Because this detail was basically overlooked, and it is a subject of grave importance, I am posting it on its own thread. To put it into greater context one must read the Open Letter to Fr. Pfeiffer which can be found at...
http://brasildogmadafe.blogspot.com.br/2014/11/open-letter-to-fr-joseph-pfeiffer.html The delicate subject of the
Communicatio in sacris was addressed in the Open Letter, which never received a reply of any sort as of today. I am convinced that it is not a matter which any Traditional Catholic can ignore. There is a grave error to be found, which whether you support Fr. Pfeiffer completely or not, everyone should be asking him to clarify on this issue. If you support Fr. Pfeiffer, and after understanding the issue of this error, you deliberately choose to support him on this error, I am publicly calling into question your belief in the Catholic religion and simply suggesting that perhaps being loyal to Fr. Pfeiffer is more important to you than being loyal to Christ's Church.
Fact: The SSPX celebrates, without exceptions, the 1962 Tridentine rite of the Mass.
fact The
communicatio in sacris is a sin and a canonical crime. In order for the canonical crime of communicatio in sacris, canon law requires certain specific requirements. One of these requirements is that the rite is "non-Catholic". This requirement is
sine qua non. The Tridentine Mass is not a non-Catholic rite, so one can never commit the crime of communicatio in sacris assisting a true Tridentine Mass.
Fact The "Catholic Encyclopedia" says: "
Communicatio in sacris, i.e. active participation in non-Catholic
religious functions...".
www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5695Prümmer, "Manuale Theologiae Moralis", Herder, 1961, T 1, n° 522 (boock used in the SSPX) says: "Communicatio religiosa seu in sacris... est positiva, quando catholicus participat in culto hereticu aut infideli" ("Communicatio religiosa seu in sacris... is positive, when a Catholic participates in the heretical or infidel religious services [cult]") ...
Fact:As cited in the Open Letter, Fr. Pfeiffer has publicly asserted that attending any SSPX Mass would be a sin-crime of
Communicatio in sacris. This recording is public and anyone can find various sites that have published this and attempted to bind the faithful's conscience to this error. Fr. Pfeiffer, because this error was public, should publicly have to recant this error due to the devestating effects that it has caused to the common good. As of today, he has not.
Conclusion One may well conclude that Fr. Pfeiffer does not understand the term
Communicatio in sacris, or that he is deliberately being deceptive. The only other option to be concluded is that he does not believe that the 1962 rite of the Mass IS a valid Catholic rite; I do not believe that this is the case, but because his words are public and the grave error is present, he is obligated to retract under the pain of grave sin if he understands the danger and damage he has caused to the salvation of souls. If the reader has come to understand what this means and holds to this position, he also has an obligation to withdraw this position of a priest that propagates and obliges such grave errors onto the Catholic faithful.
Adverse thoughts and opinions on this topic are most certainly welcome. Before responding please read both responses from a resistance priest, which can be found added as updates to the Open Letter on the link provided or also on the thread of this forum. Thanks.
In Christo Rege,
Michael Fuller