Contending For The Faith---Part 4

 

In St. Jude 1:3, we read, "Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." [Emphasis mine]. Contending For The Faith is a series of posts dedicated to apologetics (i.e.,  the intellectual defense of the truth of the Traditional Catholic Faith) to be published the first Monday of each month.  This is the next installment.

Sadly, in this time of Great Apostasy, the faith is under attack like never before, and many Traditionalists don't know their faith well enough to defend it. Remember the words of our first pope, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (1Peter 3:16). There are five (5) categories of attacks that will be dealt with in these posts. Attacks against:

• The existence and attributes of God
• The truth of the One True Church established by Christ for the salvation of all 
• The truth of a particular dogma or doctrine of the Church
• The truth of Catholic moral teaching
• The truth of the sedevacantist position as the only Catholic solution to what has happened since Vatican II 

In addition, controversial topics touching on the Faith will sometimes be featured, so that the problem and possible solutions may be better understood. If anyone had suggestions for topics that would fall into any of these categories, you may post them in the comments. I cannot guarantee a post on each one, but each will be carefully considered.

The RIGHT Rite of Christian Burial

To My Readers: I am out of town on business for several days. Thankfully, Lee has an excellent apologetic of the True Rite of burial vs. the Vatican II sect rite. In this post, he very ably defends the truth of the Church as compared to the falsehood taught and evils given in the sect pretending to be the Catholic Church. Please feel free to comment as usual, and if you want me to respond I shall, but it will take a bit longer this week, so thank you for your patience!

God Bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

In the year 2004, many things took place. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was released, the Iraq war was going on, Facebook was launched by Mark Zuckerberg, the five cross flag of the country of Georgia was restored to use after a 500 year hiatus, The first legal sodomite (same sex) marriage was performed in the state of Massachusetts, Fidel Castro bans transaction of the American dollar in Cuba, Skull and Bones politicians George W Bush and John Kerry ran for American president with Bush winning re-election, and John Paul II gives the relics of St. John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox religion. 

While all this went on throughout the world, something also happened to me. It was my last time to ever actively participate in a Novus Ordo "Mass." It wasn't just any ordinary Sunday "Mass" but it was the funeral "Mass" of a fellow parishioner who died in a car accident. His brother was one of my best friends. A year prior, I had already discovered the Indult Mass in my local area, as well as sedevacantism even though I hadn't completely understood it, but nevertheless was not fully against it because of what John Paul II had done and all the strange nonsense going on throughout the whole modern Church.

On the day of the funeral, the casket was brought into church for "Mass." Many of my former Protestant friends from high school years were in attendance and the priest (he was a valid one) did make an announcement from the pulpit that if anybody was not Catholic, to cross the arms over their chest so that way he knew not to give them communion. Nothing out of the ordinary but what struck me and probably what bothered me the most were the vestments he was wearing. They were white vestments. I had just learned about Requiem Masses when studying about the Traditional Mass and the color was always black, representing mourning for the dead, and more importantly, praying for them.

He said the reason for using the white vestments was because of it representing Christ's resurrection from the dead and a sign of hope for the dead person. Without arguing with him (and I had some previous arguments with him) I just kept my opinions to myself and proceeded to help as an altar server. Unfortunately, the priest believed in many Modernist ideas, which ranged from not believing it to be wrong for a Catholic to be apart of the local Masonic lodge, to the frequent use of music like "A Mighty Fortress is our God" (a Lutheran hymn) when processing out once "Mass" was over. What was really frightening was that he was one of the priests who volunteered to say the Indult Traditional Mass for nostalgia purposes. Seeing the spirit of Modernism produced in one of the priests who I grew up around in my youth, let's now look at what the Vatican II sect produced regarding Christian Burial.

The Changes

Picking up where I left off in the above paragraph, white vestments became an option in 1970 for the Vatican II sect which was specifically allowed by the new "Roman Missal" for funeral masses in England and Wales. This color signifies the celebration of Christ, Mary and the saints in the Church, and is worn on Christmas, Easter and other prominent days of celebration. Many American dioceses also allowed white for funerals as a representation of hope and a celebration of Christ (so they claim).

The problem is simple, lex orandi, lex credendi (i.e., "The law of prayer is the law of belief"). If white vestments are used for a funeral, it's not a sign of hope or else green vestments would be worn. Rather it's a sign of not believing in praying for the dead because they've already been "saved," and hence the use of festive colors. It's a Modernist lie because traditionally speaking, white is always used for festive days during the liturgical calendar. Funerals are not festive unless of course the person is automatically a saint in heaven, and that person is praying for us on earth. Sadly, this is the spirit of the Novus Ordo religion, that all are most likely saved. It couldn't get any more Protestant.

What's particularly disturbing is the change of rules concerning Christian Burial, specifically those who are denied same.

When the world was Catholic, the following rules were set out according to the the old Rituale Romanum (1950):

Denial of Christian Burial

A pastor ought to know precisely who are to be excluded from Christian burial according to the Church law, lest any such ever be admitted thereto contrary to the decrees of the sacred canons.

