"The
Catholic Church holds it better for the sun and moon to drop from heaven, for
the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in
extremest agony, as far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will
not say, should be lost, but should commit one
single venial sin, should tell one wilful untruth, or should steal one
poor farthing without excuse."
---
John Henry, Cardinal Newman
To foster devotion to the Tridentine Latin Mass and
traditional forms of Roman Catholic piety,
and to propagate the orthodox Faith of the Church
IN UNION WITH THE HOLY FATHER UNDER THE
ECCLESIA DEI INDULT
VADEMECUM is going on hiatus for the
foreseeable future. My state in life has
changed to the extent that I can no longer give this site the attention that it
deserves. There are many Internet
apostolates that do fundamentally the same work as VADEMECUM was founded to do
in 1995, and they do it much better. I
beg pardon, and beg Almighty God to change your mind and heart, if you were
ever scandalized or led into error by my past excesses and challenges to the
teaching office of the Church, obedience to the same, and per se
validity of the post-Vatican II Sacraments.
More to the point, I categorically reject (a) sedevacantism and (b)
administering of those Sacraments outside the diocesan establishment that rely
upon the permission of the local bishop for their validity (i.e., Confession
and Matrimony). I submit myself entirely
to the living Magisterium with the successor of St. Peter as its head and those
bishops in union with him. LONG LIVE HIS
HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI!
These articles will remain as long as I maintain
ownership of www.thelatinmass.com, which I have no intention of relinquishing:
Please follow the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter as
the most comprehensive and widespread (but by no means the only) Traditional
Latin Mass apostolate serving the Church today.
In particular, I
repudiate here and now my article “Why You Should Get Out Of The ‘Conservative
Novus Ordo’”. I came to realize, gradually
over time, that while much of what I said in this article was true and
heartfelt, my motives in writing it were a mix of deep conviction and personal
failings, and the latter were no good reason to try and persuade others to stay
away from a Mass presented by the Church, at least ideally, for the
sanctification of the faithful. Once I
was able to admit this to myself, I had to acknowledge that, while the “Novus
Ordo” Mass was an experiment that failed (and one that, I pray God, will fall
into disuse and be replaced by the Traditional Latin Mass sooner rather than
later), it is nonetheless a valid and licit Mass, duly promulgated by Holy
Mother Church.
The abuses are
bad. Heterodox sermons are bad. Irreverence among the faithful and immodest
dress are bad. There are, indeed, Novus
Ordo Masses that you should stay away from, and yes, some of these Masses could
be invalid due to defects of matter (invalid altar bread) or intent (a priest
who does not intend to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ as real, truly,
and substantially present). But this
does not mean that a reverent Novus Ordo Mass, celebrated strictly in accord
with the rubrics, with valid matter and intent, is a “bad Mass”. Far from it.
If all you have
available to you is a “conservative Novus Ordo” Mass, then you should attend
it. If you don’t even have this much,
and if the only Traditional Latin Mass available to you is not sedevacantist
but is independent of the diocese, then I can’t make a blanket statement for or
against it, but be very, very careful.
Be aware, too, that when a priest does not have faculties to hear
confessions from the local bishop, his absolution is invalid.
Your preferences
should be in the following order:
1) Tridentine Latin Mass under the Ecclesia Dei indult
2) Eastern Rite Divine Liturgy (Byzantine, Maronite, et al)
3) Reverent “conservative Novus Ordo” Mass
4) Tridentine Latin Mass celebrated independently (illicit but valid) by
the SSPX or other independent auspices, as long as they are not sedevacantist
5) Stay home, pray, and keep Sunday holy
To all of my readers: THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU for
your interest and support throughout the past twelve years. Please pray for me a sinner. Please pray for my dear family.
++++++++++++
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
OUR FATHER
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be
Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done,
on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
HAIL MARY
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without
end. Amen.
APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven
and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was
conceived by
the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from
the dead;
He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand
of God
the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
ACT OF FAITH
O MY GOD, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three
Divine Persons,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son
became Man, and
died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the
living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic
Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor
be deceived.
ACT OF HOPE
O MY GOD, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite
mercy and promises, I
hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace,
and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
ACT OF CHARITY
O MY GOD, I love Thee above all things, with my whole
heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my
neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and
ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
ACT OF CONTRITION
Forgive me my sins, O Lord, forgive me my sins;
the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my
soul,
the sins of my body; my idle sins, my serious voluntary
sins;
the sins I know, the sins I do not know; the sins I have
concealed
for so long, and which are now hidden from my memory.
