Have you read either Rama Coomaraswamy's The Problems with the New Mass or Fr James Wathen's The Great Sacrilege (same message - different styles)? If you haven't I would recommend giving these top priority.
The latter is available in the CathInfo Library. One of the chief points made in both these books is that the Canon of the Mass is changed, even the form of the Consecration is changed. You must question whether you are going to Mass at all when you attend the NO.
Yea, LaramieHirsch, I'm glad you mentioned that. This entire matter boils down to Holy Orders; and God did say that the Church would prevail against the gates of hell. It stands to reason therefore, that the unbroken chain of ordination would remain unaffected. Valid consecration of the bread and wine is all that matters.
This brings me to address Nadir: I read Ramas -- The Problems with the New Mass. It was one of the most compelling books Id ever read on this subject.
However, the fact that the Canon of the Mass and form of the Consecration was changed by V2, in my belief, is not a substantial matter. The concern is Holy Orders. So long as a priest is ordained of the chain of ordination handed down from Peter, the consecration, to me, is valid. This is a bishop-to-bishop-to-bishop... ordination traced back across 2000 years, a spiritual continnium.
This chain appears to have formed a second linkage as result of V2. I don't believe it was broken (or Gods words would not be true), but I do believe there are imposter priests amongst both branches. The protestants who infiltrated and sat in V2 did quite well in redesigning the Mass to their own beliefs, the main one being that Christ is not really present in the consecrated bread and wine. But this was the price the Holy Roman Catholic empire paid in attempting to unite the separated brothers.
That my take on all of it. There are many who probably wont agree. I'm a spiritual Catholic before I'm a political one, and my beliefs are more akin faith. And so, when a gray area of politics arises, I tend to side with what Jesus would do in such a situation.
Pray brother, and keep on keepin on.
God Bless the Catholic Church
Gene, You sound very confused. You say to Laramie,
Valid consecration of the bread and wine is all that matters.
Yet to me you say:
However, the fact that the Canon of the Mass and form of the Consecration was changed by V2, in my belief, is not a substantial matter.
What you or I might believe is of little significance. What matters is Church teaching on the subject.
Maybe you are not aware that there are certain conditions laid down by the Church if the sacrament is to be confected
1. The priest must be validly ordained (another questionable in the revamped sacrament of Holy Orders)
2. The priest must have the intention of doing what the Church does.
3. The matter of the subject must be the correct one.
4, The form (words) of the Sacrament must be correct.
How can you be sure you are actually receiving the Body and Blood of Our Saviour Jesus Christ when you know that the form has been changed.
Not that this is the only issue with the NO but it is, in my mind, the most crucial. It is sinful to participate in a rite that you doubt.
By the way, the rite of the Mass was not changed by Vatican 2 but by Paul VI in his Missale Romanorum given on Holy Thursday, April 3, 1969.
Maybe you need to reread "The Problems with the New Mass" or give the Fr Wathen book a try.
Yes, we must pray, but we must be careful about how we pray, and ensure we are not "praying protestant", which is what the Novus Ordo was intended for.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi.