire to profess communion with the
apostate Novus Ordo Bishops whom they know totally reject the necessity of the
Catholic Faith, it is simply disgusting.
Notice that they are attempting to show that their “interpretation” of
the dogma is tolerated by their Bishop, even though he doesn’t believe it
himself. In other words, “our Bishop doesn’t hold the salvation dogma,
but he says we are allowed to hold it, so we are in communion with him.” They are therefore admitting that they are in
communion with a man who rejects the salvation dogma. Unfortunately, they are complete phonies who
possess no love for God or the Catholic Faith.
And while they clamor for union with the apostate Bishop, at the same
time they pursue ordination from a Bishop outside Benedict XVI’s
hierarchy. Incredible!
Question
93- Follow up question on the SSPX’s schism?
Hello,
I was hoping you could answer this question a little
more detailed. For example, one
would not expect the SSPX to follow who they believed to be a valid Pope in any
particular directive that was not valid. So, not following the Pope in
this case would not be schismatic, would it? But, unless speaking 'ex
cathedra' or infallibly, the Pope is otherwise 'human' or potentially
erring. Are there any examples
that you can provide (does not have to be extensive) where the recent Popes
have pronounced infallibly (or have taught something already infallible) and
the SSPX has gone against the Pope on the same directive/teaching ? By the
way, I haven't read extensively into your website yet, so please forgive me if
you have already provided an explanation into this elsewhere.
- M from CT
MHFM: Canonizations of
Saints are definitely infallible and the declarations on Faith at a General
Council solemnly promulgated by the apostolic authority of a Pope are also
definitely infallible. The SSPX rejects
the “canonizations” of John Paul II and the teaching of Vatican II on Faith
that was solemnly promulgated by its “Pope,” Paul VI. (We have covered this in various articles on
our website.) This is definitely
heretical and schismatical on their part.
It is true that a Catholic could resist a bad decision of a Pope or a
Bishop. But that is not merely what we
are talking about with the SSPX; we are talking about solemn declarations by
their “Pope” which cannot be rejected.
Further, and this is a key point, we are talking about operating a
world-wide apostolate outside the authority of the Bishops and “Pope” it
recognizes. If the SSPX has to resist
the entire hierarchy of Novus Ordo Bishops and its “Pope” for a period of
decades over a matter of the Faith, then that hierarchy has fallen into
heresy and defected from the Faith. Such
a “hierarchy” cannot be recognized as Catholic.
But if it is not a matter of heresy and salvation which is the
cause of their separation for decades, then the SSPX has no right to
resist them, since in that case it is only a matter or preference or
nostalgia. The SSPX has repeatedly taught
that these are not matters of preference, but matters of fidelity to the
perennial teaching of the Magisterium and of resisting a “new religion.” Hence, they
are schismatic for obstinately recognizing the authority of these imposers of a
new religion, yet refusing to operate in communion with them. No matter which way one examines the issue,
the SSPX’s official position is schismatic.
There would never be a situation where a Catholic would be forced to
resist operating communion with the entire Catholic hierarchy for decades. If one is forced to resist operating
communion with such a group for decades, it is because that group has defected
from the Faith and holds no authority in the Catholic Church. Either Vatican II and the New Mass can be
accepted by a Catholic, and therefore there is no right to be independent of
the hierarchy which imposed them – or Vatican II and the New Mass cannot be
accepted by a Catholic because they cause the loss of salvation, and therefore
they could not have been imposed by the Catholic Church.
Pope Pius IV, Council
of Trent, Sess. 22, Can. 7, On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, ex cathedra:
“If anyone says that the ceremonies,
vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church uses in the celebration
of Masses, are incentives to impiety rather than the services of piety: let him be anathema.” (Denz. 954)
The schismatic position of the SSPX is perhaps best illustrated by the
fact that they discourage people from attending the Indult Mass! Please consider this carefully: the Indult
Mass is celebrated according to the same 1962 Missal that the SSPX uses, the
only difference is that the Indult Mass is celebrated fully under the Novus
Ordo Bishop. Since the Indult Mass is
celebrated fully under the authority of the “Catholic” Bishop the SSPX
recognizes, the SSPX says one should not go!
Please consider how schismatic such a position is: in other words, if
you are fully under “the Church” they recognize as the Catholic Church you are
doing something that you should not do!
