* Additional articles explaining the sedevacantist position

CMRI’s Theological Position:
The Chair of Peter Today is Vacant Pope Pius XII

The Roman Catholic priests of the Religious Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen profess and adhere to the Catholic Faith as it has been consistently taught throughout the centuries since the time of Christ. With the death of Pope Pius XII and with the convocation of the Second Vatican Council, an unprecedented situation has befallen the Church, which threatens her very doctrines and worship. In order to provide for the preservation of the Catholic Faith and the traditional Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Sacraments, the following statement has been drawn up for the purpose of clearly defining the actual position that these priests have taken.

VATICAN COUNCIL II: Convoked by John XXIII for the purpose of “updating” the Church, this council (held from 1962-65) decreed and implemented teachings previously condemned by the Infallible Teaching Magisterium of the Church. The Second Vatican Council’s heretical teachings were primarily in the areas of modernism, religious liberty and false ecumenism, and these were previously condemned by:

Pope Gregory XVI in Mirari Vos (1832)
Pope Pius IX in Quanta Cura and Syllabus of Errors (1864)
Pope Leo XIII in Immortale Dei (1865) and Libertas Humana (1888)
Pope Saint Pius X in Pascendi (1907)
Pope Pius XI in Quas Primas (1925) and Mortalium Animos (1928)
Pope Pius XII in Mystici Corporis (1943)

THEREFORE, the Second Vatican Council is to be rejected as a false council because it has erred in its teachings on faith and morals.

II. NOVUS ORDO MISSAE and the NEW RITE of the SACRAMENTS: Following the Second Vatican Council, various commissions were established to modernize the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the traditional rites of the Sacraments.

In 1968 a substantial change was introduced into the form of the Consecration of Bishops. This new form closely resembles the form that was used by the Anglican Church, and which was declared invalid by Pope Leo XIII.

In consequence of this substantial alteration, the consecration of bishops is rendered invalid. Therefore, the ordinations performed by such “bishops” are invalid.

Regarding the revision of the Mass, Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani in 1969 stated: “The [Novus Ordo Missae] represents a striking departure from the Catholic theology of the Mass as it was formulated in Session XXII of the Council of Trent.” The result of this modernization was the elimination of the concept of propitiatory sacrifice from the Mass; this is particularly seen in the definition of the New Mass, reflecting Luther’s concept of the Lord’s Supper, and in the new Offertory prayers.

This new mass, known as the Novus Ordo Missae, contradicts previous infallible teachings and decrees of the Catholic Church, such as:

Pope St. Pius V’s Quo Primum and De Defectibus,
the Council of Trent’s decree on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Session XXII),
Pope Leo XIII’s Apostolicae Curae (1896),
Pope Pius XII’s Mediator Dei (1947) and Sacramentum Ordinis (1948).

THEREFORE, the Novus Ordo when offered by priests ordained by bishops consecrated in the new rite is invalid. In all instances a Novus Ordo Missae is a clear danger to one’s faith.

FURTHERMORE, the new sacraments of Penance, Extreme Unction, and Confirmation, when administered by these invalidly-ordained bishops and priests, are likewise invalid.

III. MODERN CONCILIAR CHURCH OF VATICAN II: The Catholic Church is identified as the true Church of Christ by her four marks (Unity, Holiness, Catholicity, and Apostolicity). Since the heretical teachings of Vatican II, the Novus Ordo Missae and the new rites of the sacraments have manifestly been a departure from the Catholic Church’s traditional teachings, it must be concluded that this modern so-called Catholic Church no longer possesses the four marks of the Church, especially Unity, Holiness and Apostolicity. Its obvious departure over the past sixty years from what the Catholic Church has held can lead to only one conclusion: a new ecumenical Church has been established which stands in contradiction to the true Catholic Church.

IV. MODERN HIERARCHY OF THE CONCILIAR CHURCH OF VATICAN II: In the light of the above, it must be concluded that the modern hierarchy who have approved and implemented the errors of Vatican II no longer represent the Catholic Church and her lawful authority. This most certainly includes the one who confirmed, approved, decreed, and implemented these heretical teachings, namely Paul VI (Montini). Likewise included are his successors, namely, John Paul II (Wojtyla), Benedict XVI (Ratzinger), Francis (Bergoglio), and Leo XIV (Prevost), who have continued to implement these heretical teachings. Despite the lack of formal declaration of loss of office, their repeated acts of ecumenism and their enforcement of the heresies of Vatican II and the new code of Canon Law, which are injurious to faith and morals, are manifestations of their pertinacity in heresy.

THEREFORE, as the First Vatican Council infallibly teaches: “The first condition of salvation is to keep the norm of the true faith. For it is impossible that the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ Who said, ‘Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church’ (Matt. 16:18), should not be verified. And their truth has been proved by the course of history, for in the Apostolic See the Catholic religion has always been kept unsullied, and its teaching kept holy… For they fully realized that this See of St. Peter always remains untainted by any error, according to the divine promise of Our Lord and Savior made to the prince of His disciples, ‘I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren’” (Luke 22:32). And since these “popes” have manifestly taught heresy, promoted false ecumenism and fostered interfaith worship, they clearly cannot be recognized as successors of St. Peter in the primacy.

V. THE NEW CODE OF CANON LAW: In order to implement the teachings of Vatican II, it was necessary that the modernists change the Code of Canon Law (1917), as this reflected the mind of the Church in her past doctrine and discipline. The new 1983 code contains a matter which should be most disturbing to the informed Catholic. According to the new law of the Modern Church (Canon 844), schismatics and heretics can under certain circumstances petition the “sacraments” from a Catholic priest and the priest must administer them. The Council of Florence, as well as the 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canon 731), strictly forbids this, unless they have first renounced their errors and been reconciled with the Church.

THEREFORE, as the universal laws of the Church are protected by her infallibility and cannot impose obligations opposed to faith and morals, the New Code must be considered as lacking all force of law. Moreover, it has been promulgated by those who no longer represent Catholic authority.

VI. COURSE FOR TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC PRIESTS: Due to the unprecedented situation in the Catholic Church and the moral responsibility of the faithful to receive certainly valid sacraments, traditional priests most certainly can and must continue the mission of the Catholic Church by sanctifying the faithful through the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the administration of the Sacraments, and other pastoral works. The mind of the Church is that “the salvation of the people is the supreme law.” Further, the 1917 Code of Canon Law continues to remain in force.

 

* For additional articles explaining the sedevacantist position, click here.