Persons who depart in this life without baptism are not to be allowed Christian burial. Yet catechumens who die without baptism through no fault of their own are to be treated the same as the baptized (TAKE THAT FEENEYITES)

The following are to be denied Christian burial, unless before death they manifested some sign of repentance: 

a.) Persons reckoned as notorious apostates from the Christian faith, and persons who were notorious for belonging to a heretical or schismatic sect, or to the Masonic sect, or to other societies of the same kind;

b.) Persons excommunicated or interdicted after a declaratory or condemnatory sentence;                        c.) Those who have committed suicide with full deliberation; 

d.) Those who died in a duel or from a wound received in a duel; 

e.) Those who ordered their body to be cremated;  

f.) Other public or overt sinners.

If any doubts exists in regard to the cases mentioned above, the Ordinary should be consulted if time permits; and if a doubt still remains, the body should be given ecclesiastical burial, yet so that all scandal is precluded.

 4. Those who are deprived of ecclesiastical burial must also be denied the funeral Mass and even the Mass of anniversary, as well as other public obsequies."

Fast forward to our times of Counterfeit Catholicism and we see revisions in the 1983 Code of Canon Law stating the following:

THOSE TO WHOM ECCLESIASTICAL FUNERALS MUST BE GRANTED OR DENIED

Can. 1183 §1. When it concerns funerals, catechumens must be counted among the Christian faithful.

§2. The local ordinary can permit children whom the parents intended to baptize but who died before baptism to be given ecclesiastical funerals.

§3. In the prudent judgment of the local ordinary, ecclesiastical funerals can be granted to baptized persons who are enrolled in a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community unless their intention is evidently to the contrary and provided that their own minister is not available.

Can. 1184 §1. Unless they gave some signs of repentance before death, the following must be deprived of ecclesiastical funerals:

1. notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics;

2. those who chose the cremation of their bodies for reasons contrary to Christian faith;

3. other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful.

§2. If any doubt occurs, the local ordinary is to be consulted, and his judgment must be followed.

Can. 1185 Any funeral Mass must also be denied a person who is excluded from ecclesiastical funerals.

USSCB (United States Conference of [Non] Catholic Bishops) 

In April 1997, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted an indult for the United States to allow the diocesan bishop to permit the presence of the cremated remains of a body at a Funeral Mass. Later that year, the Congregation confirmed the special texts and ritual directives (Prot. n. 1589/96/L for both indult and texts)...

The practice of cremation has grown and become more commonplace in the United States, and it is often presented as a more affordable alternative to traditional burial. What is often overlooked is the Church’s teaching regarding the respect and honor due to the human body. The Order of Christian Funerals’ Appendix on Cremation states: “Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites” (no. 413).

Ideally, if a family chooses cremation, the cremation would take place at some time after the Funeral Mass, so that there can be an opportunity for the Vigil for the Deceased in the presence of the body (during “visitation” or “viewing” at a church or funeral home). This allows for the appropriate reverence for the sacredness of the body at the Funeral Mass: sprinkling with holy water, the placing of the pall, and honoring it with incense. The Rite of Committal then takes place after cremation (see Appendix, nos. 418-421). Funeral homes offer several options in this case. One is the use of “cremation caskets,” which is essentially a rental casket with a cardboard liner that is cremated with the body. Another is a complete casket that is cremated (this casket contains minimal amounts of non-combustible material such as metal handles or latches).

When cremation takes place before the Funeral Mass, and the diocesan bishop permits the presence of cremated remains at the Funeral Mass, the Appendix provides adapted texts for the Sprinkling with Holy Water, the Dismissal for use at the Funeral Mass (or the Funeral Liturgy outside Mass), and the Committal of Cremated Remains. The introduction provides further specific details about how the funeral rites are adapted. In all, the rite notes:

The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains on the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. (no. 417)

For some families, the choice of cremation is based on financial hardship, so this choice often means also that there is no plan for committal or burial of the cremated remains. As a means of providing pastoral support and an acceptable respectful solution to the problem of uninterred cremated remains, one diocese offered on All Souls’ Day in 2011 an opportunity for any family who desired it the interment of cremated remains. The diocese offered a Mass and committal service at one of its Catholic cemeteries and provided, free of charge, a common vault in a mausoleum for the interment of the cremated remains. The names of the deceased interred there were kept on file, though in this case they were not individually inscribed on the vault. Link here: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/bereavement-and-funerals/cremation-and-funerals

Do you notice anything?

The first difference is the baptized. In the new rite, unbaptized children are now permitted to receive Christian burial whereas before that wasn't permitted. There was a reason and it is because unbaptized children do not enter into heaven nor could they desire it like catechumens (adults) and therefore went to limbo. The Roman Catechism says: "The faithful are earnestly to be exhorted to take care that their children be brought to the church, as soon as it can be done with safety, to receive solemn Baptism. Since infant children have no other means of salvation except Baptism, we may easily understand how grievously those persons sin who permit them to remain without the grace of the Sacrament longer than necessity may require, particularly at an age so tender as to be exposed to numberless dangers of death."

