The Canon of the Mass
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[Previously published post, now available here]
Many Catholics have come to understand that active participation in a Mass which is una cum, that is, in which the name of the Modernist “pope” or “local bishop” is placed in the canon, is a sin.
Father Cekada wrote the definitive article on the subject a few years ago, laying out all of the theological points why such an act is contrary to the First Commandment.
Ultimately it boils down to the principle of offering false worship to God. For in order that a Mass be Catholic, and therefore acceptable to God as true worship, it must be offered in persona Ecclesiæ (in the person of the Church) by the priest who is offering it. This means that his act of offering the Mass must be in union with the Catholic Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head.
Therefore Masses, however valid they may be, which are offered outside of the Church, that is, by priests who are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, constitute false worship. For this reason, we are not free to attend the Masses of the Greek Orthodox, not because of want of validity, but because of want of union with the Mystical Body, the Roman Catholic Church.
Sedevacantists hold that the Vatican II “popes” are not true Catholic popes, because (1) they intend to impose a new religion on the Roman Catholic Church; (2) they are public heretics. As a result, they are incapable of acting in the name of Christ the Head of the Catholic Church, and most of all are incapable of offering to God an acceptable sacrifice in Christ’s name and as a priestly representative of the Roman Catholic Church.
Hence, they are intrinsically incapable of offering the Mass in the person of the Church, that is, by the very fact of being false popes. Indeed, no one would be more incapable of representing Christ the Head of the Church than someone who is a false head of the Church. For a true pope is the principle of unity of the entire Catholic Church. Therefore a false pope is the principle of being cut off from the Roman Catholic Church and from Christ as Head of the Church. To adhere to a false pope, therefore, is to be cut off from Christ. A priest’s Mass, consequently, which is in union with a false pope is a Mass which is cut off from the unity of the Roman Catholic Church and from Christ the Head of the Church and Supreme High Priest, and the Principal Offerer of every Mass.
The una cum Mass has a fundamental ecclesiological defect
So everyone agrees that we should stay away from these Masses. But what if we are in a pinch? What if there is no Francis-free Mass in our vicinity? Can we go to the una cum Mass by exception, since we are in need of the sacraments?
The answer is no. The reason is obvious: what spoils the una cum Mass is something intrinsic, that is, the fact that the Mass is offered in union with a false pope, which thereby renders the Mass unacceptable to God for the reasons stated above.
When any act is intrinsically wrong, it is always forbidden. It admits no exceptions. In fact, we would have to accept death before positing the act. An example is an abortion.
When something is wrong merely by circumstance, however, it admits exception for a proportionate reason. An example would be to wash one’s car on Sunday. Although washing one’s car is a perfectly good act, if it should take place on Sunday, when unnecessary servile work is forbidden, it would be sinful. If, however, there is a proportionate reason why we must wash it on Sunday, then the law admits exception.
Those who permit exception in the case of active participation in the una cum Mass are saying implicitly that the una cum Mass is evil not intrinsically but only by circumstance. Then the una cum Mass is in itself intrinsically good. We know, however, that it is not intrinsically good, but intrinsically wrong.
Indeed, if the una cum Mass is intrinsically good, but wrong only by circumstance, then we must conclude that Francis is the true Pope, and from there we must conclude that the New Mass, Vatican II, and all of its reforms are in accordance with the Catholic Faith. For true popes cannot teach false doctrines and prescribe evil laws for the universal Church. We must then naturally conclude that any Mass said without his authorization would be a Mass offered outside the Church. (Therefore SSPX and Ex-SSPX Masses would be Masses offered outside the Church)
Furthermore, what circumstance would render the una cum Mass wrong? The time of day? The place? There is obviously no circumstance that would render it wrong.
In summary, the una cum Mass is intrinsically right or intrinsically wrong. If it is intrinsically right, then we must attend only those Masses authorized by “Pope Francis.” We must, therefore, avoid the SSPX Mass and the SSPX “Resistance” Mass, because they are unauthorized. If the una cum Mass is intrinsically wrong, we must avoid it, and even accept any inconvenience, any deprivation of sacraments, even death itself, before consenting to actively participate in it. We must therefore avoid the SSPX Mass and the SSPX “Resistance” Mass, because they are in union with a false pope.
No matter how you slice it, therefore, we must avoid the SSPX Mass and the SSPX “Resistance” Mass.
Bp. Sanborn's Blog 
His Excellency wrote: “When any act is intrinsically wrong, it is always forbidden.”
Simple truth for simple folk (me); God bless!
I have only one problem – that is one real ‘pinch’ – about the ‘una cum’ Masses – that priests truly ordained in the Catholic Church commit such a sin at Mass, daily (not something one could accuse ‘valid’ Eastern Orthodox of doing); and the general ‘card-carrying-catholic’ populace support this, vehemently. It’s true, there is some trial to get though – sorting through the messy PC torture-dumping in the foul-water-and-silt that most of ‘catholicism’ would shove our heads into at intervals that don’t allow us to breathe properly; but with a little prayer and much of the good and siltless ‘Deposit of Faith’, the torturers get bore and we find ourselves alive (Church Triumphant) and well in the Popes of True Church. That is to say, the ‘Hatta’ (commonly known as the ‘mad hatter’) Bergoglio, is not Christ’s Vicar. Duh – it does need to be said.
