CAPG's Blog 

Saint Catherine of Siena, Wake Forest NC ©VP

"The United States of America is a thoroughly secularized society which canonizes radical individualism and relativism, even before the natural moral law. The application, therefore, is more necessary than ever, lest the faithful, led astray by the strong cultural trends of relativism, be deceived concerning the supreme good of the Holy Eucharist and the gravity of supporting publicly the commission of intrinsically evil acts. Catholics in public office bear an especially heavy burden of responsibility to uphold the moral law in the exercise of their office which is exercised for the common good, especially the good of the innocent and defenseless. When they fail, they lead others, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to be deceived regarding the evils of procured abortion and other attacks on innocent and defenseless human life, on the integrity of human procreation, and on the family.

As Pope John Paul II reminded us, referring to the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the Holy Eucharist contains the entire good of our salvation [91]. There is no responsibility of the Church's shepherds which is greater than that of teaching the truth about the Holy Eucharist, celebrating worthily the Holy Eucharist, and directing the flock in the worship and care of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Can. 915 of the Code of Canon Law and can. 712 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches articulate an essential element of the shepherds' responsibility, namely, the perennial discipline of the Church by which the minister of Holy Communion is to deny the Sacrament to those who obstinately persevere in manifest grave sin."

Source: The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin by Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke, 2007 EWTN

What medium is to be observed by a priest between a severe and a lax morality?

There have been priests in every age who have decided this question according to their own fancy and inclination, and priests will continue to do so in the future. There will always be doctors and preachers and directors of souls who, yielding to the prejudices and tastes of the age, or desirous of gaining the good will of individuals, or ambitious to make a name, will change the teachings of the Church, making easy or burdensome the yoke of the Lord; as if it were their right to broaden or make narrow the way to heaven; as if it were their privilege to substitute the changing and fallible opinions of men for the infallible and changeless law of the Gospel of Christ.

(...)

A good priest is certainly not a man who follows the mode of the world and its fashions; he is a man who is loyal to truth and loves order. The truth, then, is this, that laxity and severity are two extremes, both equally bad and dangerous and both skirting along the edge of the precipice.

And first laxity. It is condemned in every page of Holy Writ. Did not our Lord say: Narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leads to life? and again: I came not to send peace upon earth, but the sword? And does not He command what is hard and a trial to flesh and blood? To cleanse the heart of whatever is a snare to it and defiles it, to submit to humiliations, to deny oneself in all things, to return good for evil, to carry the Cross daily- this, in short, is the morality taught by Jesus Christ. This is but saying that the life of a Christian is a life of mortification and self-denial, and that to be a Christian in any true sense one must be generous and courageous, ready to struggle and willing to make war upon oneself and conquer. For this reason the Holy Council of Trent warns ministers of the Sanctuary against that excessive indulgence which causes sinners to slumber on in their sins and against becoming accomplices in disorders which they should combat and correct.

To wish to adjust the teachings of the Gospel to the solicitations of human passion, instead of subjecting human passion to the teaching of the Gospel; to set up principles from which deductions can be drawn indulgent to human nature, ever averse to mortification and self-sacrifice, is to open wide the door to laxity, to create false consciences and to cause the loss of souls under pretext of tranquilizing them. Woe to you who deceive the people, scatter lies and call them oracles; Woe to you who lead them astray and allow them to slumber on in false security! My hand shall be heavy upon you; the corruption of your false maxims shall be visited upon your heads, and in the end you shall know that I am the Lord. ( Ezechiel vi. 13.)

Next, severity. Faith and a decent respect for one-self will be enough to restrain one from disseminating in public or teaching privately a lax morality which is clearly in opposition to the spirit of the Gospel. But this is not true in regard to severity. An excessive severity flatters vanity and gains a reputation for sanctity. A priest who openly parades himself as one of austere life is reputed mortified and a man of irreproachable morals. This was the artifice made use of by the Scribes and Pharisees to lead the people astray and poison their minds with error. A stately walk, and imperious tone of voice, a cold and mortified exterior, long prayers, ceaseless censure of the most innocent actions, a haughty scorn of publicans and sinners, all this but served as a mask for their hypocrisy and was a fitting expression of the severe maxims which they disseminated. Their teaching were an additional burden, and made almost unbearable the already weighty and galling yoke of the Hebrew law. They laid upon others burdens which they themselves were unwilling to bear, and which they would not so much as touch with a finger's tip.

This is why the Lamb of God, who was so gentle and tender to others, who pardoned the woman taken in adultery, who had not even a harsh word for Judas who betrayed Him, nor for the executioners who crucified Him, had for the Scribes and Pharisees only words of scorn and anathema: WOE TO YOU!

And why was our Lord so severe upon them? because God is essentially loving and the Father of mercy, and nothing is so injurious to Him as to represent Him as a gloomy and terrible Master, ever armed with thunderbolts to annihilate us. It is, therefore, beyond all question that nothing is more detrimental to souls than to exaggerate the difficulty of being saved, and to put on grace a higher estimate than that put upon it by our Savior Himself. And after all, His ministers are but the interpreters of His law. If, on the one had, they are forbidden to conceal or disguise its true import and meaning or make it ineffective by unwarranted indulgence, they are, on the other, equally forbidden to render it odious and intolerable by culpable exaggeration.

(...)

It is necessary to keep a middle course between these two rocks and while avoiding one not get wrecked on the other. But to do this an exact and precise knowledge of the doctrine of Jesus Christ is necessary, in order to transmit it to the people just as He brought it from heaven, and just as the Church transmits it to us, without adding to it or taking from it a single iota.

