The Warrior's Life (P. 3)

 

Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY DUTIES OF LAY PEOPLE

Accused of not being in communion with the Church militant, lay people will answer with St. Joan of Arc: "Yes, I unite, but I serve God first." Accused of being disobedient to the pope, they explain that the Holy Ghost was promised to the successors of Peter, not that they make known new doctrine by His revelation, but rather that, with His assistance, they might religiously and faithfully explain the Revelation or deposit of faith that was handed down through the apostles; and the power of the pope is not unlimited: not only can he not change anything which is of divine institution [to suppress episcopal jurisdiction, for instance—Ed.], but he is enjoined, through natural law, not to sow confusion in the flock of Christ [Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, Vol. II, col. 2039-2040 and, Is Tradition Excommunicated? Angelus Press, p. 19].

St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, Cajetan, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Thomas Aquinas, all teach that in a danger for the faith and of public scandal "particularly in doctrinal matters, it is not only lawful but right to resist publicly the hierarchy and the Pontiff himself."

St. Thomas writes: "Take note that if there were a danger for the faith, subordinates would be bound to reprove their prelates, even publicly" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, Q. 33).

Cajetan adds: "One must resist the pope who openly destroys the Church."

 

"O my God, I burn with the desire for the sanctification of your priests. I wish all the priestly hands which touch you were hands whose touch is gentle and pleasing to you, that all the mouths uttering such sublime words at the altar should never descend to speaking trivialities...."
In left of picture (above), vested in white and acting as Master of Ceremonies is Fr. Paul Morgan, past District Superior of the Asian District of the Society of Saint Pius X and close friend of Bishop Lazo. At right (above) is Fr. Paul Egli, formerly the missionary priest of the Society in New Caladonia and Papua New Guinea.

 

"...O my God, grant them to carry with them from the Mass of today a thirst for the Mass of tomorrow, and grant them, laden themselves with gifts, to share these abundantly with their fellow men. Amen."

 

I RETURNED TO TRADITION

Early in August 1995, after prolonged reflection and prayer, I decided to approach Rev. Fr. Paul Morgan, local superior of the Society of Saint Pius X, in the Philippines. I confided to him my plan to return to the traditional Latin Mass. Fr. Morgan received my confidence with joy and assigned Rev. Fr. Thomas Blute to assist me to re-learn the Latin Mass. But why did I want to go back to the Tridentine Mass and stop saying the new Mass which I had been saying for about 27 years? The following are the considerations which strengthened me in my resolve.

 

THE CHURCH HAS SPOKEN

• In the letter, Super Quibusdam (Sept. 29, 1351), Pope Clement VI taught:

The Roman Pontiff regarding the administration of the sacraments of the Church can tolerate and even permit different rites of the Church of Christ, always without violating those which pertain to the integrity and necessary part of the sacraments.

• The Council of Trent, Session XXI, Chap. 2:

The Council declares furthermore that this power has always been in the Church, that in the administration of the Sacraments, without violating their substance, she may determine or change whatever she may judge to be more expedient for the benefit of those who receive them or for the veneration of the Sacrament, according to the variety of circumstances, times and places.

• Pope St. Pius X in the letter, Ex quo non (Dec. 26, 1910): "It is well known that to the Church there belongs no right whatsoever to innovate anything touching on the substance of the Sacraments."

• And finally, on Nov. 30, 1947, Pope Pius XII issued the Apostolic constitution Sacramentum Ordinis which reiterates and clarifies the same principle as the Council of Trent teaches, that "the seven sacraments of the New Law have all been instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the Church has no power over the 'substance of the sacraments,' that is, over the things which, with the sources of divine revelation, as witness, Christ the Lord Himself decreed to be preserved in a sacramental sign..." (Dz. 2301).

Behold how the just man dies, and no one feels for him. The just are done away with, and no one cares. From the face of iniquity is the just man taken, and his memory shall be in peace (Matins Responsory for Holy Saturday) .

 

Bishop Lazo and First Communicants

 

THE FORM GIVEN BY CHRIST FOR THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH

In confecting the sacrament two things must be distinguished: the substance and the ceremonies. The ceremonies may change, but the substance never changes. The substance is the Matter and the Form. For the Eucharist the matter is twofold; likewise the form is twofold. The matter is bread and wine.

The form for the Bread: "For this is My Body." The form for the Wine: "For this is the Chalice of My Blood of the new and eternal Testament, the Mystery of Faith; which shall be for you and for many unto the remission of sins."

In the Novus Ordo Missae, the last clause is different. It says: "...which shall be shed for you and for all unto the remission of sins." With this change, the form for the consecration of the wine is altered from "for many" to "for all." This change touches the essential words given by Jesus Christ. This change may invalidate the consecration of the Precious Blood. See the theological study called The Ottaviani Intervention. This form leads to the heresy of universal salvation. Through Christ's death on the cross on Mt. Calvary, He redeemed all. But because not all men do all that is necessary for salvation, therefore not all are saved; hence, the form "for all" leads to that heresy.