I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial,
for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour.
I know my sins have wounded Thy Tender Heart,
O My Savior, let me be freed from the bonds of evil
through
the most bitter Passion of My Redeemer. Amen.
O My Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST.
IGNATIUS LOYOLA
Take O Lord, all my liberty. receive my memory, my
understanding and my whole will. All that I am, all that I have, Thou hast
given me, and I restore it all to Thee, to be disposed of according to Thy good
pleasure. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I am rich enough, and
I desire nothing more.
PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL
HOLY MICHAEL the archangel, defend us in the day of
battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May
God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by
the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all wicked spirits, who wander
through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus
Sancti.
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto
praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices
deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis,
Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur
in mundo,
divina virtute in infernum detrude.
Amen.
Act Of
Reparation To Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament
WITH THAT profound humility which
the Faith itself inspires in me, O my God and Saviour Jesus Christ, true God
and true man, I love Thee with all my heart, and I adore Thee who art hidden
here, in reparation for all the irreverences, profanations and sacrileges which
Thou receivest in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar. I adore Thee, O my
God, if not so much as Thou art worthy to be adored nor so much as I am bound
to do, yet as much as I am able; would that I could adore Thee with that
perfect worship which the Angels in heaven are enabled to offer Thee. Mayest
Thou, O my Jesus, be known, adored, loved and thanked by all men at every
moment in this most holy and divine Sacrament. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Act Of
Reparation To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
O SWEETEST Jesus, whose overflowing
charity towards men is most ungratefully repaid by such great forgetfulness,
neglect and contempt, see, prostrate before Thy altars, we strive by special
honor to make amends for the wicked coldness of men and the contumely with
which Thy most loving Heart is everywhere treated.
At the same time, mindful of the
fact that we too have sometimes not been free from unworthiness, and moved
therefore with most vehement sorrow, in the first place we implore Thy mercy on
us, being prepared by voluntary expiation to make amends for the sins we have
ourselves committed, and also for the sins of those who wander far from the way
of salvation, whether because, being obstinate in their unbelief, they refuse
to follow Thee as their shepherd and leader, or because, spurning the promises
of their Baptism, they have cast off the most sweet yoke of Thy law.
We now endeavor to expiate all these
lamentable crimes together, and it is also our purpose to make amends for each
one of them severally: for the want of modesty in life and dress, for
impurities, for so many snares set for the minds of the innocent, for the
violation of feast days, for the horrid blasphemies against Thee and Thy
saints, for the insults offered to Thy Vicar and to the priestly order, for the
neglect of the Sacrament of Divine love or its profanation by horrible
sacrileges, and lastly for the public sins of nations which resist the rights
and the teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast instituted. Would that
we could wash away these crimes with our own blood!
And now, to make amends for the
outrage offered to the Divine honor, we offer to Thee the same satisfaction
which Thou didst once offer to Thy Father on the Cross and which Thou dost
continually renew on our altars, we offer this conjoined with the expiations of
the Virgin Mother and of all the Saints, and of all pious Christians, promising
from our heart that so far as in us lies, with the help of Thy grace, we will
make amends for our own past sins, and for the sins of others, and for the
neglect of Thy boundless love, by firm faith, by a pure way of life, and by a
perfect observance of the Gospel law, especially that of charity; we will also
strive with all our strength to prevent injuries being offered to Thee, and
gather as many as we can to become Thy followers.
Receive, we beseech Thee, O most
benign Jesus, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Reparatress,
the voluntary homage of this expiation, and vouchsafe, by that great gift of
final perseverance, to keep us most faithful until death in our duty and in Thy
service, so that at length we may all come to that fatherland, where Thou with
the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++
Prayer For
Conversions
(Domine Iesu, Clementissime Salvator
Mundi)
DOMINE IESU, clementissime Salvator
mundi, te per sacratissimum Cor tuum supplices exoramus,
ut omnes oves errantes ad te Pastorem et Episcopum animarum suarum
convertantur: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LORD JESUS, merciful Saviour of the
world, we humbly beseech Thee by Thy Most Sacred Heart, that all the straying
sheep may turn unto Thee, the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls: Who livest
and reignest world without end. Amen