Source: Jesus living in the priest : considerations on the greatness and holiness of the priesthood, by Rev. Millet S.J. 1901

What father, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (Mt 7:9)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great sadness that we learned of Pope Francis’ decision to abrogate the main provisions of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI on July 7, 2007. After decades of divisions and quarrels, that Motu Proprio was, for all the Catholic faithful, a work of peace and reconciliation.

Rome violates the word given by Pope Benedict XVI with brutality and intransigence, far from the much vaunted fraternal welcoming.

The explicit will of Pope Francis, stated in the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes, of July 16, 2021, is to see the celebration of the Mass of the Tradition of the Church disappear. This decision drives us to great dismay. How can we understand this rupture with the traditional Missal, a “venerable and ancient” actualization of the “law of faith,” which has bore fruit through so many nations, so many missionaries, and so many saints? What harm is done by the faithful who simply want to pray as their ancestors had done for centuries? Can we be unaware that the Tridentine Mass converts many souls, that it attracts young and fervent assemblies, that it arouses many vocations, that it has given rise to seminaries, religious communities, monasteries, that it is the backbone of many schools, youth groups, catechism activities, spiritual retreats, and pilgrimages?

Many of you, Catholic brothers and sisters, priests, and bishops, have shared with us your failure to understand this and your deep sorrow: thank you for your many testimonies of support.

To promote peace within the Church, in order to build unity in charity, and also to lead Catholics to reconnect with their own heritage by making as many people as possible discover the riches of liturgical tradition, the treasure of the Church: those were the goals pursued by Summorum Pontificum. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI witnesses his work for reconciliation destroyed during his own lifetime.

In a time steeped in materialism and torn by social and cultural divisions, liturgical peace appears to us as an absolute necessity for the Faith and for the spiritual life of Catholics in a world that is dying of thirst. The drastic restriction of the authorization to celebrate Mass in its traditional form will bring back mistrust, doubt, and it heralds the return of an agonizing liturgical war for the Christian people.

We solemnly affirm, before God and before men: 

We will not let anyone deprive the faithful of this treasure which is first of all that of the Church. 

We will not remain inactive in the face of the spiritual suffocation of vocations laid forth in the Motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. 

We will not deprive our children of this privileged means of transmitting the faith which is faithfulness to the traditional liturgy.

As children to their father, we request Pope Francis to reverse his decision, by abrogating Traditionis Custodes and restoring full freedom to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, for the glory of God and the good of the faithful. 

Bread rather than stones.

 September 8, 2021, 

on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Signatories:

Bernard Antony, Président de l' AGRIF
Xavier Arnaud, Forum catholique
Victor Aubert, Président d'Academia Christiana
Moh-Christophe Bilek, Notre Dame de Kabylie
François Billot de Lochner, Président Fondation de Service politique
Benjamin Blanchard, Délégué général de SOS Chrétiens d'Orient
Anne Brassié, Journaliste et écrivain
Jacques Charles-Gaffiot, Historien d'art
Thibaud Collin, Professeur agrégé de philosophie
Laurent Dandrieu, Journaliste
Yves Daoudal, Journaliste - Directeur de Blog
Marie-Pauline Deswarte, Docteur en Droit
Stéphane Deswarte, Docteur en Chimie
Cyrille Dounot, Docteur en droit, licencié en droit canonique
Alvino-Mario Fantini, The European Conservative
Claude Goyard, Professeur des universités
Max Guazzini, Avocat
Michael Hageböck, Summorum Pontificum Freiburg
Maike Hickson, Docteur en Littérature, écrivain
Robert Hickson, Professeur, écrivain
Michel De Jaeghere, Journaliste et essayiste
Marek Jurek, Ancien pdt de la Diète de Pologne
Peter Kwasnieswki Ecrivain
Philippe Lauvaux, ULB Paris Assas
Pierre de Lauzun, Haut fonctionnaire Ecrivain
Massimo de Leonardis, President International Commission of Military History
Anne le Pape, Journaliste
Christian Marquant, Président de Paix Liturgique
Michael Matt, The Remnant
Roberto de Mattei, Ancien président du CNR (CNRS italien)
Jean-Pierre Maugendre, Renaissance Catholique
Philippe Maxence, Rédacteur en Chef de L'Homme Nouveau
Charles de Meyer, Président de SOS Chrétiens d'Orient
Paweł Milcarek, Christianitas
Jean-Marie Molitor, Journaliste
Martin Mosebach, Ecrivain
Hugues Petit, Docteur en Droit
Philippe Pichot-Bravard, Docteur en Droit
Jean-Baptiste Pierchon, Docteur en Droit
Hervé Rolland, Vice-Président de ND de Chrétienté
Reynald Secher, Historien
Jean Sévillia, Journaliste, Historien, Ecrivain
Henri Sire, Ecrivain, compositeur, chercheur
Jeanne Smits, Journaliste - Directrice de Blog
Jean de Tauriers, Président de Notre Dame de Chrétienté
Guillaume de Thieulloy, Editeur de presse
Jérôme Triomphe, Avocat
Philippe de Villiers, Ancien ministre, écrivain

Source: Rorate Caeli , Liturgy Guy et Forum Catholique

"This glorious title of Co-Redemptress, and that of Mediatrix of all graces ,which it implies, have been given her by the latest popes. On February 2nd, 1904, Pius X wrote in the encyclical Ad Diem: "In virtue of the communion of sorrows and of will which attached her to Christ, Mary wanted to become the worthy Reparatrix of the fallen world, an din consequence the Dispenser of all the graces Jesus acquired for us by His bloody death...Because she surpasses all other creatures by her sanctity and by her union with Christ, and because she was called by Christ to participate in the work of our salvation, she merits for us de congruo, as the expression is, what Christ has merited for us de condigno, and she is the first steward in the dispensing of graces."