(And it needs to be said that the SSPX doesn’t officially hold as
invalid or doubtful the New Rite of Ordination – as proven by the fact that
“Fr.” Gregory Hesse, who was ordained in the New Rite, was specifically told by
the SSPX Bishops that he doesn’t need to be conditionally ordained. The SSPX has no clear position on that issue,
so one cannot claim that this is their sole reason for opposing attendance at
the Indult.) To state it again: the
Indult Mass is the same Missal that the SSPX uses, but the SSPX discourages
Catholics from attending it simply because it is fully under the aegis of the
Bishop they recognize as the Catholic Bishop.
This really encapsulates how schismatic their official position is. The same applies, of course, to many other
independent priests, including the obstinately schismatic Fr. James Wathen and
Fr. Gavin Bitzer. Fr. Wathen and Fr.
Bitzer will actually refuse Holy Communion to anyone who attends the
Indult Mass under their “Pope” and his “Bishop.” In all these cases, the schismatic position
is a direct result of the heretical position – recognizing manifest heretics
(the Novus Ordo Bishops and Vatican II Antipopes) as Catholics and inside the
Church.
Question 92 – Questions about Thuc line, no Mass, etc.?
hello brothers michael and peter… I think it might be especially hard for older people who were indoctrinated years ago that the pope and vatican were infallible and have to always be obeyed.do you agree? -some people have told me that the thuc line is invalid and not to have anything to do with any of the priests/bishops that came from that line…-i have been told by some people that there are no valid sacraments in the world since there are no valid priests in the world.is it true there are no sacraments possible because there are no valid priests because there is no valid pope with a valid vatican to assign them?-what is a person supposed to do if there is no valid church for them to go to and no valid priest for them either? how is a person supposed to keep holy sunday and other days? some people have asked me if there are no valid churches and masses around then what are they supposed to do?
Maureen Franco
MHFM: 1) A person must know his Faith. A person who learns his Faith will understand that he is faithful to the Papacy and the teaching of the Magisterium when he adheres to the unchanging dogmatic teaching of the Popes and Councils throughout history and rejects anything that contradicts them. If he knows these teachings, he will understand immediately that the Vatican II religion is a new gospel and a new religion which embraces false religions and teaches salvation outside the Church. Even a careful reading of the New Testament will inform a person that the Vatican II religion is not Catholic. This is precisely why all the educated Protestants make a mockery out of John Paul II for his endorsement of false and pagan religions. They can immediately see that the Vatican II “Popes” reject Christ as the only path to heaven. The problem with a person such as you described – and there are many like him out there – is that he doesn’t care enough to learn about the Catholic Faith and so is led astray through his own lack of interest.
2) The Thuc line is as valid as any line there is. That is not to address the theological positions held by all of these priests, however. 3) There are valid priests today. The fact that there is no Pope has no bearing on the validity, which is determined by whether the traditional rites of the Church were used. The problem is that there are almost no fully Catholic priests today. 4) If there is no acceptable traditional Mass available for you or within a reasonable distance then there is no obligation to go. In that case, you keep Sunday holy by praying the Rosary (which people should do each day, of course), preferably the entire 15 decades.
Question 91 – Can a person ever receive baptism
validly without receiving the remission of original sin?
Dear Brother Peter,
I sent you and Br. Michael an
email in January concerning a question I asked regarding the SSPX and a
theological opinion they have propagated concerning the mark of Baptism and
Original Sin existing simultaneously in the soul. It has been over 4 months with only a
"please wait" response from you. I am not looking for any
explanation on this question, only a "yes" or "no"
answer. I again ask the question: Do you (and Br. Michael) believe
that Original Sin can be present in the soul simultaneously with the mark
of a valid Baptism?
Please respond. Thank you !
Patrick Horwath
MHFM: This is a finer theological point. The answer to your question is yes. The
Church teaches that a heretic can be validly baptized if he is baptized with
water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. But if
a person is baptized as a heretic – for instance, if he rejects the dogma
Outside the Church there is No Salvation, as Benedict XVI does – then his
baptism, though valid, would confer no grace.
His heresy is an impediment to him receiving the grace of baptism. He receives the character or the mark of
baptism validly but does not receive the grace of baptism and doesn’t have his
sins remitted and he is not justified, since he is outside the church. Outside the Church there is no remission of
sins.
Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam,
Nov. 18, 1302, ex cathedra:
“With Faith urging us we are
forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that,
apostolic, and we firmly believe and simply confess this Church outside of which there is no salvation
nor remission of sin… Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and
proclaim to every human creature that they by absolute necessity for salvation
are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.