“Accordingly, We first of all declare that all Catholics have a sacred and inviolable duty, both in private and public life, to obey and firmly adhere to and fearlessly profess the principles of Christian truth enunciated by the teaching office of the Catholic Church…by ignoring the laws governing human nature and by breaking the bounds within which they operate, the human person is lead, not toward progress, but towards death. This, nevertheless, is what they [fill in the blank] want to do with human society; they dream of changing its natural and traditional foundations; they dream of a Future City built on different principles [‘Novus Ordo with that catholic coffee?’], and they dare to proclaim these more fruitful and more beneficial than the principles upon which the present Christian City [those poor outdated ‘Peters’] rests. No, Venerable Brethren, We must repeat with the utmost energy in these times of social and intellectual anarchy when everyone takes it upon himself to teach as a teacher and lawmaker [ exactly what Bergoglio preaches – he did to Palmer, and he does to Jews and Muslims etc.] – the City cannot be built otherwise than as God has built it; society cannot be setup unless the Church lays the foundations and supervises the work; no, CIVILIZATION IS NOT SOMETHING YET TO BE FOUND, nor is the New City to be built on hazy notions [Modernism Inc.]; it has been in existence and still is: it is Christian civilization, it is the Catholic City. It has only to be set up and restored continually against the unremitting attacks of insane dreamers, rebels and miscreants. omnia instaurare in Christo.” (Pope Saint Pius X, Notre Charge Apostolique, August 15, 1910.)
p.s. SSPX and resistance SSPX – to una cum belial or not to una cum belial.
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Everyone pray, God bless, God bless, God bless, those dear sons, apostolic brothers, who have suffered to hold to the ’cause of Our Lord, and always for our poor souls’ sake. Pray for the ’cause of Our Lord and the Apostolic Sons who hold thereof. Such a prayer requires no this way or that way, just truth.
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I have a question: In an area with only occasional TLM (once per month) and no other options other than SSPX and Eastern Catholic Churches, where does one take their young family for reception of the Sacraments? Is one bound to travel somewhere else outside their area to receive these, and if so, where would one go to receive them validly? Yes, I live in the wilderness!
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Dear friend in Christ,
I have no idea where you live, but I too have a young family – 4 children, ages 5-12. And yes, we live out in the boonies as well. I have only 2 places to attend a proper Mass as has been discussed. The nearest is 1:40 mins. away in the same state, the other 7 hours away in the next state. If I had to, we would make the Mass 7 hrs. away once a month. As it stands, we go to the closer one every other week. It is truly a sacrifice in time and gas. It exhausts me, as head of the household to no end. But in these times it is the sacrifice to make. In all reality, it is a small sacrifice to make. Resolve yourself to this question, and the answer will present itself in a better light – As regards your faith, what are you willing to die for – and I mean, be put to death for? When you start to realize that the saints who are martyrs and make up the present Church Triumphant, considered no sacrifice too great when it came to upholding the Truth, then the correct path to raising your children and instructing your wife will be a “no brainer”. You could not force me to attend a Novus Ordo service or an “Una Cum” Mass. I would rather die and my whole family be brutally sacrificed before I would of my own accord, offend the God-head. This may sound like a bold statement, but know that if you deem it a sacrifice to drive a long way to attend a True Holy Mass, then offer it up as such and have the courage as the head of your family to complete the mission and avail them of the valid sacraments. As parents, it is our most solemn and vital duty to raise and instruct those in our charge(wife included) in the traditions and teachings of our Holy Mother Church if we are to consider ourselves true members of the Church Militant here on earth.
May God bless you and give you the means to avail you and your family of our most precious Sacraments.
Yours In Christ.
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WOW! I see that I am extremely slow to see this post from months ago. I am jealous of the next write who says that Mass is only 100 minutes away. My closest Mass is inSeattle about 1000miles away by air. I am looking to move closer at some point. With a family I would try to move closer to Mass. So if it is any consolation drive to get the real Mass and be happy that getting to Mass is not a 36 hour odyssey (in part so long because of limited flights) like it is for me when I can make it.
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I am Roman Catholic & hold the sedevacantist position.We are graced to have a valid mass 30 minutes from home.However,sedevacantism is not a dogma.It seems if the local SSPX has valid clergy,their mass would fine.Now correct me where I am wrong. (Not being sarcastic)
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Una cum Masses are, objectively speaking, false worship. Validity of the rite is only one of the considerations. Lawfulness is another. It is not lawful to attend una cum Masses, since it is, objectively speaking, a schismatic act and public profession of communion with a heretic.
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I want permission to share this and draw attention to this blog.
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Go ahead. I hope you are doing well, Father!
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Good summary.
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Oh, the irony! It was Catholic Answers, the Coming Home Network International and the Franciscan Steubenville apologists (Dr. Hahn, Dr. Leonard and other Protestant converts) who brought me back to the faith of my childhood — the Catholic faith. After I returned, I then found myself asking with utter confusion and disorientation, “What have I come home to?”
After that, it was I Peter 5, The Remnant, AKA Catholic, LifeSite News, et al. who awakened me to the crisis of faith and morals in the Church. These folks did an outstanding job in explaining all that went wrong with Vatican II. There is complete disconnect — the faith before VII is not the same as the faith after VII. I connected the dots — finally it all made sense.
But whereas the folks from the Recognize and Resist Movement refuse to connect that very last dot (i.e., Anything But Sedevacantism), truth and logic and I am most assured the grace and work of the Holy Spirit have brought me full circle into the Catholic Church that is not sullied and stained and shred asunder, but rather has remained faithful to the Catholic faith.
I cannot attend any “mass” that is in communion, union, fellowship, and/or community with Jorge Bergoglio. What fellowship does light have with darkness, good have with evil and/or the Lord have with Satan? Come out from among them …. do not partake in their sins …. I now live in the wilderness and in the dessert but I am being provided all that I need.
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