Benedict XV writes similarly, March 22nd, 1918:"When her Son suffered and died, she so to say suffered and died with Him, renouncing for the salvation of men and the appeasement of the justice of God her maternal rights over he Son - and immolating her Son, as much as in her lay, so that we are entitled to say that she, with Christ, has redeemed the human race."

And Pius XI writes, February 2nd, 1923:" The Virgin of Sorrows participated with Christ in the work of the Redemption." The actual word Co-Redemptrix appears in two decrees of the Holy Office, dated June 26th, 1913, and January 22nd, 1914."

The consent Our Lady gave to the mystery of the Cross was already contained in the Fiat she had uttered to the angel.

 Speaking of this totally free acceptance Leo XIII quotes the great sentence of St. Thomas Aquinas according to which at the instant of the Annunciation, God waited for the Virgin to utter the consent of the human race in its entirety; "and he adds that in consequence none of that immense treasure of grace and truth which the Lord has brought us is communicated to us apart from Mary. He calls her our Mediatrix with the Mediator."

As we may see, the mystery of the Redemption stands in the Church like as great tree of doctrine which never ceases to flower.

Source: Our Lady of Sorrows, by Fr. Journet, Sheed, SJ 1939

For carrying on divine worship, ruling the Church, and administering the sacraments, a priesthood is required, and it belongs to God alone to institute the priesthood.

In the Old Law, God chose and raise to the priesthood Aaron, his children and their descendants, and they were to be assisted in their priestly functions by the members of the tribe of Levi; and thus the priesthood was transmitted to posterity simply by family descent. In the New Law the means instituted by Christ for the transmission of the priesthood was not by limiting to one family or tribe, but by having the sacrament of holy orders conferred on those Christians whom the Apostles and their successors should see fit to choose among the baptized and who are willing to be ordained.

Holy orders, then, is a sacrament by which bishops, priests, and other ministers of the Church are ordained, and receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties.

The sacramental character of holy orders is manifest in Holy Scripture. St. Paul, in his epistles to St. Timothy, says: "Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood." (1 St. Timothy iv 14.) "I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands." (2 St. Timothy i. 6).

Here we have all the essentials of a sacrament - the outward sign - the inward grace annexed - and divine appointment; for, as we have before said, God alone can make outward signs to be means of grace.

Source: The Glories of the Catholic Church: The Catholic Christian Instructed in Defense of His Faith, Volume 1. 1895

A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology

"The claim to “be transgender” or the desire to seek “transition” rests on a mistaken view of the human person, rejects the body as a gift from God, and leads to grave harm. To affirm someone in an identity at odds with biological sex or to affirm a person's desired “transition” is to mislead that person. It involves speaking and interacting with that person in an untruthful manner. Although the law of gradualness ¹⁸ might prompt us to discern the best time to communicate the fullness of the truth, in no circumstances can we confirm a person in error. 

Indeed, there is ample evidence that “gender affirmation” not only does not resolve a person's struggles but also can in fact exacerbate them. The acceptance and/or approval of a person's claimed transgender identity is particularly dangerous in the case of children, whose psychological development is both delicate and incomplete. First and foremost, a child needs to know the truth: He or she has been created male or female, forever. Affirming a child's distorted self-perception or supporting a child's desire to “be” someone other than the person (male or female) God created, gravely misleads and confuses the child about “who” he or she is.  

In addition, “gender-affirming” medical or surgical interventions cause significant, even irreparable, bodily harm to children and adolescents. These include the use of puberty blockers (in effect, chemical castration) to arrest the natural psychological and physical development of a healthy child, cross-sex hormones to induce the development of opposite-sex, secondary sex characteristics, and surgery to remove an adolescent's healthy breasts, organs, and/or genitals. These kinds of interventions involve serious mutilations of the human body, and are morally unacceptable. 

Although some advocates justify “gender affirmation” as necessary to reduce the risk of suicide, such measures appear to offer only temporary psychological relief, and suicidal risks remain significantly elevated following gender-transitioning measures.¹⁹  

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to claims that “gender transition” will resolve their difficulties. Long-term studies show “higher rates of mortality, suicidal behavior and psychiatric morbidity in gender-transitioned individuals compared to the general population.” ^20/21 In addition, studies show that children and adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria have high rates of comorbid mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, are three to four times more likely to be on the autism spectrum, and are more likely to have suffered from adverse childhood events, including unresolved loss or trauma or abuse.²² Psychotherapeutic treatments that incorporate “ongoing therapeutic work … to address unresolved trauma and loss, the maintenance of subjective well-being, and the development of the self,” along with established treatments addressing suicidal ideation are appropriate interventions.²³ Gender transition is not the solution.  

