ON THE NEW RITE OF ORDINATION:
THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS IS NOT THE ONLY SACRED RITE CHANGED SINCE 
VATICAN II

By Father Kevin Vaillancourt


Not long ago, I celebrated my tenth anniversary as a Roman Catholic priest. 
There are many memories of that blessed day. It has been nice to review the 
pictures of the ceremonies and to recall the moment of ordination when I was 
made a priest of God. It was at that time I was given the power to offer Holy 
Mass, to bless, and to forgive sins. I remember with special joy my first 
blessing given as a priest. It was bestowed on my parents.

In order to enkindle some of the spark I received on that day, I took some 
time in the stillness of my parish church to review the ordination 
ceremonies. The wording of that holy rite is truly inspiring. In a sermon for 
my anniversary Mass I reviewed with my parishioners the meaning of those 
words. I also reviewed with them the mutilated form of the ordination rite in 
the Novus Ordo Church. The differences are not just striking in what the 
words do or do not say, they are shocking and even worrisome.


CHANGES IN THE RITE OF ORDINATION

Why did the Innovators find it necessary to change everything sacred in the 
Church? Tampering with the Mass was not their only nefarious deed. They left 
us an empty shell of worship of God by taking away the Sacrifice of the Mass 
and replacing it with the Abomination of Desolation. Their efforts produced a 
liturgy with severely doubtful validity all the while destroying the sacred 
tradition of Latin as the official language of the Church. They didn't stop 
here. A major butcher-job was done on the Rite of Ordination to the 
Priesthood. Since most people rarely see an ordination, the seriousness of 
this has perhaps gone largely undetected. We cannot be silent about it any 
longer.

By 1967 the Novus Ordo was introduced and the Tridentine Latin Mass was 
abolished. Major announcements were made and most of us sat by as we watched 
our Mass being destroyed. Do you know the date of the change in the 
sacramental rites? Perhaps not. There were no announcements made, no write-
ups in parish bulletins or diocesan papers. The new Roman Pontifical was made 
official in 1978. It was prepared by the International Commission on English 
in the Liturgy (ICEL), the same group responsible for the changes in the 
Mass. In Chapter Eleven we find the new rite of Ordination Of A Priest. In 
twelve pages of wide-spaced type, one can read how a man is made a priest in 
the new rite. The modern ordination is simplified to the extreme. If it is 
stretched out with singing and a sermon it could probably take about an hour. 
My ordination took nearly three.

Besides reducing the wording of ceremonies, they have also taken some of the 
preparatory orders away. As of 1978, Tonsure was eliminated and the only 
Minor Orders are Lector and Acolyte. From here the candidate for the modern 
priesthood jumps to the Diaconate and then to the Priesthood. Abolished also 
is the Order of Subdiaconate. Tonsure, Porter, Exorcist and Subdiaconate were 
not superfluous steps to the priesthood. Each communicated a future 
responsibility that the candidate would face as a priest. Why was it 
necessary for them to be eliminated? Hasn't the new rite cheapened the 
respect the new candidate should have for the priesthood?


ESSENCE OF THE MEANING OF ORDINATION ARE MISSING

Why is a man made a priest in the Catholic Church? The chief reason is to 
offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The traditional rite explains this 
clearly. In the words of the bishop to the ordinand, the office of the 
priesthood is explained according to the traditional understanding of what we 
know a priest should be:

"Dearly beloved son, as you are now about to be consecrated to the office of 
the Priesthood, endeavor to receive it worthily, and when you have received 
it, to fulfill its duties blamelessly. The Priest is ordained to offer 
Sacrifice, to bless, to guide, to preach and to baptize. With great awe 
should one advance to so high a state...."

Here is how the office of the Priesthood is explained by the bishop according 
to the 1978 rite:  "My son, you are now to advance to the order of the 
prebyterate. You must apply your energies to the duty of teaching in the name 
of Christ, the chief Teacher. Share with mankind the word of God you have 
received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach 
what you believe, and put into practice what you teach. . . . In the memorial 
of the Lord's death and resurrection, make every effort to die to sin and to 
walk in the new life of Christ."

