The Communion Of Saints

My Dear Readers: This week's post is by Lee. On Thanksgiving, I was grateful for his contributions to my blog! It allowed me to have time with my family and friends and catch up on work. The post, like Lee's last contribution, is an excellent and edifying piece. This month of November began with the Feast of All Saints. Let's end it with meditating on the importance of saints in our lives and how each of us must strive to become a saint himself/herself! 

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo.

I Believe in the Communion of Saints

By Lee

In my freshman year of high school, some time ago, a reality check came over me that  was not expected. Frustrated with the amusements of watching football, the contradictions of celebrity lifestyles, and the unimportant things my friends talked about at school, I decided to do something one day which I was not in my habit of doing. In my boredom and on a whim, I went over to my father's book case and thumbed through a few of his books, many of which were not interesting to me at the time. Looking for something that would satisfy my excitement, a book somewhat hidden appeared. On the front it said, Picture Book of Saints. It was a kids book.

Sadly, I knew nothing about any of the saints, nor did I pay much attention in Sunday school class as to who my confirmation saint (St. Anthony of Padua) was other than liking his name. Being ashamed, I started reading the short descriptions of his life and after finishing up, the interest kept growing. After reading a few other saints lives, I became even more curious and eventually read the whole book.

The questions dawned on me. Why am I following athletes, celebrities, or friends in my local community instead of striving to pursue living like the lives of the saints? Where will those heroes of mine go once this life is over? How will they be judged? What do they have to show for before Almighty God? Why aren't they teaching us this at Church or Sunday school? At this point it was clear to me that I have two choices (like we all do); live for this world and most likely be damned forever, or live for God and hopefully get to heaven--like the saints.

Since the saints have had such an effect on my life and my conversion from the beginning, I want to explain why it is an insult to them and the Catholic Church either to believe in Vatican II sect so-called saints or to reject the Church's canonization process as being infallible.  

Church teaching on saints.

According to the Twenty-Fifth Session of the Council of Trent:

The holy Synod enjoins on all bishops, and others who sustain the office and charge of teaching, that, agreeably to the usage of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, received from the primitive times of the Christian religion, and agreeably to the consent of the holy Fathers, and to the decrees of sacred Councils, they especially instruct the faithful diligently concerning the intercession and invocation of saints; the honor (paid) to relics; and the legitimate use of images: teaching them, that the saints, who reign together with Christ, offer up their own prayers to God for men; that it is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, (and) help for obtaining benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is our alone Redeemer and Savior; but that they think impiously, who deny that the saints, who enjoy eternal happiness in Heaven, are to be invocated; or who assert either that they do not pray for men; or, that the invocation of them to pray for each of us even in particular, is idolatry; or, that it is repugnant to the word of God; and is opposed to the honor of the one mediator of God and men, Christ Jesus; or, that it is foolish to supplicate, vocally, or mentally, those who reign in Heaven. 

Also, that the holy bodies of holy martyrs, and of others now living with Christ,-which bodies were the living members of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Ghost, and which are by Him to be raised unto eternal life, and to be glorified, are to be venerated by the faithful; through which (bodies) many benefits are bestowed by God on men; so that they who affirm that veneration and honor are not due to the relics of saints; or, that these, and other sacred monuments, are uselessly honored by the faithful; and that the places dedicated to the memories of the saints are in vain visited with the view of obtaining their aid; are wholly to be condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned, and now also condemns them.

Moreover, that the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be had and retained particularly in temples, and that due honor and veneration are to be given them; not that any divinity, or virtue, is believed to be in them, on account of which they are to be worshiped; or that anything is to be asked of them; or, that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old done by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols; but because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which those images represent; in such wise that by the images which we kiss, and before which we uncover the head, and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ; and we venerate the saints, whose similitude they bear: as, by the decrees of Councils, and especially of the second Synod of Nicaea, has been defined against the opponents of images.

And the bishops shall carefully teach this,-that, by means of the histories of the mysteries of our Redemption, portrayed by paintings or other representations, the people is instructed, and confirmed in (the habit of) remembering, and continually revolving in mind the articles of faith; as also that great profit is derived from all sacred images, not only because the people are thereby admonished of the benefits and gifts bestowed upon them by Christ, but also because the miracles which God has performed by means of the saints, and their salutary examples, are set before the eyes of the faithful; that so they may give God thanks for those things; may order their own lives and manners in imitation of the saints; and may be excited to adore and love God, and to cultivate piety. But if any one shall teach, or entertain sentiments, contrary to these decrees; LET HIM BE ANATHEMA...

In fine, let so great care and diligence be used herein by bishops, as that there be nothing seen that is disorderly, or that is unbecomingly or confusedly arranged, nothing that is profane, nothing indecorous, seeing that holiness becometh the house of God.

And that these things may be the more faithfully observed, the holy Synod ordains, that no one be allowed to place, or cause to be placed, any unusual image, in any place, or church, howsoever exempted, except that image have been approved of by the bishop: also, that no new miracles are to be acknowledged, or new relics recognized, unless the said bishop has taken cognizance and approved thereof; who, as soon as he has obtained some certain information in regard to these matters, shall, after having taken the advice of theologians, and of other pious men, act therein as he shall judge to be consonant with truth and piety. But if any doubtful, or difficult abuse has to be extirpated; or, in fine, if any more grave question shall arise touching these matters, the bishop, before deciding the controversy, shall await the sentence of the metropolitan and of the bishops of the province, in a provincial Council; yet so, that nothing new, or that previously has not been usual in the Church, shall be resolved on, without having first consulted the most holy Roman Pontiff.