This is the express teaching of Pope St. Gregory the
Great.
Pope St. Gregory the Great, Quia charitati, June 22, 601: “From the
ancient institution of the Fathers we have learned that those who are baptized
in the name of the Trinity, although amid heresy, whenever they return to holy
Church, may be recalled to the bosom of their mother the Church either with the
anointing of chrism, or the imposition of hands, or with a profession of faith
alone…because the holy baptism, which
they received among the heretics, at that time restores the power of cleansing
in them when they have been united to the holy faith and the heart of the
universal Church.” (Denz. 249)
Here we see Pope Gregory the Great explaining that
those baptized as heretics are not cleansed, i.e., their sins are not
remitted. They are not cleansed by the
baptism they received among the heretics until they remove the heresy and are
united to the true Faith. The baptism
they received is valid; they don’t need to be rebaptized, but it is not efficacious
for them until they remove the heresy.
At that point, they become justified by the power of the baptism already
received. We also see this principle
illustrated in Sess. 7 of the Council of Trent on the Sacraments in General:
Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Sess. 7 on the
Sacraments in General, Can. 6.: “If
anyone shall say that the sacraments of the New Law do not contain the grace
which they signify, or that they do not confer that grace on those who do
not place an obstacle in the way, as though they were only outward
signs of grace and justice… let him be anathema.” (Denz. 849)
Here we see that the sacraments do not confer the
grace which they signify on those who place an obstacle in the way, such as
heresy. The above is also the teaching of
Doctors of the Church. And this teaching
does not contradict any of the other definitions of Trent, of course, such as
in Sess. 5 on Original Sin:
Pope Paul III, Council of
Trent, Session 5:
"If anyone denies that by the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is conferred in baptism, the guilt of original
sin is remitted, or even asserts that the whole of that which has the
true and proper nature of sin is not taken away, but says that it is
only touched in person or is not imputed, let him be anathema."
(Denz. 792)
Notice that this anathematizes anyone who says that
original sin is not remitted “by the
grace” conferred in baptism.
Whenever grace is conferred in baptism original sin is infallibly
remitted, such as with the baptism of infants or anyone else who doesn’t place
an obstacle to receiving the grace in the way.
But, in the case described above of a baptism of a heretic, no grace is
conferred at all and thus original sin is not remitted. Hence, we can see that the clause “by the
grace” is very important and shows the infallibility of dogmatic definitions
and the protection of the Holy Ghost over the teaching of the Church.
Question 90
– Bob S. on “or” vs. “and” in the Council of Trent?
MHFM:
In a recent Q and A about Sess. 6, Chap. 4 of the Council of Trent
(relating to baptism of desire issue), Bob. S. tells people that Trent teaches
baptism of desire and that it is false to assert that “or” can have a meaning
that is equivalent to “and” in a Council.
Here is the question and his response:
[Question to Bob. S.] Dear Robert S, Thanks for your
response. However, I already demonstrated the use of the word "or"
when it acts like an "and" when I wrote the sentence about cars.
Here's that sentence from my email to you: Just
like your car won't work without oil or gas. Both oil and gas are necessary
to operate a car.
R. Sungenis: Nice try, but using "or" when
you mean "and" is bad grammar. The Council of Trent doesn't speak
like a southern American. I suggest you examine the way Trent used the word "or"
throughout its declarations. You won't find one time that "or" means
"and."
MHFM:
First, Sess. 6, Chap. 4 of the
Council of Trent doesn’t teach baptism of desire. For a full discussion of this passage,
including an interesting e-mail from a Latin scholar which directly refutes the
claim above, click here: Outside the Catholic Church There is Absolutely No
Salvation, and then scroll to section 16,
Sess. 6, Chap. 4 of Trent and click on it.
Second,
I guess Mr. Sungenis didn’t read our book, for we showed that a text of the
Council of Florence used the word “or” in a context that clearly renders its
meaning as “and.”
Pope Eugene IV, Council of
Florence, “Cantate Domino,” 1441, ex cathedra:
“The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes
and preaches that all those who are outside the Catholic Church, not only
pagans but also Jews [aut] or heretics and
schismatics, cannot share in eternal life and will go into the everlasting fire
which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless they are joined to the
Church before the end of their lives; that the unity of this
ecclesiastical body is of such importance that only those who abide in it do
the Church’s sacraments contribute to salvation and do fasts, almsgiving and
other works of piety and practices of the Christian militia productive of
eternal rewards; and that nobody can be
saved, no matter how much he has given away in alms and even if he has shed
blood in the name of Christ, unless he has persevered in the bosom and unity of
the Catholic Church.”
