Author: Jude Missa

These changes the results of liturgical abuses such as clown mass and pagan rituals enter the church including the Holy Mass. Some priest approves of faithful marrying other religion sect and convert to their religion. Some Priests are not wearing cassock and some nuns often removing their veils. Catechism is no longer available in most of the church today. This is what Archbishop Lefebvre warn us of disorder than becomes a danger to out faith. This is why Pope St. Pius V fixed when there’s a disorder in the church and this is why St. Pius X restore so we can once again worship Christ in the right manner and strengthen our faith. When Archbishop Lefebvre retired as Superior General of Holy Ghost Fathers, he was approached by young French seminarians who are traditionalist. 

Let me pause for a moment to make a note that Sanhedrin.net is not affiliated to the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) or any Traditional Catholic Societies. But we have the same goal to spread and teach the readers about the Sacred Tradition including the Traditional Latin Mass.

When the young seminarians asked the archbishop to teach them according to the Tradition, he was hesitating at first because he is too old to guide them. But after a while, he was convinced because he thinks this is the sign from God. In 1970, he founded the Priestly Society of St. Pius X or SSPX with the permission of Bishop François Charrière, Bishop of Lausanne. It continues the Sacred Tradition, including the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass, which contradicts the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. SSPX becomes a center of controversy as they continue the Sacred Tradition, many people followed and attend their Holy Mass including those who have not agreed with the changes of Vatican II. Because of his old age, He decided to consecrate four bishops of the SSPX, though the Vatican doesn’t want him to continue to consecrate four Bishops. Pope John Paul II condemned this consecration and treat it as schismatic act and they were automatically excommunicated (But the Society of St. Pius X is not excommunicated, only Lefebvre, the archbishops who joined the consecration and the consecrated bishops) 

Did Archbishop Lefebvre and his four bishops commit a schismatic act? The answer is NO. Even though they did not follow the orders of the Pope, archbishop consecrates four bishops to continue the sacred tradition, Archbishop’s act was stated in the canon 1323 no. 4 of the 1983 Code Canon Law “a person who acted coerced by grave fear, even if only relatively grave, or due to necessity or grave inconvenience unless the act is intrinsically evil or tends to the harm of souls”. So, what does the canon stated “tends to the harm of souls?” The teachings of Vatican II are harm to our souls. That is why Archbishop Lefebvre and the SSPX choose not to follow its teachings. And since they followed the Canon Law, the excommunication of Archbishop Lefebvre and the four bishops are not official or effective. We are now currently living in the End Times and this is where we must strengthen our faith to God as Pope St. Pius V and Pope St. Pius X did in the past and do not be afraid. Because some clergy and ordinary faithful are already following the path that Archbishop Lefebvre started…

Before the Vatican II Council started, Pope John XXIII pointed Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre as one of the Central Preparatory Commission for the council. Archbishop Lefebvre has a good background and a record in the church. He is a defender of the Catholic Faith and the sacred tradition. He was assigned to draft and prepare the documents for the Second Vatican Council. But after the first session of the council, the drafts were rejected because the council wants to focus on reformation that gives more favor to modernism and for the protestants. Archbishop Lefebvre together with other bishops who rejected the reforms of the Vatican II Council organized a group called “Coetus Internationalis Patrum (International Group of Fathers)” to stop the reformation and to maintain the sacred tradition but ends in a failure. It also results that many clergy disagree with his views, including the Holy Ghost Fathers, a religious congregation where he is a superior general. He resigned as a superior general of the Holy Ghost Fathers because he refused to implement Vatican II Council inspired reforms. 

Why did Archbishop Lefebvre and other archbishops refuse the reformation of the Vatican II Council? Because it is dangerous to our faith. He predicted that this council inspired change will lead to disorder which we are now experiencing today, such as communion in the hand, different versions of the Mass in different places (which Pope St. Pius V changed), liturgical dances and removing the Holy Sacrifice as it slowly becomes an entertainment to the faith full. Second, it gains more favor to the protestants which resulted that our Holy Mass is now similar to the Protestants. Third is that the Council’s ecumenism is where other religions that did not institute by our Lord Jesus Christ is part of the Catholic Church including Paganism. This council inspired is a poison to our faith, and it is sad to see that those people who are not aware of this are now slowly drinking this poison. But God never abandoned us, He loves us very much and the Blessed Virgin Mary will continue to guide us… One year after the resignation of Archbishop Lefebvre from the Holy Ghost Fathers, he was approached by a group of Traditionalist of French Seminary.