Indeed, to disregard or withhold information about the harms of pursuing “transition” or about the benefits of alternative, psychotherapeutic treatments constitutes a failure in both justice and charity. "

{..}

"The faithful should avoid using “gender-affirming” terms or pronouns that convey approval of or reinforce the person's rejection of the truth. It is not harsh or judgmental to decline to use such language. In the broader culture, Catholics may experience significant pressure to adopt culturally-approved terminology. However, in no circumstances should anyone be compelled to use language contrary to the truth. The right to speak the truth inheres in the human person and cannot be taken away by any human institution. Attempts by the state, corporations, or employers to compel such language, particularly by threats of legal action or job loss, are unjust. We must love in the truth, and truth must be accurately conveyed by our words. At the same time, clarity must always be at the service of charity, as part of a broader desire to move people towards the fullness of the truth. "

From the Forum Catholique:

Translate by CAPG:

A new book by Cardinal Robert SARAH on the priest in Italian, soon to be translated into French and other languages... In the service of the truth - Priesthood and ascetic life

Author's intention:

"I am convinced that at the heart of the crisis of the Church is a crisis of the priesthood. Priests have been stripped of their identity. They have been made to believe that they should be efficient men. But a priest is fundamentally a continuator among us of the presence of Christ. He should not be defined by what he does, but by what he is: ipse Christus, Christ himself...In this book (Le soir approche et déjà le jour baisse), I wanted to encourage priests. I wanted to tell them: love your priesthood! Be proud to be crucified with Christ! Do not be afraid of the hatred of the world! I wanted to say my affection as a father and brother for the priests of the whole world!...All of you, priests and religious, hidden and forgotten, you whom society sometimes despises, you who are faithful to the promises of your ordination, you make the powers of this world tremble! You remind them that nothing resists the strength of the gift of your life for the Truth. Your presence is unbearable for the Prince of lies. You are not the defenders of an abstract truth or of a party. You have decided to suffer for love of the Truth, for Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Robert Sarah - Excerpts from the presentation of the book : The evening is approaching and already the day is dwindling - French Institute-St. Louis Center of France - Rome- Monday, May 14, 2019

SITE: La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana

Zealous, generous, virile: what Cardinal Sarah wants to say to priests

10-06-2021

"He does not delegate his formation to social networks, he does not laze in bed until 11 a.m., he does good reading, he increases his faith, he is interested in the eternal destiny of his children, he defends his wife, the Church, against attacks with virility, He doesn't let himself be used as a puppet on talk shows, he preserves the liturgy and doesn't invent it because he knows that his task is to reproduce the liturgy that exists in Heaven and he calls himself a "gift" because he exercises a responsibility. And from time to time he empties his bank account to experience Providence, to help the poor and to feel like a family every 27th of the month. The identity of the true priest according to Cardinal Sarah. His latest book, "At the Service of Truth", is released today.

What must a priest have to be a true man of God? The question is not insignificant, because we are living in times of profound crisis of the priesthood, caught between the risk of functionalism and the temptations of the world. According to Cardinal Robert Sarah, zeal for souls cannot fail a consecrated person. What is zeal? The Prefect Emeritus of Divine Worship himself explained it during the spiritual exercises of the Summorum Pontificum priestly fraternity held in February 2020, shortly before the lockdown disrupted the lives of priests: "Zeal is interest. A person is only as zealous as someone or something that really interests him. Zeal for souls, then, is the interest that the pastor must have in the eternal salvation of the sheep entrusted to his care."

With such a criterion, it would be enough to sketch out one's pastor or confessor: is this man really interested in me and my eternal salvation?

Sarah's words to the priests of MS Friendship have become a book that is being released today by Fede & Cultura. At the Service of Truth. Priesthood and ascetic life, is the title of the book that collects the meditations made by the former prefect to the priestly sodality who edited, through Father Vincenzo Nuara, the introduction. (HERE to order)

It is a book on the priesthood, or rather, a guide to the priesthood. Intended for priests, but also suitable for lay people, so that they can recognize if something is missing in their priests, or what aspect they would like to see better developed in them. Or even to help them work their way through what might be the modern temptations of parish priests.

Sarah lists some of them with insight and knowledge of the subject: first of all, there is the education received because "priests often did not receive a solid human, affective and religious education in the family, they were not educated in faith or in the value of renunciation and sacrifice and this often has repercussions in many aspects of the ministry.

The second temptation is organization: "There are priests who get up at 11 a.m. and close the church in the morning, others who stay up late at night, and still others who waste their time. The third is the haphazard use of the internet: "If we allow the internet to replace our thinking and responsibility for discernment, then we become automatons in the hands of others." The danger, according to Sarah, "is that the net will destroy our brains and make us someone else's puppets."

A fourth temptation to sin for the priest is his insufficient or unhealthy theological and doctrinal preparation: "Sound doctrine is necessary and greatly helps the priest to avoid occasions of sin. It is the duty of the priest to read and study, but to read and study good books, books that help him."

This leads to zeal, which is precisely that interest in the soul entrusted to him. Sarah asked participants in spiritual exercises, "Do we have zeal for souls? Are we interested in their eternal destiny? How sad it is that so many souls may be lost because of the coldness, the indifference of those who have been commissioned to cooperate with God in their salvation! We may not care about souls, but Christ does! For us, in fact, souls have cost nothing, but Christ has paid dearly for them!"

The zealous priest must put himself in the front line to defend his flock, and he "worries about whether the cultural and ideological currents of our time do not risk polluting the souls of his flock: especially the souls of the youngest."

But zeal is not born spontaneously, but only from faith. It is brought back to it. The book deals for many pages with the aspect of faith and what happens when the priest lacks it.

There is a passage that captures the idea of faith and Providence that a priest, according to Sarah, must have. It is a faith of total abandonment, which we often take for granted in a man of the Church, but which is not. To shake them up, Sarah even goes so far as to use significant hyperbole, which has nothing to do with pauperism, but is really an exercise in trust, borrowing the words heard from a bishop to his priests: "From time to time, reset your bank account to zero. Take whatever you have and give it to the poor or to repair the church or to buy dignified vestments and sacred vessels. Reset your bank account. You will experience what so many people do who live in hope that the 27th of the month will come soon, when their salary or pension will be paid. Thousands of families live this way and perhaps have a greater sense of Providence than many priests who keep quiet because they have a lot of money to spend.