Here
we see this Latin version of the Council of Florence using the word “or”
(Latin: aut) to have a meaning that
is clearly equivalent to “and.” (The
Latin is quoted in the Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, Sheed &
Ward and Georgetown University Press, 1990, Vol. 1, p. 578. Decrees
of the Ecumenical Councils cites Acta
sacri oecumenici councilii Florentini, Rome 1638). The text declares that
not only pagans, but also Jews or (aut) heretics and
schismatics cannot be saved. Does this
mean that either Jews or heretics will be saved? Of course not. It clearly means that none of the Jews and
none of the heretics can be saved. Thus,
this is an example of a context in which the Latin word aut (or) does have a meaning that is clearly “and.”
Similarly,
in the introduction to the decree on Justification, the Council of Trent
strictly forbids anyone to “believe, preach or teach” (credere,
praedicare aut docere) other than as it is defined and declared in
the decree on Justification.
Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Sess. 6,
Introduction: “… strictly forbidding that anyone henceforth may presume to believe,
preach or teach, otherwise than is defined and declared by this present
decree.”
Does
“or” (aut) in this passage mean that one is only forbidden to preach
contrary to the Council’s decree on Justification, but one is allowed to
teach contrary to it? No, obviously “or”
(aut) means that both preaching and teaching are forbidden, just
like in Sess. 6, chapter 4 (see below) “or” means that justification
cannot take place without both water and desire. Another example of the use of aut to
mean “and” (or “both”) in Trent is found in Sess. 21, Chap. 2, the decree on
Communion under both species (Denz. 931).
Pope Pius IV, Council of Trent, Sess. 21, Chap.
2: “Therefore holy mother Church… has decreed that it be considered as a law, which
may not be repudiated or be changed at will without the authority of
the Church.”
Does
aut in this declaration mean that the Council’s decree may not be
repudiated, but it may be changed? No,
obviously it means that both a repudiation and a change are
forbidden. This is another example of
how the Latin word aut can be used in contexts which render its meaning
“and” or “both.” And these examples, when we consider the wording of the
passage [of Sess. 6, Chap. 4 of Trent], refute the claim of baptism of desire
supporters: that the meaning of aut in Chapter 4, Session 6 is one which
favors baptism of desire. To say
that Justification cannot take
place without baptism or the
desire for it is not to say that justification can take place by
water baptism or the desire for it. Just like if I say: “a sacrament cannot
take place without matter or form” – which means that both are needed – does
not mean that a sacrament can take place with either matter or form. And that is why, in the very same sentence,
the Council of Trent proceeds to declare: as
it is written, unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Ghost
he cannot enter into the Kingdom God (John 3:5).
Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Sess. 6, Chap.
4: “In these words there is suggested a description of the justification of the
impious, how there is a transition from that state in which a person is born as
a child of the first Adam to the state of grace and of adoption as sons of God
through the second Adam, Jesus Christ our savior; indeed, this transition, once
the gospel has been promulgated, CANNOT
TAKE PLACE WITHOUT the laver of
regeneration or a desire for it, AS IT IS WRITTEN: Unless
a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom
of God (John 3:5).”
Baptism
of desire means that John 3:5 is not as it is written, that it is not necessary
for every man to be born again of water, which contradicts that very sentence
of Trent! And this is why in every single instance it dealt with John 3:5, the
Council of Trent authoritatively declared John 3:5 is to be understood as it is
written: there are no exceptions to receiving the Sacrament of Baptism for
salvation. By the way, Mr. Sungenis also
consistently uses the false translation of “except through” instead of “without”
almost every time he quotes Sess. 6, Chap. 4.
This is pathetically dishonest.
But what do you expect from a heretic like him, who indicated to a
Protestant who was attacking the Catholic Faith that he was not a heretic
because of “invincible ignorance”!
Pope Paul III, The Council of Trent, canons on
the Sacrament of Baptism, canon 5, ex cathedra: “If
anyone says that baptism [the sacrament] is optional, that is, not necessary
for salvation (cf. Jn. 3:5): let him be anathema.”
