conscnce.zip (9K)

An extract from the 1958 high-school (Grade 11) religion book Living our Faith, which succinctly addresses the various states of the conscience. It may be useful to those struggling with a problem of conscience.

De Defectibus

Text of the instruction De Defectibus" ("On Defects That May Occur in the Celebration of Mass") taken from the front of a Tridentine Altar Missal (it was omitted when the "Novus Ordo Missae" of Paul VI was promulgated in 1969). It shows with what care the Mass must be celebrated to be valid and answers all the common questions of "What should be done if ... ?"

Text of the 1460 Bull Execrabilis of Pope Pius II. Condemns "conciliarism" - resisting the teachings of the Magisterium in the vain hope that a "more favorable" ruling may be made by a future council.

fast.zip (7K)

Article on fasting taken from the (1909) Catholic Encyclopedia, with brief introductory commentary on how it may be applied to Lenten fasting today.

Episcopal Jurisdiction and the Holy See

By Joseph C. Fenton, taken from a 1949 issue of "The American Ecclestical Review." It demonstrates how episcopal jurisdiction derives directly only from the Pope or his delegated agent(s).

The Doctrinal Authority of Papal Allocutions

By Joseph C. Fenton, taken from a (circa) 1956 issue of "The American Ecclesiastical Review." It shows how Papal allocutions published in the "Acta" ("Acta Apostolica Sedis" or "AAS") must be considered "authoritative" (proximate to, if not actually ex cathedra), regardless of the form in which they are presented, as long as it is emphatic and intends to be definitive.

While ex cathedra pronouncements cannot be rejected without incurring heresy, "authoritative" statements of the Church's magisterium bind under pain of serious sin. Thus, protestations by the Modernists that the documents of Vatican II (and other post-Conciliar encyclicals, etc.) are not "dogmatic" are without foundation. Taken to its logical conclusion, Fenton's article permits one to conclude that since certain authoritative teachings of the post-Conciliar "popes" conflict with those of their predecessors (and inasmuch as Our Lord has promised all true popes the gift of infallibility), the post-Conciliar "popes" cannot be true popes.

heresy.zip (21K)

Article on heresy taken from the (1910) Catholic Encyclopedia. It mentions (in part) that "The pope himself, if notoriously guilty of heresy, would cease to be pope because he would cease to be a member of the Church."

limbo.zip (11K)

Article on Limbo taken from the (1910) Catholic Encyclopedia.

relatio.zip (38K)

This file is the "Relatio" of Bishop Vincent Ferrer Gasser presented to the fathers (bishops) of Vatican I on July 11, 1870, which explains what precisely is meant by the doctrine of papal infallibility. It explains that the Pope need not follow any specfic form (e.g., "We hereby teach, proclaim and define that ... And if anyone hold the contrary, let him be anathema.") but simply indicate in some way that his decision on a particular matter of faith or morals is intended to be definitive and binding. (See also The Doctrinal Authority of Papal Allocutions above.)

revelatn.zip (8K)

Article on private revelation taken from the 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia.

testem.zip (4K)

Article on TESTEM BENEVOLENTIAE of Pope Leo XIII (January 22, 1899 apostolic letter to Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore) on the subject of "Americanism".

wine.zip (3K)

On the proper form for the consecration of the wine, taken from the Catechism of the Council of Trent. Clearly shows why the expression "for all" should NOT be used.