Sarah denounces the "Protestant spirituality that has penetrated many priests" and the "emotionalism" that many need to "feel something," which leads them to distort and appropriate the liturgy. "This is a sentimental drift, while on the contrary, holiness is not a state of mind, but an objective fact" because "the liturgy is that: to give back to God the primacy and to adore him on our knees. An anthropocentric liturgy would be a decentralized liturgy, the task of divine worship is to reproduce on earth the heavenly liturgy of the angels and saints.

He then reminds us that a priest must have "manliness." "Manly psychology," he says, citing the example of St. Joseph, "consists in taking charge of a family and providing for it.

The priest "must be a father to his faithful, never a friend. Excessive familiarity of the priest with the faithful is always harmful," and in addition to defending his children, the faithful, he must also defend his spouse, the Church, "from the attacks she receives," he adds, warning priests invited to talk shows who "are useful puppets in the hands of those who run show business.

Authoritarian, but never authoritarian. Starting with the name. Sarah condemns the habit of many priests of not calling themselves "Don" or "Father" but only by their baptismal name: "In the midst of Christ's flock, once ordained, we no longer represent ourselves, but Him. To add "father" or "gift" to the name is not a worldly honor, but aims to indicate concretely this fundamental aspect. Thus, the faithful will implicitly remember who we are: ministers of God and of the Church. But not only them: we will also remember! To be called "Father" or "Don", or even to politely ask to be called so, is not a matter of vanity or a search for worldly honors. On the contrary, it is a call to responsibility.

The same is true of the habit of stripping off priestly vestments to put on more comfortable middle-class clothes: "The priest who does not wear the habit, what does he propose to do to approach the people? To evangelize them in order to bring them to Christ, or to blend in with the crowd? Beyond particular cases, we should always be recognized as fathers to our children and as ministers of God and of the Catholic Church to non-Catholics. This is not formalism, it is a matter of substance."

Source: Le forum Catholique

Orders that kept the Seven Steps to the Altar

FSSP

Institute of Christ the King

Institute of the Good Shepherd

Holy Orders:

The power of orders has for its object the real body of Christ our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. The power of jurisdiction refers altogether to the mystical body of Christ. The scope of this power is to govern and rule the Christian people, and lead them to the unending bliss of heaven.

The Powers of Holy Orders

The power of orders not only embraces the power of consecrating the Eucharist, but also fits and prepares the souls of men for its reception. It also embraces all else that can have any reference to the Eucharist. Regarding this power numerous passages of Sacred Scripture may be adduced; but the weightiest and most striking are those which are read in St. John and St. Matthew: "As the Father, says our Lord, hath sent me I also send you... Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained; And: Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven. ((John xx. 21-23; Matt. xviii. 18. 'Heb. vii. 12) These texts, when expounded by pastors, in accordance with the teaching and authority of the Fathers, will throw great light on this truth.

Greatness of this Power

This power far excels that given under the law of nature to certain ones who had charge of sacred things. The period previous to the written law must have had its priesthood and its spiritual power,(According to St. Jerome, Abel and all the first-born were priests (In Tradit. Haebr.) since it is certain that it had its law; for these two, as the Apostle testifies, are so closely connected that if the priesthood is transferred, the law must necessarily be transferred also. Guided, therefore, by a natural instinct, men recognized that God is to be worshiped; and hence it follows that in every nation some, whose power might in a certain sense be called spiritual, were given the care of sacred things and of divine worship.

This power was also possessed by the Jews; but though it was superior in dignity to that with which priests were invested under the law of nature, yet it must be regarded as far inferior to the spiritual power that is found in the New Law. For the latter is heavenly, and surpasses all the power of Angels; it is derived not from the Mosaic priesthood, but from Christ our Lord who was a priest, not according to the order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek.(Heb. vii. II) For He it is who, Himself endowed with the supreme power of granting grace and remitting sins, left to His Church this power, although He limited it in extent and attached it to the Sacraments.

Names of this Sacrament

Hence to exercise this power certain ministers are appointed and solemnly consecrated, which consecration is called the Sacrament of Orders, or Sacred Ordination. The Fathers used this word, which in itself has a most extensive signification, to show the dignity and excellence of God's ministers. In fact, order, when understood in its strict meaning and acceptation, is the arrangement of superior and inferior things so disposed as to stand in mutual relation towards each other. Now as in this ministry there are many grades and various functions, and as all these are disposed and arranged according to a definite plan, the name Order has been well and properly applied to it.

Holy Orders Is a Sacrament

That Sacred Ordination is to be numbered among the Sacraments of the Church, the Council of Trent (Sess. xxiii. cap. 3.) has established by the same line of reasoning as we have already used several times. Since a Sacrament is a sign of a sacred thing, and since the outward action in this consecration denotes the grace and power bestowed on him who is consecrated, it becomes clearly evident that Order must be truly and properly regarded as a Sacrament. Thus the Bishop, handing to him who is being ordained a chalice with wine and water, and a paten with bread, says: “Receive the power of offering sacrifice, etc”. In these words, pronounced along with the application of the matter, the Church has always taught that the power of consecrating the Eucharist is conferred, and that a character is impressed on the soul which brings with it grace necessary for the due and proper discharge of that office, as the Apostle declares thus: I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands; for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.

Number of Orders

Now, to use the words of the holy Council: "The ministry of so sublime a priesthood being a thing all divine, it is but befitting its worthier and more reverent exercise that in the Church's well ordered disposition there should be several different orders of ministers destined to assist the priesthood by virtue of their office; orders arranged in such a way that those who have already received clerical tonsure should be raised, step by step, from the lower to the higher orders."(1 Sess. xxiii. De Ord. c.)