Pope Paul III, The Council of Trent, On
Original Sin, Session V, ex cathedra: “By one man sin entered into the world, and
by sin death... so that in them there may be washed away by regeneration, what
they have contracted by generation, ‘For unless a man be born again of
water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God [John 3:5].”
Pope Paul III, The Council of Trent, canons on
the Sacrament of Baptism, Session 7, canon 2, ex cathedra: “If
anyone shall say that real and natural water is not necessary for baptism, and
on that account those words of Our Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit’ [John 3:5],
are distorted into some sort of metaphor: let him be anathema.”
Question 89 – How can the SSPX be in
schism for not being under an Antipope?
If Benedict XVI
is an antipope, how can the SSPX be in schism for not operating under him?
MHFM: Allow me to give an example. It is the Church’s law that Catholics are
forbidden to eat meat on Fridays under pain of mortal sin. Suppose a man wakes up one day and thinks
it’s Friday. He says to himself “I don’t
care about the Church’s law I’m going to eat meat today,” and then proceeds to
eat meat. He then goes to work and
discovers that it isn’t Friday, but actually it is Thursday. It doesn’t matter; he is still guilty of
mortal sin because in his conscience he thought it was Friday and deliberately
ate meat anyway.
Likewise, the SSPX obstinately
professes that Benedict XVI is the Pope after thirty years of evaluating the
Vatican II apostasy which he now heads.
They profess that the Novus Ordo Bishops in communion with him are the
hierarchy. Yet, they refuse to operate
under them. They are obstinately
schismatic at this point. The fact that Benedict XVI is undoubtedly an Antipope
and the Novus Ordo Bishops a false hierarchy doesn’t change their guilt in the
same way that the man who discovered it was Thursday was still guilty for
eating meat because he thought it was Friday.
Question 88 – Question about Benedict XVI and a note on one of his
heresies
Hi, I read your "30 astonishing heresies", and I was amazed at what I read! And in the article Benedict XVI was labeled an antipope. My question - when do you think that he'll be deposed?
Thank you,
Dru
MHFM: He has
already been “deposed.” He was “deposed”
in advance, if you will. The fact that
he is not even remotely Catholic excluded him from being validly elected at all
in the first place.
Pope Paul IV, Bull
Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, Feb. 15, 1559: “6. In addition, [by this Our
Constitution, which is to remain valid in perpetuity We enact, determine,
decree and define:-] that if ever at any time it shall appear that any
Bishop, even if he be acting as an Archbishop, Patriarch or Primate; or any
Cardinal of the aforesaid Roman Church, or, as has already been mentioned, any
legate, or even the Roman Pontiff, prior to his promotion or his elevation as
Cardinal or Roman Pontiff, has deviated from the Catholic Faith or fallen into
some heresy:
(i) the promotion or elevation, even if it shall have been uncontested and
by the unanimous assent of all the Cardinals, shall be null, void and worthless;…
(vi) those thus promoted or elevated shall be deprived automatically, and
without need for any further declaration, of all dignity, position, honour,
title, authority, office and power…. If anyone, however, should presume to
attempt this, let him know that he is destined to incur the wrath of Almighty
God and of the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul.
By the way, we’ve added some more context to the first
heresy covered in that article, since it is such an important heresy. If you run into anyone defending Antipope
Benedict XVI, just copy this heresy for him.
It is totally devastating to any claim that he is a Catholic.
“Cardinal” Ratzinger, Principles of Catholic Theology (Ignatius Press, San Francisco,
1982), pp. 197-198: “Against this background we can now weigh the possibilities
that are open to Christian ecumenism.
The maximum demands on which the search for unity must certainly founder
are immediately clear. On the part of the West, the maximum
demand would be that the East recognize the primacy of the bishop of Rome in
the full scope of the definition of 1870 and in so doing submit in
practice, to a primacy such as has been accepted by the Uniate churches. On
the part of the East, the maximum demand would be that the West declare the
1870 doctrine of primacy erroneous and in so doing submit, in practice, to a
primacy such as has been accepted with the removal of the Filioque from the
Creed and including the Marian dogmas of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. As regards Protestantism, the maximum demand of the Catholic Church
would be that the Protestant ecclesiological ministers be regarded as totally
invalid and that Protestants be converted to Catholicism; the maximum
demand of Protestants, on the other hand, would be that the Catholic Church
accept, along with the unconditional acknowledgement of all Protestant
ministries, the Protestant concept of ministry and their understanding of the
Church and thus, in practice, renounce the apostolic and sacramental structure
of the Church, which would mean, in practice, the conversion of Catholics to
Protestantism and their acceptance of a multiplicity of distinct community
structures as the historical form of the Church. While the first three maximum demands are today rather unanimously
rejected by Christian consciousness, the fourth exercises a kind of
fascination for it – as it were, a certain conclusiveness that makes it appear
to be the real solution to the problem.
