The Grain of Incense: Sedevacantists and Una Cum Masses by Rev. Anthony Cekada
In our lives as traditional Catholics, we make many judgments that must inevitably produce logical consequences in our actual religious practice. The earliest that I remember making occurred at about age 14. Guitar songs at Mass, I concluded, were irreverent. Thereafter, throughout eight years in the diocesan seminary, I never once opened my mouth to sing one.
For some questions, the practical course of action that follows from a judgment is self-evident: If the Paul VI rite for making priests and bishops is invalid, we should avoid the Masses these priests and bishops offer.
For other questions, how we must act may not be so obvious — or it may be dictated by instinct, because we cannot necessarily explain all the underlying principles.
For some sedevacantists, one issue in particular falls into the latter category: a traditional Latin Mass offered by a validly ordained priest who utters a phrase in the Canon referring to Benedict, our Pope. This practice is followed by all priests who offer the recently instituted Motu Masses, as well as by priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), its affiliated organizations and the majority of “independent” traditionalist priests.
In our lives as traditional Catholics, we make many judgments that must inevitably produce logical consequences in our actual religious practice. The earliest that I remember making occurred at about age 14. Guitar songs at Mass, I concluded, were irreverent. Thereafter, throughout eight years in the diocesan seminary, I never once opened my mouth to sing one.
For some questions, the practical course of action that follows from a judgment is self-evident: If the Paul VI rite for making priests and bishops is invalid, we should avoid the Masses these priests and bishops offer.
For other questions, how we must act may not be so obvious — or it may be dictated by instinct, because we cannot necessarily explain all the underlying principles.
For some sedevacantists, one issue in particular falls into the latter category: a traditional Latin Mass offered by a validly ordained priest who utters a phrase in the Canon referring to Benedict, our Pope. This practice is followed by all priests who offer the recently instituted Motu Masses, as well as by priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), its affiliated organizations and the majority of “independent” traditionalist priests.
In our lives as traditional Catholics, we make many judgments that must inevitably produce logical consequences in our actual religious practice. The earliest that I remember making occurred at about age 14. Guitar songs at Mass, I concluded, were irreverent. Thereafter, throughout eight years in the diocesan seminary, I never once opened my mouth to sing one.
For some questions, the practical course of action that follows from a judgment is self-evident: If the Paul VI rite for making priests and bishops is invalid, we should avoid the Masses these priests and bishops offer.
For other questions, how we must act may not be so obvious — or it may be dictated by instinct, because we cannot necessarily explain all the underlying principles.
For some sedevacantists, one issue in particular falls into the latter category: a traditional Latin Mass offered by a validly ordained priest who utters a phrase in the Canon referring to Benedict, our Pope. This practice is followed by all priests who offer the recently instituted Motu Masses, as well as by priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), its affiliated organizations and the majority of “independent” traditionalist priests.