It should be taught, therefore, that these orders are seven in number, and that this has been the constant teaching of the Catholic Church. These orders are those of porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon,deacon and priest.That the number of ministers was wisely established thus may be proved by considering the various offices that are necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the consecration and administration of the Blessed Eucharist, this being the principal scope of their institution.They are divided into major or sacred, and minor orders. The major or sacred orders are priesthood, deaconship and subdeaconship; while the minor orders are those of acolyte, exorcist, lector and porter,concerning each of which we shall now say a few words so that the pastor may be able to explain them to those especially whom he knows to be about to receive any of the orders in question."

Tonsure

In the beginning should be explained first tonsure, and it should be shown that this is a sort of preparation for the reception of orders. As men are prepared for Baptism by exorcisms and for Matrimony by engagement, so to those who dedicate themselves to God by tonsure the way is opened that leads to the Sacrament of Orders; for by the cutting off of hair is signified the character and disposition of him who desires to devote himself to the sacred ministry.

The Name "Cleric"

Regarding the name cleric, which is then given him for the first time, it is derived from the fact that he thereby begins to take the Lord for his lot and inheritance, just as those, who among the Jews were attached to the service of God, were forbidden by the Lord to have any part of the ground that would be distributed in the land of promise:"I, he said, am thy portion and inheritance.(Num. xviii. 20.) And although these words are true of all the faithful, yet it is certain that they apply in a special way to those who consecrate themselves to the service of God.

Origin and Meaning of Tonsure

The hair of the head is cut off in the form of a crown. It should be always worn thus, and should be enlarged according as one is advanced to higher orders. The Church teaches that this usage is derived from Apostolic origin, as mention is made of it by the most ancient and authoritative Fathers, such as St. Denis the Areopagite, St. Augustine and St. Jerome. It is said that the Prince of the Apostles first introduced this usage in memory of the crown of thorns which was put upon our Savior's head, so that the devices resorted to by the impious for the ignominy and torture of Christ might be used by His Apostles as a sign of honor and glory, as well as to signify that the ministers of the Church should strive to resemble Christ our Lord and represent Him in all things.

Some, however, assert that by tonsure is denoted the royal dignity, that is, the portion reserved especially for those who are called to the inheritance of the Lord. It will readily be seen that what the Apostle Peter says of all the faithful: "You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, (i Peter ii. 9.) applies especially and with much greater reason to the ministers of the Church.

Still there are some who consider that by the circle, which is the most perfect of all figures, is signified the profession of a more perfect life undertaken by ecclesiastics; while in view of the fact that the hair of their heads, which is a kind of bodily superfluity, is cut off, others think that it denotes contempt for external things, and detachment of soul from all human cares.

The Minor Orders

Porter

After tonsure it is customary to advance to the first order, which is that of porter. The function (of porter) is to guard the keys and doors of the church, and to allow no one to enter there to whom access has been forbidden. Formerly the porter used to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to see that no one approached too near the altar, or disturbed the priest during the celebration of the divine mysteries.

Other duties were also assigned to him, as may be seen from the ceremonies used at his ordination.

Thus the Bishop, taking the keys from the altar, hands them to him who is being made porter, and says: "Let your conduct be that of one who has to render to God an account of those things that are kept under these keys."

How great was the dignity of this order in the ancient Church may be inferred from a usage which exists in the Church in these times. For the office of treasurer, which is still numbered among the more honorable functions of the Church, was entrusted to porters, and carried with it also the guardianship of the sacristy.

Reader

  The second degree of orders is the office of reader, whose duty it is to read in the church in a clear and distinct voice the books of the Old and of the New Testament, and especially those which are read during the nocturnal psalmody. Formerly it was also his duty to teach the faithful the first rudiments of the Christian religion.

   Hence it is that when ordaining him, the Bishop, in the presence of the people, handing him a book in which are set down all that regards this office, says: "Take, and be you an announcer of the word of God; if you faithfully and profitably discharge your office, you shall have a part with those who from the beginning have well ministered the word of God."

Exorcist

  The third order is that of exorcists, to whom is given the power to invoke the name of the Lord over those who are possessed by unclean spirits. Hence the Bishop when ordaining them presents to them a book in which the exorcisms are contained, and at the same time pronounces this form of words : "Take, and commit to memory, and have the power of imposing hands over the possessed, whether baptized or catechumen."

Acolyte

  The fourth degree is that of acolytes, and it is the last of the orders that are called minor and not sacred. Their duty is to attend and serve the ministers who are in major orders, that is, the deacon and subdeacon, in the Sacrifice of the altar. (The term "acolyte” is taken from the Greek, and means follower or companion.) They also carry and attend to the lights during the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and especially during the reading of the Gospel, from which fact they are also called candle-bearers.

Therefore at the ordination of acolytes the Bishop observes the following rite: First of all he carefully warns them of the nature of their office; then hands to each of them a light, saying: "Receive this candlestick and candle, and remember that henceforth you are given the charge of lighting the candles of the church, in the name of the Lord."

Then he hands them empty cruets in which are presented the wine and water for the Sacrifice, saying: "Receive these cruets to supply wine and water for the Eucharist of Christ's blood, in the name of the Lord."(The four minor orders, as well as the three major orders, are all mentioned in a letter of Pope Cornelius to Fabius of Antioch about the year 250. Individual minor orders are also mentioned by Tertullian, Cyprian and other early Fathers.)

The Major Orders

Subdeacon

From the minor orders, which are not sacred, and of which we have been speaking until now, one lawfully enters and ascends to major and Sacred Orders.