This is all the more true since there is joined to it the expectation
that a Parliament of Churches, a ‘truly ecumenical council’, could then
harmonize this pluralism and promote a Christian unity of action. That no real union would result from this,
but that its very impossibility would become a single common dogma, should
convince anyone who examines the suggestion closely that such a way would not
bring Church unity but only a final renunciation of it. As a result, none of the maximum solutions offers any real hope of unity.”
I
quoted the entire passage without a break so that people can see that this is
not being taken out of context in any way.
Ratzinger specifically mentions, and
then bluntly rejects, the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church that
the Protestants and Eastern Schismatics must be converted (and accept Vatican
I: “the full scope of the definition of 1870”).
He specifically rejects it as the way to unity. This is totally heretical and it proves that
he is a complete non-Catholic heretic.
Pope
Pius XI, Mortalium Animos (#10), Jan.
6, 1928:
“…
the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to
the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it…”
Question 87
– Question about what it means to say people profess “communion” with someone?
When
you say that groups profess communion with someone what do you mean?
K.
MHFM: When we say that groups profess “communion” with someone
we mean that they recognize him as a fellow member of the Catholic Church. For instance, when we say that the Society of
St. Pius X professes communion with Benedict XVI by recognizing him as the Pope
– even though the SSPX refuses to operate under his hierarchy – this means that
they hold him to be in the same Church
and as one who holds the same Faith.
They profess to be in union with him (communion) in the Church of Jesus
Christ. Likewise, when we say that the
St. Benedict Center, for example, recognizes the apostate Novus Ordo Bishops as
the Catholic Bishops (which is a fact), we correctly point out that they
profess communion with the Novus Ordo hierarchy. They profess to be in the same Church as the
Novus Ordo apostate Bishops. By professing
communion with the Novus Ordo hierarchy, they hold that the Novus Ordo Bishops are
part of the same Church and have the same Faith as they have.
Pope
Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 10), June
29, 1896:
“For
this reason, as the unity of the
faith is of necessity required for the unity of the Church, inasmuch as
it is the body of the faithful, so also
for this same unity, inasmuch as the Church is a divinely constituted society,
unity of government, which effects and involves unity of communion, is necessary jure divino [by
divine law].”
This is
important to understand. When you
encounter people who refuse to take the sedevacantist position, you often ask
them: “okay, so then you have the same Faith as Benedict XVI,” and they often
respond: “no.” They say: “he’s the Pope,
but I don’t have the same Faith as he does.”
This is totally heretical; it is a denial of the unity of the Church; it
is a denial of the unity of Faith in the Church; and it is a denial of the
unity of communion in the Church. If
Benedict XVI is your “Pope” that means that you hold that he has the same
Faith. There is no way around that. If you admit that he doesn’t have your Faith
then you are admitting that he is not the Pope.
Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi (# 22), June
29, 1943:
“As therefore in the true Christian community there
is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith. And therefore if a man refuse to hear the
Church let him be considered – so the Lord commands – as a heathen and a
publican. It follows that those who are divided in faith or
government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they
be living the life of its one Divine Spirit.”
Question 86
– Question about a traditionalist bishop?
Dear
MHFM,
I am wondering if you have heard of a Bishop Francis Slupski, CSSR? I
will be traveling to Illinois this summer and heard that he resides at Regina
Caeli Chapel in Rockford. The only information I can find about him is
that he was consecrated by Bishop McKenna in 1999. Since there is no
information about his ordination, I am trying to determine whether he was even
validly ordained, and whether or not he embraces the same heretical positions
as Bishop McKenna. I am quite concerned about this, as I may be moving to
this area and want to find out what I will be getting in to. Thank you
for your help, and may God reward you for your dedicated work!