The question of the validity of the new consecration was answered long before it was even asked, because it is the unalterable teaching of the magisterium that not even the Church herself, that is no pope, no bishop, not even a council, has the right or the power to innovate anything touching on the substance of the sacraments. To do this is to change the very words Jesus Christ has given. Otherwise Christ's promise will not be true. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life and I will raise him up on the last day."

The matter and the form have no power in themselves to give grace. The power depends entirely on the will of God, who has promised this grace. The realization of the promise depends on certain things and words so that if they are not there, the sacrament is not fulfilled. Let us quote from the Fathers.

St. Augustine: "The word is joined to the element, and it becomes a sacrament."

St. Ambrose: "When it is time to confect the blessed Sacrament, the priest does not use his own words; instead, he pronounces the words of our Lord. It is the words of our Lord that confect the Sacrament."

Fr. Benoit Walliez, the current Rector of St. Bernard pre-Seminary on the Philippine island of Iloilo, administers his absolution at the casket. At the far left in the picture is the American priest from New Mexico, Fr. Vicente Griego, who is head prior of the Society's only priory in the Philippine Islands.

 

THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS, OBSTACLE TO ECUMENISM, IS SCRAPPED

The ancient Mass was scrapped because of ecumenism. Ecumenism aims at unity with all religions, especially Protestantism. But the old Mass contained many Catholic dogmas which the Protestants denied. Therefore the Mass instituted by Jesus Christ was changed for the Mass which was a concoction of Fr. Annibale Bugnini, a Freemason. Six Protestant ministers who assisted him saw to it that all the Catholic dogmas offensive to Protestant ears were deleted. Prayers stressing the idea of sacrifice were dropped, and the Protestant practices like the offertory procession and the prayer of the faithful were introduced. This way the Traditional Latin Mass was Protestantized. And the result? Many Catholics were and still are converted to Protestantism. This is the fruit of ecumenism.

NOVUS ORDO MISSAE

What do we say about the Novus Ordo Missae? The music is often "Rock 'n Roll," often accompanied by guitars. Then, there are irreverent dances by the laity and the priests and the imitation of the TV presentations. With all these the sense of the sacred is minimized, if not altogether canceled. All these bring to us the nostalgia of the Plain Chant, the official Church music: The memory of the Missa de Angelis on Sundays, the solemn melodies of the Magnificat at Vespers and the angelic tune of the Salve Regina at Compline. Then there is the awe-inspiring Veni Creator that begins every solemn occasion in the life of the Church, and the Pange Lingua and Tantum Ergo at the solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Nor do we forget the Requiem Mass of the dead with its Libera Me for the absolution. We should not forget the solemn Te Deum, the hymn of thanksgiving that usually terminates every great feast of the Liturgical Year.

What about the sermons and homilies of the Novus Ordo Missae? Our preachers talk about the social problems of the country, like the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo in Central Luzon; they comment on the construction of the dam in Casecnan, in the Caraballo Mountains, the denudations of our forests, like those in Mt. Apo in Mindanao, the NAMPREL [i.e., a movement in favor of citizens' election polls as opposed to official government election polls—Ed.] performances both in the local and national elections and the destructive flood of Ormoc City. They also question the death penalty law, the scams committed by the government officials and by the peace officers, the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military. Indeed, the flock is not fed with the bread of eternal truths of salvation or the explanation of the Gospel of that Sunday to feed the flock hungry for the Word of God.

 

CATHOLIC DOCTRINE ON TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) defined the unchanging Catholic Doctrine on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Essentially it has three realities:

1) The first reality, Transubstantiation, is real. It is the will of God. Therefore the Divine Eucharistic Presence in the Sacred Host is real.

2) The second reality is that the Holy Mass is a sacrifice, which is the renewal of the sacrifice on Mt. Calvary. The Holy Mass is first and foremost a sacrifice of forgiveness and expiation of sins. It is also a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Furthermore, the Holy Mass is a communion at the sacrifice previously celebrated.

3) The third reality is the role of the priest. His role is essential and exclusive. He offers the Sacrifice and he does this alone, for he alone has received the sacrament of Holy Orders. Because of his ordination to the holy priesthood, he alone has the power to consecrate the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

His Excellency Bishop Lazo is laid to rest along the communion rail of Our Lady of Victories on the Gospel side just inside the sanctuary, approximately between the First and Second Stations of the Cross. "O Jesus! grant us, by virtue of Thy cross, to embrace with meekness and cheerful submission the difficulties of our state and to be ever ready to take up our cross and follow Thee."