Now the subdiaconate is the first degree of (major orders). Its function, as the name itself indicates, is to serve the deacon at the altar. It is the subdeacon who should prepare the altar-linen, the vessels and the bread and wine necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice. He also it is who presents water to the Bishop or priest when he washes his hands during the Sacrifice of the Mass. It is also the subdeacon who now reads the Epistle which in former times was read at Mass by the deacon. He assists as witness at the Holy Sacrifice, and guards the celebrant from being disturbed by anyone during the sacred ceremonies.

The various duties that pertain to the subdeacon are indicated by the solemn ceremonies used at his ordination. In the first place the Bishop warns him that the obligation of perpetual continence is attached to this order, and declares that no one is to be admitted among the subdeacons who is not ready and willing to accept the obligation in question. Then, after the solemn recitation of the Litanies, the Bishop enumerates and explains the duties and functions of the subdeacon. Thereupon each one of those who are being ordained receives the chalice and sacred paten from the Bishop; and, to show that he is to serve the deacon, the subdeacon receives from the archdeacon cruets filled with wine and water, together with a basin and towel with which to wash and dry the hands. At the same time the Bishop pronounces these words: "See what sort of ministry is entrusted to you; I admonish you, therefore, to show yourself worthy to please God". Other prayers follow, and finally, when the Bishop has clothed the subdeacon with the sacred vestments, for each of which there are special words and ceremonies, he gives him the book of the Epistles, saying: "Receive the book of the Epistles, with power to read them in the Holy Church of God, as well for the living as for the dead". (Subdeacons are mentioned explicitly in the letter of Pope Cornelius referred to above. It cannot be doubted, however, that the subdiaconate is older than the third century.)

Deacon

The second degree of Sacred Orders is that of the deacons,(The word deacon is derived from the Greek, meaning minister), whose functions are much more extensive and have always been regarded as more holy. His duty it is to be always at the side of the Bishop, guard him while he preaches, serve him and the priest during the celebration of the divine mysteries, as well as during the administration of the Sacraments, and to read the Gospel in the Sacrifice of the Mass. In former times he frequently warned the faithful to be attentive to the holy mysteries; he administered our Lord's blood in those churches in which the custom existed that the faithful should receive the Eucharist under both species; and to him was entrusted the distribution of the Church's goods, as well as the duty of providing for all that was necessary to each one's sustenance. To the deacon also, as the eye of the Bishop, it belongs to see who they are in the city that lead a good and holy life, and who not; (The deacons, being in attendance on the Bishop, would naturally be found in the cities. Most churches in the first centuries had only seven deacons, even where the Christian community was large. At Rome Pope Fabian divided the city into seven regions, each of which had its deacon.) who are present at the Holy Sacrifice and sermons at appointed times, and who not; so that he may be able to give an account of all to the Bishop, and enable him to admonish and advise each one privately, or to rebuke and correct publicly, according as he may deem more profitable. He should also read out the list of the catechumens and present to the Bishop those who are to be admitted to orders. Finally in the absence of a Bishop or priest, he can explain the Gospel, but not from the pulpit, thus letting it be seen that this is not his proper office.

The Apostle shows the great care that should be taken that no one unworthy of the diaconate be promoted to this order, when in his Epistle to Timothy 17 he sets forth a deacon's character, virtues and integrity. The same point is also gathered from the rites and solemn ceremonies which the Bishop employs when ordaining him. The Bishop uses more numerous and more solemn prayers at the ordination of a deacon than at that of a subdeacon, and he also adds other kinds of sacred vestments. Moreover, he imposes hands on him, just as we read the Apostles used to do when ordaining the first deacons. Finally, he hands him the book of the Gospels, with these words: "Receive the power to read the Gospel in the Church of God, both for the living and the dead, in the name of the Lord."

Priest

The third and highest degree of all Sacred Orders is the priesthood. The Fathers of the first centuries usually designated those who had received this order by two names. At one time they called them presbyters, a Greek word signifying elders, not only because of the ripe years very necessary for this order, but much more on account of their gravity, knowledge and prudence; for it is written:"Venerable old age is not that of long time, nor counted by the number of years; but the understanding of a man is grey hairs, and an unspotted life is old age." At other times they call them priests, (The word used here in the Latin text is “sacerdos,” which is derived from "sacer,” holy, and "dare," to give.) both because they are consecrated to God, and because to them it belongs to administer the Sacraments and take charge of things sacred and divine.

Two fold Priesthood

But as Sacred Scripture describes a twofold priesthood, one internal and the other external, it will be necessary to have a distinct idea of each to enable pastors to explain the nature of the priesthood now under discussion.

The Internal Priesthood

Regarding the internal priesthood, all the faithful are said to be priests, once they have been washed in the saving waters of Baptism. Especially is this name given to the just who have the Spirit of God, and who, by the help of divine grace, have been made living members of the great High-priest, Jesus Christ; for, enlightened by faith which is inflamed by charity, they offer up spiritual sacrifices to God on the altar of their hearts. Among such sacrifices must be reckoned every good and virtuous action done for the glory of God.

Hence we read in the Apocalypse: Christ hath washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father. In like manner was it said by the Prince of the Apostles:"Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ"; while the Apostle exhorts us "to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service." And long before this David had said: "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise". All this clearly regards the internal priesthood.

The External Priesthood

The external priesthood, on the contrary, does not pertain to the faithful at large, but only to certain men who have been ordained and consecrated to God by the lawful imposition of hands and by the solemn ceremonies of holy Church, and who are thereby devoted to a particular sacred ministry.