In Christ,
Joseph Smith
New York, NY
MHFM: Yes, we’ve
heard of him. As far as we know he is a
validly ordained priest (ordained about 50 years ago in Poland, I believe). We
also believe that he is a validly consecrated Bishop. One of us called him a few years ago and
attempted to charitably discuss some of these issues. As soon as he heard who it was he immediately
hung up the telephone. There is only one
word for this: coward. He probably holds
heretical positions or accepts those who do, but, of course, we didn’t get a
chance to ask him about what he believes for the reason described above.
Question 85 – Question about indefectibility, Papal
Election?
I have been reading your website
and troubling questions came to my mind. If no priest ordained in the new
rite is valid, and all these novus ordo bishops and cardinals are
heretics; then who could possibly validly elect a Pope? This is very disturbing
to me because this almost seems as if the Catholic Church is dead. Who is left
to carry on with ordinations, sacraments, and papal elections? Even if there
were a few bishops and priests that kept the faith, how could we find them and
follow them? How would we know? This is so terribly sad. What I have read at
your website makes much sense, but I am not sure where to turn if you are
right. Thank you so much for your time
and effort, and for all you are doing.
David Rybarczyk
MHFM:
First, you recognize whether one has kept the Faith by determining whether his
teaching is in line with the infallible teaching of the Catholic
Magisterium. Second, regarding Papal
Elections, before the College of Cardinals was created in the 12th
century the Pope was elected by the clergy and faithful of Rome. This means that a Papal Election by the College of Cardinals is a disciplinary measure
that is not inextricably bound up with the election of a Pope. Theoretically, if a major catastrophe wiped
out the entire population of Rome including the entire College of Cardinals and
Novus Ordo functionaries, leaving only some true Traditional Catholics and
Traditional priests, a true Pope could be elected in Rome by a few remaining faithful
and some fully Traditional Catholic clergy.
That, of course, would be a miraculous and extraordinary event; but it
is a possible way for a future Pope to be elected. However, in my opinion, there doesn’t have to
be another Pope before the Second Coming of Christ.
Bl. Joachim (d. 1202): “Towards
the end of the world, Antichrist will overthrow the pope and usurp his see.”
(Rev. Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, Tan Books, 1974, p. 130.)
Prophecy of St. Nicholas of Fluh
(1417-1487):
“The Church will be punished
because the majority of her members, high and low, will become so perverted. The
Church will sink deeper and deeper until she will at last seem to be
extinguished, and the succession of Peter and the other Apostles to have expired. But, after this, she will be victoriously
exalted in the sight of all doubters.”
Third, you say that it seems as if the Catholic Church
is dead. The fact is that it is
predicted that, at the very end just before the Second Coming of Christ, the Catholic
Church will be almost dead. The Church was almost overwhelmed by Arianism
in the 4th Century. If the
final crisis is to be ever worse, then we can see that what we are dealing with
is not unthinkable or impossible. The
Church can and will never die; it will remain until the end of time. The gates of hell will not prevail; but it is
predicted that at the very end it will be such a crisis that the Church will be
reduced so much so that it has almost died.
That is why Christ asked if there would be any faith at all when He
returned; and that is why Our Lady prophesied that the Church “will be in
eclipse” – almost completely blocked out of view, except for a tiny remnant.
Our
Lady of La Salette, Sept. 19, 1846: “Rome
will lose the faith and become the Seat of the Antichrist… the Church will be
in eclipse… Who will be the victor if God does not shorten the length of
the test?... It is time; the sun is darkening; only faith will survive.”
Luke 18:8 “But yet the Son of
man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?”
Regarding your question about ordinations, there is at
least one fully Catholic priest in the country today. The fact of the matter is if the Vatican II
sect is the Catholic Church, then the Catholic Church is definitely dead –
which, of course, we know is not true.
The Vatican II sect rejects the entire Catholic Faith and the entire
Gospel. Even the current head of the
Vatican II sect fully admits that the solemn teaching of Vatican II
specifically rejects the teaching of the Catholic Magisterium on religious
liberty and other religions. He admits
that Vatican II’s teaching is a “countersyllabus” to Pope Pius IX’s
authoritative Syllabus of Errors.
“Cardinal”
Joseph Ratzinger, Principles of Catholic
Theology, 1982, p. 381: "If it
is desirable to offer a diagnosis of the text [of the Vatican II document,
Gaudium et Spes] as a whole, we might say that (in conjunction with the
texts on religious liberty and world religions) it is a revision of the
Syllabus of Pius IX, a kind of counter syllabus…As a result, the one-sidedness of the position adopted by the Church
under Pius IX and Pius X in response to the situation created by the new
phase of history inaugurated by the French Revolution was, to a large extent, corrected via facti, especially in Central
Europe, but there was still no basic statement of the relationship that should
exist between the Church and the world that had come into existence after
1789."