Next, is the new belief that baptized persons enrolled in a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial communities can receive Christian burial, unless their intention is evidently to the contrary and provided that their own minister (YES A NON-CATHOLIC MINISTER) is not available. Yet a little further down its says those who are notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics are not to be given Christian burial. Are non-Catholic Churches and ecclesial communities not heretical or schismatic churches? I guess that applies to one who espouses Sedevacantism, since that is the only people they cannot tolerate.

The reason for the change is because it's in accordance with the Vatican II teaching from Lumen Gentium para. #15, which states, "The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities. Many of them rejoice in the episcopate, celebrate the Holy Eucharist and cultivate devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God. They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power."

To the Contrary...

Pope St. Pius X Catechism

Preliminary Lesson

On Christian Doctrine and its Principal Parts

1 Q. Are you a Christian?

A. Yes, I am a Christian, by the grace of God.

2 Q. Why do you say: By the grace of God?

A. I say: By the grace of God, because to be a Christian is a perfectly gratuitous gift of God, which we ourselves could not have merited.

3 Q. Who is a true Christian?

A. A true Christian is he who is baptized, who believes and professes the Christian Doctrine, and obeys the lawful pastors of the Church.

4 Q. What is Christian Doctrine?

A. Christian doctrine is the doctrine which Jesus Christ our Lord taught us to show us the way of salvation.

5 Q. Is it necessary to learn the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ?

A. It certainly is necessary to learn the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ, and those who fail to do so are guilty of a grave breach of duty.

6 Q. Are parents and guardians bound to send their children and those dependent on them to catechism?

A. Parents and guardians are bound to see that their children And dependents learn Christian Doctrine, and they are guilty before God if they neglect this duty.

7 Q. From whom are we to receive and learn Christian Doctrine?

A. We are to receive and learn Christian Doctrine from the Holy Catholic Church.

8 Q. How are we certain that the Christian Doctrine which we receive from the Holy Catholic Church is really true?

A. We are certain that the doctrine which we receive from the Holy Catholic Church is true, because Jesus Christ, the divine Author of this doctrine, committed it through His Apostles to the Church, which He founded and made the infallible teacher of all men, promising her His divine assistance until the end of time.

9 Q. Are there other proofs of the truth of Christian Doctrine?

A. The truth of Christian Doctrine is also shown by the eminent sanctity of numbers who have professed it and who still profess it, by the heroic fortitude of the martyrs, by its marvellous and rapid propagation in the world, and by its perfect preservation throughout so many centuries of ceaseless and varied struggles.

10 Q. What and how many are the principal and most necessary parts of Christian Doctrine?

A. The principal and most necessary parts of Christian Doctrine are four The Creed, The Our Father, The Commandments, and The Sacraments.

Getting back to the new rite of Christian burial, it also omits refusing Christian burial to those who belong to Masonic sects or those of a similar kind whereas the old did not. Who knows, maybe by 1983 those in charge of the Vatican II church were Masons and didn't want to be refused Christian burial so they just got rid of it. It also omits refusing Christian burial to the excommunicated, those who commit suicide and those who get in a duel. Why? It's only anybody's guess.

Lastly, the new rite of Christian burial loosened restrictions and now allows cremation since 1963. The old rules from the Roman Ritual strictly forbade it because of the Catholic belief in the Resurrection of the Body and the fact that the body is a temple of the Holy Ghost which should be buried because it will rise again on the last day. Also, on December 8 1869, the international Congress of Freemasons, imposed it as a duty on all its members to do everything possible to wipe out Catholics from the face of the earth by promoting cremation. This was done so as to undermine the Catholic faith in the resurrection of the body and everlasting life as we profess in the Apostles Creed. While the 1917 Code did permit cremation under the strictest of circumstances such as mass death/disease, it is now looked at the same way as annulments are given out. It's cheap, convenient, and less meaningful, which results in forgetting the faithful departed altogether.

Conclusion

The best answer to this life is what St. Thomas Aquinas desired. A good death. We must never forget to pray for the dead, but to prepare for it and to make sure it is all done within the Catholic Church and it's true clergy. Not the hirelings of the Vatican II sect.   

Just as Satan fell like lightning from heaven, so too has the Vatican II sect fallen like lightning away from Catholicism. It simply cannot get anything right because it is a new, false religion imposed upon the world. Many of the so called "priests" and even those who are still validly ordained, take off on Mondays presumably because they feel they work so hard on Sunday. "Masses" on Saturday now fulfill the Sunday obligation and Holy Days of Obligation are moved to be celebrated on Sundays. It's the so-called "spring time Church" where death is the last thing on peoples mind. "The People of God" just have to be "good" and live their life to the fullest. It's no wonder Bergoglio says to not sweat the Last Judgement. A totally sick joke.