This distinction of the priesthood can be seen even in the Old Law. That David spoke of the internal priesthood, we have just shown. On the other hand, everyone knows the many and various precepts given by the Lord to Moses and Aaron regarding the external priesthood. Along with this He appointed the whole tribe of Levi to the ministry of the Temple, and He forbade by law that anyone belonging to another tribe should dare to intrude himself into that function. Hence it was that King Ozias was afflicted with leprosy by the Lord for having usurped the sacerdotal ministry, and had to suffer grave chastisements for his arrogance and sacrilege.

Now as the same distinction (of a twofold) priesthood may be noted in the New Law, the faithful should be cautioned that what we are now about to say concerns that external priesthood which is conferred on certain special individuals. This alone belongs to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Functions of the Priesthood

The office of a priest, then, is to offer Sacrifice to God and to administer the Sacraments of the Church. This is proved by the very ceremonies used at his ordination. When ordaining a priest, the Bishop first of all imposes hands on him, as do all the other priests who are present. Then he puts a stole on his shoulders and arranges it over his breast in the form of a cross, declaring thereby that the priest is clothed with power from on high, enabling him to carry the cross of Christ our Lord and the sweet yoke of God's law, and to inculcate this law not only by words, but also by the example of a most holy and virtuous life.

He next anoints his hands with holy oil, and then gives him the chalice with wine and the paten with a host, saying at the same time: "Receive the power to offer Sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Masses, both for the living and for the dead". By these words and ceremonies the priest is constituted an interpreter and mediator between God and man, which indeed must be regarded as the principal function of the priesthood.

Lastly, placing his hands a second time on the head (of the person ordained the Bishop) says: "Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained, thus communicating to him that divine power of forgiving and retaining sin which was given by our Lord to His disciples. Such, then, are the special and principal functions of the sacerdotal order.

Source: Catechism of the Council of Trent for Parish Priests: Issued by Order of Pope Pius V, 1947

DECREE

This year, in the current circumstances due to the “Covid-19” pandemic, the Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful will be extended throughout the entire month of November, with adaptation of works and conditions to guarantee the safety of the faithful.

This Apostolic Penitentiary has received many petitions from holy Pastors who have asked that this year, due to the “Covid-19” epidemic, pious works be commuted in order to obtain the Plenary Indulgences applicable to souls in Purgatory, in accordance with the Manual of Indulgences (conc. 29, § 1). For this reason, the Apostolic Penitentiary, on the special mandate of His Holiness Pope Francis, willingly establishes and decides that this year, in order to avoid gatherings where they are forbidden:

a.- the Plenary Indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased, even if only mentally, normally established only on the individual days from 1 to 8 November, may be transferred to other days of the same month, until its end. These days, freely chosen by the individual believers, may also be separate from each other;

b- the Plenary Indulgence of 2 November, established on the occasion of the Commemoration of all the deceased faithful for those who piously visit a church or oratory and recite the “Our Father” and the “Creed” there, may be transferred not only to the Sunday before or after or on the day of the Solemnity of All Saints, but also to another day of the month of November, freely chosen by the individual faithful.

The elderly, the sick and all those who for serious reasons cannot leave their homes, for example because of restrictions imposed by the competent authority in this time of the pandemic, in order to prevent numerous faithful from crowding into the holy places, will be able to obtain the Plenary Indulgence as long as they join spiritually with all the other faithful, completely detached from sin and with the intention of complying as soon as possible with the three usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intentions), before an image of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, recite pious prayers for the deceased, for example, Lauds and Vespers of the Office of the Dead, the Marian Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, other prayers for the deceased dearest to the faithful, or occupy themselves in considered reading of one of the Gospel passages proposed by the liturgy of the deceased, or perform a work of mercy by offering to God the sorrows and hardships of their own lives.

For an easier attainment of divine grace through pastoral charity, this Penitentiary earnestly prays that all priests with the appropriate faculties offer themselves with particular generosity to the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and administer Holy Communion to the sick.

However, as far as the spiritual conditions for fully achieving the Indulgence are concerned, it is worth recalling the indications already issued in the “Note on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic” issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary on 19 March 2020.

Finally, since the souls in Purgatory are assisted by the prayers of the faithful and especially by the sacrifice of the Altar to God (cf. Conc. Tr. Sess. XXV, decr. De Purgatorio), all priests are strongly invited to celebrate Holy Mass three times on the day of the Commemoration of all the deceased faithful, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution “Incruentum Altaris“, issued by Pope Benedict XV, of venerable memory, on 10 August 1915.

This Decree is valid throughout the entire month of November, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary.

Given in Rome, from the seat of the Apostolic Penitentiary, on 22 October 2020, memorial of Saint John Paul II.

Maurus Card. Piacenza

Paenitentiarius Maior

"Our need of divine help is as great today as when the great Dominic introduced the use of the Rosary of Mary as a balm for the wounds of his contemporaries.

That great saint indeed, divinely enlightened, perceived that no remedy would be more adapted to the evils of his time than that men should return to Christ, who "is the way, the truth, and the life," by frequent meditation on the salvation obtained for Us by Him, and should seek the intercession with God of that Virgin, to whom it is given to destroy all heresies. He therefore so composed the Rosary as to recall the mysteries of our salvation in succession, and the subject of meditation is mingled and, as it were, interlaced with the Angelic salutation and with the prayer addressed to God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We, who seek a remedy for similar evils, do not doubt therefore that the prayer introduced by that most blessed man with so much advantage to the Catholic world, will have the greatest effect in removing the calamities of our times also. "

Source: On the Devotion of the Rosary (Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, 1883)