“Cardinal”
Joseph Ratzinger, Principles of Catholic
Theology, 1982, p. 385: "By a kind of inner necessity, therefore, the optimism of the countersyllabus
gave way to a new cry that was far more intense and more dramatic than the
former one."
“Cardinal” Joseph Ratzinger, Principles of Catholic Theology, 1982, p. 391: "The task is not, therefore, to suppress the Council but to discover the real Council and to deepen its true intention in the light of present experience. That means that there can be no return to the Syllabus, which may have marked the first stage in the confrontation with liberalism and a newly conceived Marxism but cannot be the last stage
Anyone with an ounce of faith can easily recognize
that the religion of the Vatican II sect is not the Catholic religion and that
those who embrace it and the New Mass have left the Catholic Church, leaving
the Church to consist of those who continue to adhere to the unchanging
Catholic Faith without any compromise or dilution.
Question 84
– Question about a “traditional” priest?
Hello
Thank you for your informative website. I have
question: have you heard of Father Patrick Perez? Is he a sedevacantist? Thank
you very much.
J.S.
MHFM:
“Fr.” Perez is not a sedevacantist.
He is an independent “priest” who recognizes the Vatican II apostate hierarchy,
but yet remains completely independent of them, just like the SSPX. This, as our material has pointed out, is a
schismatic and untenable position. Some
months back Perez bolted a picture of John Paul II back up at his church! Perez was also ordained by a Bishop who was
made a Bishop in the New Rite of Consecration, which is doubtfully valid. This means that Perez cannot be considered a
validly ordained priest. Perez also
denies the dogma that only baptized Catholics can be saved and attacks those
who hold to it. He is an evil heretic and a complete schismatic who, if he
recognizes the Vatican II Antipopes and their Bishops, must be in communion
with them, which he is not. Perez was
mentioned, along with the heretic Dr. Droleskey, in our article entitled
“Various heresies from the false traditionalists in The Remnant” in the Beware
section of our website. Here are a few
excerpts in which we see their profound hypocrisy:
The Heretics Dr. Thomas Droleskey and
“Fr.” Patrick Perez
Thomas
Droleskey used to be one of those “neo-Catholics” The Remnant now criticizes.
Now, after years of admitted blindness, Droleskey has come to the “full
side” of “tradition.” After years of
obstinate blindness and defense of the apostasy, he is now telling us all about
it and what we should think of it. In
the recent issue of The Remnant, he
writes an article called “Do Not Lay Hands on a Man Rashly: The Problem with
Homemade Priests and Do-It-Yourself Bishops.”
He is criticizing independent Bishops who are consecrated independently
of the John Paul II hierarchy. You see,
Droleskey and the heretics at The Remnant
want to keep people in union with the apostate, Christ-denying,
Council-of-Trent-denying, Council-of-Florence-denying, and Papacy-denying
Bishops of the Vatican II sect – EXCEPT
WHEN IT COMES TO THE SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X!
In
his article, Droleskey chastises an independent priest named Fr. Fama because
Fr. Fama got ordained and consecrated by an independent Bishop who had Old
Catholic roots. When Fr. Fama was
ordained and consecrated by this independent Bishop, the Bishop professed to be
Roman Catholic, not Old Catholic. (I’m
not asserting that Fr. Fama or the Bishop who consecrated him are true
Catholics; that is beside the point).
The point is that the heretic Droleskey does not hesitate to indicate
that Fama is not a Catholic, but a schismatic on the road to hell.
Thomas Droleskey, The
Remnant, August 31, 2004, p. 15: “One who commits such a schismatic act can
be absolved of his excommunicable offense only by the Holy See. 7) The mere fact that one does not intend to
commit a schismatic act does not take away the fact of such an act… One can
no sooner absolve oneself of the effects of a schismatic act than one can
presume to be ‘saved’ by making a profession of faith in his heart and on his
lips in the Lord Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.”
So,
we see that Droleskey is playing hardball with Fr. Fama. Fr. Fama is a schismatic, according to him,
even if he didn’t intend to be. He is no
more a Catholic than one can be saved by faith alone, according to
Droleskey.