There is no subtle difference here. The Catholic priesthood is to be 
distinguished from any other ministry because it is a sacrificing priesthood. 
The Catholic priest offers up the renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary. He 
offers God back to God for the good of mankind. Holy Mass is not merely a 
memorial of the Lord's death, nor does the Mass have anything to do with 
Christ's Resurrection. The essence of the priesthood -- that it was 
established to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass, the unbloody renewal of 
Calvary -- is missing from the new rite. This is important as we consider a 
point later in the ceremonies.


THE FORM OF THE NEW RITE OF ORDINATION

From the catechism we know that all Sacraments must have proper matter, form 
and intention. If any of these is defective, there is no Sacrament. For 
example, to attempt to baptize with motor oil would be invalid because oil is 
improper matter for baptism. Even if the proper words are used and the 
minister has the proper intention, there would be no Sacrament of Baptism 
because there was improper matter (one of the three essential elements) used. 
It was oil and not water.

By the intention necessary for each Sacrament is usually meant what is 
expressed or implied by the minister of the Sacrament. In the new ordination 
rite, the intention of the bishop has already been seen in his address to the 
candidate. Another important consideration is the intention of the recipient. 
For all Sacraments except the Holy Eucharist, the intention of the recipient 
can also block the validity of that Sacrament. In the 1978 rite, the 
intention of the candidate is publicly proclaimed in a question and answer 
form from bishop to candidate. See if you can read where the candidate 
declares that he is receiving the sacrificing priesthood:

"Bishop: My son, before you proceed to the order of presbyterate, declare 
before the people your intention to undertake this priestly office. Are you 
resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail the 
office of the priesthood in the presbyteral order as a conscientious fellow 
worker with the bishops in caring for the Lord'sflock?

"Candidate: I am.

"Bishop: Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ faithfully and 
religiously as the Church has handed them down to us for the glory of God and 
the sanctification of Christ's people?

"Candidate: I am.

"Bishop: Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word worthily and 
wisely, preaching the Gospel and explaining the catholic faith?

"Candidate: I am.

"Bishop: Are you resolved to consecrate your life to God for the salvation of 
his people, and to unite yourself more closely every day to Christ the High 
Priest, who offered Himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice? 
"Candidate: I am. THE FORM ALSO IS CHANGED

To this point we have reviewed the expressed intention for which a man is 
ordained. The matter of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the imposition of 
hands by the bishop on the ordinand. This is done in silence and is one of 
the most inspiring parts of the ceremony. The traditional rite and that of 
1978 are the same on at this point. But the form of the Sacrament is 
different.

In 1948, Pope Pius XII defined once and for all which words of the 
traditional ceremony are to be considered the essential form.  Changing these 
in any way would invalidate the Sacrament. It is important to note that the 
pope never changed the word s. He defined the words that were already in the 
ceremonial for many centuries. The form of the Sacrament in the traditional 
ceremony is:

"Grant, we implore Thee, almighty Father, to this Thy servant the dignity of 
the Priesthood, renew within him the spirit of holiness, that he may keep the 
rank in Thy service which he has received from Thee, and by his conduct 
afford a pattern of holy living.

"The form in the 1978 rite is: Hear us, Lord our God, and pour out upon this 
servant of yours the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the power 
of the priesthood. In your sight we offer this man for ordination: support 
him with your unfailing love. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

"The nature of the priesthood is that which is explained in the publicly 
expressed intention of the bishop. To which form of the priesthood is the 
candidate ordained in either ceremony?


FURTHER MISSING ELEMENTS IN THE NEW RITE OF ORDINATION

After the candidate is made a priest, he receives the uniform of his office. 
The 1978 form calls for the bishop to arrange the stole of the newly ordained 
and place the chasuble on him without any prayers. The traditional rite uses 
these prayers:

"For the Stole:  Receive the yoke of the Lord, for His yoke is sweet, and His 
burden light.

"For the Chasuble:  Receive the priestly vestment whereby charity is 
signified; for God is well able to give thee an increase of charity and its 
perfect works.

Next the hands of the newly ordained are anointed with oil. The traditional 
rite has the bishop say:

"Be pleased, O Lord, to consecrate and hallow these hands by this anointing 
and our blessing That whatsoever they bless may be blessed, and whatsoever 
they consecrate may be consecrated and hallowed, in the name of Our Lord 
Jesus Christ."