The problem with Vatican II sect "saints."

Vatican II sect "saints," such as John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Sr. Faustina etc. all have something in common; their lives were the exact opposite of actual saints.

Could anybody imagine for one moment Pope St. Pius X being praised for tolerating or even hobnobbing with Modernists? Or Pope St. Leo the Great telling Atilla the Hun in his famous meeting with him that he and his clan could continue worshiping their deities and taking advice from their soothsayers, while striking a deal for peace? Or St. Peter praying with Simon the magician, for the sake of performing miracles? Or St. Clare of Assisi making an attempt to tell the Moors (Moslems) getting ready to attack her town the same thing Lumen Gentium #16 says, "But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind"? 

Could any real Catholic imagine St. Margaret Mary Alacoque claiming that Jesus said this to her "My Will is dearer to you than life. That is why I am uniting Myself with you so intimately as with no other creature... or From today on, do not fear God’s judgment, for you will not be judged... Or after receiving communion say Jesus transform me into another host!…. You are a great and all-powerful Lord; you can grant me this favor.  And the Lord answered me, ‘You are a living host.’”

Can anybody fathom putting relics such as St. Francis Xavier's stole with John Paul II's Zoroastrian stole in the same Church, or a Missale Romanum used by St. Alphonsus Liguori placed next to a Koran kissed by John Paul II? Could anybody in their right mind conceive of the idea of putting relics of the True Cross next to the ephod worn by Paul VI? Or how about dedicating a whole new feast day after Easter called Divine Mercy Sunday as a replacement of Low Sunday?

Those who are so lost inside the new religion will probably see nothing wrong with the above mentioned examples if those saints were to do such things, but that is because they are the blind leading the blind. Only Vatican II sect "saints" do such things because it's in accordance with the "spirit of (Robber Council) Vatican II." 

On the flip side, there are many who don't believe they are saints (and rightly so) but nevertheless believe the Vatican II "popes" are true popes and that the Vatican II sect is simultaneously the Catholic Church (wrongfully so). They maintain that canonizations are not infallible because they know if they admit such, it would contradict their beliefs. Regardless of the arguments, if the new sect was the Catholic Church (as they believe) then the literal implication would mean that you may or may not believe whether a person is in fact a saint despite whether the Church says so or not.

Three problems with this:

1. Not only are saints honored and prayed to, but they (along with their relics) are venerated at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The same people who deny the infallibility of the canonization of saints are also the same people who hate the Novus Bogus "mass," but consider it to be valid. If the Novus Ordo Mass is valid and it was John Paul II's feast day (Oct. 22), then it would be a matter which would affect the whole Church, since he would be honored by the whole Church in the liturgy. This would lead not only to impiety at the so-called Mass itself, but encourage faithlessness in the authority of the Church for allowing such a monstrosity. 

The Council of Trent says: 

CANON V.--If any one saith, that it is an imposture to celebrate masses in honor of the saints, and for obtaining their intercession with God, as the Church intends; let him be anathema. 

CANON VII.--If any one saith, that the ceremonies, vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church makes use of in the celebration of masses, are incentives to impiety, rather than offices of piety; let him be anathema  

2. If some people in "the Church" believe in the Vatican II saints, and others do not, where is the first Mark of Oneness of the Church or the Unity of Faith? Who is suppose to believe who and how would the faithful know what to believe, when everybody would hold a different opinion?

3. How could anybody not believing in the Vatican II sect saints and at the same time say it's "the Church" not be lying to themselves when they say in the Creed "I believe in the Communion saints?"

Pre-Vatican II Jesuit theologian Fr. Joachim Salaverri explains Church’s teaching on the infallibility of canonizations:

…the end of the infallible Magisterium demands those things that are necessary in order to direct the faithful without error to salvation through the correct worship [=veneration] and imitation of the examples of Christian virtues. But for such a purpose infallibility concerning decrees on the Canonization of Saints is necessary.

[This] is certain, because by the solemn decrees of the Canonization of Saints the Church not only tolerates and permits, but also commends and instructs the whole flock of the faithful that certain definite Saints whom it canonizes are to be honored, and it proposes them as examples of virtue who are worthy of imitation. But the mere possibility of error in such a solemn declaration would take away all confidence from the faithful and fundamentally would destroy the whole cult of the Saints; because [then] it could happen that the Church would solemnly propose to all and mandate that condemned and evil men perpetually should be honored. Therefore, in order to direct the faithful without error to salvation through correct worship and imitation of the examples of Christian virtues, infallibility is necessary concerning the solemn decrees of the Canonization of Saints.

(See Fr. Joachim Salaverri, Sacrae Theologiae Summa IB: On the Church of Christ, trans. by Fr. Kenneth Baker [original Latin published by BAC, [1955]). 

Conclusion

The Catholic Church has always had the authority and protection from the Holy Ghost to declare anybody it deems fit to truly be in Heaven with God and His angels as saints. When we say "I believe in the communion of saints," we not only believe in the Church's power to declare them such, but also believe in their powerful intercession on our behalf, the miracles they have (or can) perform if it be God's Will, and that they make up the Church Triumphant in Heaven due to their virtuous life on earth. We also venerate them and honor their memory.

The New (Novus Ordo) Church, Vatican II sect, Conciliar Church, The Counterfeit Church, or as Joe Biden would probably call it, "The thing," not only loves to mingle with other religions but also mingle false saints with true ones, which is of Anti-Christ. Those in the R&R position need to humble themselves like the true saints known to them and abandon the false "Church" which is none other than an ape church. This is not only what a real Catholic would do, but also a saint.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.