 

RETURNING TO THE TRADITIONAL MASS

These things must be remembered: 1)  A sacrament is a visible sign instituted by Jesus Christ to give grace. The Holy Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments; 2) The Novus Ordo Missae was not instituted by Jesus Christ. It was a concoction of Fr. Annibale Bugnini; six Protestant ministers helped him in fabricating it. Therefore the Novus Ordo Missae is the work of men only. They did not have the power to give to their work the power that Christ gave to His. Hence, the Bugnini Mass is spiritually barren. It cannot sanctify like that of the Mass instituted by Jesus Christ.

Because of these considerations, I was happy to return to the traditional Mass, the Mass of my ordination. On August 22, 1995, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, after 27 years celebrating the Novus Ordo Missae, I offered once again the Tridentine Latin Holy Mass, the Mass of All Time. I was happy for the unique privilege. Gratitude filled my heart deeply to be able again to offer the Holy Mass that is acceptable to the holy and triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

May Mary, the Mother of God, St. Joseph, St. Anthony, my Patron Saint, St. Michael, my guardian angel, assist me as a priest and bishop to be faithful to Jesus Christ, my Lord and King to the end of my life.

Late in 1995, Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, invited me through Rev. Fr. Paul Morgan, the Society's local Superior, to the priestly ordinations at Econe, Switzerland, that were to take place in June 1996. I wrote to the Superior General that I could not give a positive answer on two counts: First, I was not financially able, and second, as I was already almost in my eighties, therefore someone had to accompany me as my attendant. Bishop Fellay wrote back and assured me that he would provide free plane tickets for the two of us. Thus, in June 1996, accompanied by Rev. Fr. Paul Morgan and Mr. Dominador Jerusalem, my attendant and secretary, I boarded a plane of Singapore Airlines which landed us in Zurich, Switzerland. From Zurich, we took the train to Martigny, the nearest station to Econe. From there we motored to the International Seminary of the Society of Saint Pius X, in Econe, two days before the ordinations.

On the ordination day the ceremonies were unfolded in an improvised chapel on a meadow nearby so that the thousands of relatives, guests and friends could be accommodated. There were many sisters, priests and five bishops, i.e., the four bishops of the Society—Bishop Fellay, Bishop Williamson, Bishop de Mallerais, Bishop Gallareta—, and myself. We all imposed our hands on the ordinands. The priests did the same. After the ordination rites, there was a banquet at the end of which I was asked to say a few words. Later on, Rev. Fr. Peter Scott, the District Superior of the US, approached me and said: "Your Excellency, you speak English, so you come to the US and tell us how you came back to Tradition." The following day, Fr. Scott gave me the schedule of the communities and parishes where I was expected to narrate the story of my return to Tradition.

Before leaving Europe, Fr. Morgan proposed that we go to France to visit the shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Southern France, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, at La Rue du Bac in Paris, of St. John Marie Vianney and the most famous of all, Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. Before proceeding to Fatima, we were welcomed at the house of Mr. John Morgan, Fr. Morgan's brother. He cooked for us a delicious meal. We spent the night in a traditional Capuchin monastery where I was asked to give a conference to the friars on how I returned to Catholic Tradition after 27 years in the Novus Ordo Missae. While waiting for the car the following day, Bro. Didacus told us that their monastery was formerly a Masonic lodge and the Masons had their regular assembly in the building before the Capuchin monks bought the facility for their use. As soon as the car arrived we motored to the airport of Lyons. From there we flew to Lisbon. Three days were spent in Fatima and we returned to Paris for the plane that landed us in Singapore. After a few days in this city, we flew to Kuala Lumpur. On the third day, our host took us to Malacca to see the place where St. Francis Xavier was buried for over one year. In the afternoon we motored back from Kuala Lumpur. From this city, we boarded the plane for Manila via Singapore.

Back in the Philippines, I found out that I was scheduled to address several groups of people who wanted to know why I rejected the new rite of the Mass. They found it strange that the New Mass was imposed by the Catholic Bishops and yet I, a bishop of the CBCP, was opposing the hierarchy. My explanation was needed and I welcomed these occasions to enlighten my people why there was a crisis and such confusion in the Catholic Church today. For ignorance is rampant, not only among the lay Catholics, but also among the priests. I myself did not know what happened at Vatican Council II before I retired from the governance of the diocese of San Fernando of La Union, in 1993. It took me about two years to update myself and to realize that there was a conspiracy on the part of the enemies of the Catholic Church. Martin Luther has said: "Destroy the Catholic Mass and you will destroy the Catholic Religion."

May God give us the grace to persevere to the end faithful to Catholic Tradition and to the traditional Latin Mass because only those who persevere will receive the crown of victory.

Salvador L. Lazo

 

Bishop Lazo's Bibliography

previous page