Modernism may be a good evolution for the mankind but it has a side of evil which the Catholic Church faced during the 20th Century. And modernism also enters the church that affects some of the clergy. The effects of Modernism made a change in the church like the modern music that slowly enters the Holy Mass while the Gregorian Chant slowly fades in different churches. It also makes the Holy Mass look like an orchestra rather than a Holy Sacrifice and some musicians after they played their part will have a chat to each other that bothers the Mass. The the priest will have to wait the music to finish before he continues his activities in the Holy Mass. But what evil does the modernism have? There are good in modernism such as automobiles, because will not have to walk or ride a horse in days or years. Telephones are also good because you don’t have to send a messenger to a far away land and received it after one or two years. Films and music to entertain us if we want to relax. But the evil of modernism that we talk about is against the faith of God. Why it is against the faith of God? Simple, modernism teaches us to love and accept other religions, including those who worshipped false Gods, accepting the teaching of the Protestantism and believe the scientific theory as truth. And mostly, as Protestanism spread and accept modernism, they make the people happy and enjoy while worshipping in God in their which they make fun the Sacred Tradition of having a Holy Sacrifice during the Mass. Many people joined the protestantism because they want to feel good and happy instead of making a sacrifice for God during the Holy Mass. This is what the evil of modernism has, it will cause heresy, danger to the faith and poison to the church. 

The previous Popes may be against Modernism, but there no major act against it. Until one Pope faces the Modernism without hesitation. And that is Pope St. Pius X. When he was elected a Pope in 1903, he fought modernism inside the church as it slowly enters the church. His motto is “To restore all things to Christ”. He restored the Gregorian Chant and brought back the glory of the Holy Mass. He encouraged people to often receive Holy Communion instead receiving it once a year. Because the teaching of protestantism and modernism has spread all over the world, he ordered all the churches around the world to have Catechism to spread the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and the Catholic Church. Even he acquired enemies and critics, he still faces it and fight the evil of modernism with courage because of his love to God. 

Sadly, his great battle against the evil of modernism was forgotten when the Vatican II Council began, which it embraces modernism and had more concern to protestants that brings heresy instead of the Catholic Faith that has the truth. Let us pray to St. Pius X and to the Blessed Virgin Mary to help us to defend the Sacred Tradition of the Church and asked them to pray for us to God.

He saw the corruption in the Church and then started to spread false teachings, including having his own interpretation of the Sacred Scripture and the Justification of Faith Alone (Sola Fide). Because of his heresies, he was excommunicated in 1520. Then he began establishing a new church and his false teaching spread that led others to build their own church according to their own interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures which resulted in the birth of Protestanism.

They started attacking the Sacred Tradition of the Church, including the doctrines of Purgatory, Praying to the Saints, to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the one that they attack the most, the Eucharist and the Holy Mass. They targeted the faithful, including priests who did not know the faith and doctrines of the Church. As Protestantism spread, it won the hearts of many people, the priests as well as the hearts of various princes, including those in Germany. Pope Paul III wished for a council as a counter-reform which resulted in the Council of Trent. But the council was delayed a few times because of war and the attacks of the Protestants until it reached its end in 1563 with resulted in the condemning of all Protestant doctrines, Catholic Church leadership reformation, proclamation that Church’s interpretation of the Bible was unquestionable and the proclamation that the Sacred Tradition have much authority as Scripture. Even though the Council of Trent has ended, the problem in the Church is still unresolved.

Until a Dominican Priest and Cardinal, Antonio Ghislieri was elected as Pope in 1566 and took the name of Pius V. As a priest, he supported the papacy against the Protestants. He was known to inculcate discipline, develop the practice of monastic virtues and as a Dominican, he has a devotion to the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was ordained Bishop of Sutri and became Pope after the death of Pope Paul IV with the support of St.Charles Borromeus. As pope, he imposed the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent. He fixed the problems that the previous pope cannot like dismissing the Papal Court Jester, forbidding horse racing in St. Peter’s square, severe sanctions were imposed against blasphemy, adultery and sodomy which he became the subject of hatred in Rome. He also championed and reinforced the Holy Tradition of the Church. And eventually he abolished the sale of indulgence in 1567. As the protestants attacked the sacred tradition, including the Holy Mass, he promulgated the Tridentine Mass and made it mandatory where all the priest must celebrate it to make the church united. And as a Dominican, he also established a devotion to the Holy Rosary, and to be recited to all the church and faithful to the world.

In this article we have looked at the differences between Saint Pius V and Martin Luther. Martin Luther, having seen the problems within the church, decided to become heretical, left the church and create his own. On the other hand, St. Pope Pius V, stayed in the church and resolved the problems from the inside.