The 1978 rite:  "The Father anointed Our Lord Jesus Christ through the power 
of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people 
and to offer sacrifice to God.

Next, the traditional rite has the bishop present a chalice containing wine 
and water to the newly ordained upon which is placed a paten with an 
unconsecrated host. As the ordinandi touch these, these words are said by the 
bishop:

"Receive the power to offer Sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Mass, both for 
the living and the dead, in the name of the Lord."

The 1978 rite has none of these prayers.

Lastly, toward the end of the Ordination Mass in the traditional ceremony, 
the bishop lays his hands upon the ordinandi saying: "Receive the Holy Ghost; 
whose sins thou shalt forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins thou 
shalt retain, they are retained."

Following this the bishop unfolds the chasuble saying:

"The Lord clothe thee with the robe of innocence."

The 1978 rite has neither of these prayers.

The 1978 rite is conspicuous for what is missing, especially in some of the 
essential wording of the ceremony.  The priesthood in the modern church is 
proceeding along a decidedly different path than that which the Church has 
taken for centuries.

Just where will that path lead us all?


THE PAPAL BULL "APOSTOLICAE CURAE" ON THE NEW RITE OF ORDINATION

The New Rite of Ordination that was instituted by Paul VI on June 18, 1968, 
after Vatican II suffers from the same defects as the Anglican Rite of  
Ordination, which was declared to be invalid by Pope Leo XIII in his infallible 
Bull Apostolicae Curae.  When the Anglicans separated from the Catholic Church 
in the 16th century, they created a New Rite of Ordination which removed every 
reference to the true sacrificing priesthood.  Likewise, every mandatory 
reference to the true sacrificing priesthood was removed from the Rite of 
Ordination promulgated by Paul VI after Vatican II.  Here are some of the 
prayers in the Traditional Rite of Ordination which set forth the true nature of 
the priesthood, which were abolished in the New Rite of Paul VI.

"For it is a priest's duty to offer sacrifice, to bless, to lead, to preach, and 
to baptize."  ABOLISHED.

"That Thou wouldst recall all who have wandered from the unity of the Church, 
and lead all believers to the light of the Gospel."  ABOLISHED.

"Theirs be the task to change with blessing undefiled, for the service of Thy 
people, bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Thy Son."  ABOLISHED.

"Be pleased, Lord, to consecrate and sanctify these hands by this anointing, and 
our blessing.  That whatsoever they bless may be blessed, and whatsoever they 
consecrate may be consecrated and sanctified in the name of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ."  ABOLISHED.

"Receive the power to offer sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Mass, both
for the living and the dead, in the name of the Lord."  ABOLISHED.

"The new priests then promise obedience to their bishop who 'charges' them to 
bear in mind that offering Holy Mass is not free from risk and that they should 
learn everything necessary from diligent priests before undertaking so fearful a 
responsibility."  ABOLISHED.

"The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, come 
down upon you, and make you blessed in the priestly Order, enabling you to offer 
propitiatory sacrifices for the sins of the people to Almighty God."  ABOLISHED.

"As the previous section made clear, every prayer in the traditional rite
[of Ordination] which stated specifically the essential role of a priest
as a man ordained to offer propitiatory sacrifice for the living and dead
has been removed [from the New Rite of Paul VI].  In most cases these
were the precise prayers removed by the Protestant reformers, or if not
precisely the same there are clear parallels." (Historian Michael Davies, The 
Order of Melchisedech, p. 83)

"There is not one mandatory prayer in the new rite of ordination itself which 
makes clear that the essence of the Catholic priesthood is the conferral of the 
powers to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and to absolve men of their sins, and 
that the sacrament imparts a character which differentiates a priest not simply 
in degree but in essence from a layman.  There is not a word in it that is 
incompatible with Protestant belief."  (Historian Michael Davies, The Order of 
Melchisedech, p. xix)

It is totally obvious from these facts that there is no intention in the New
Rite of ordaining a true sacrificing Priest.  Every single mandatory reference 
to the true sacrificing priesthood was deliberately removed, just as in the 
Anglican Rite, which was declared invalid for that very reason by Pope Leo XIII.  
Thus, the following words declared by Pope Leo XIII apply exactly to the New 
Rite of Paul VI.

Pope Leo XIII decreed in Apostolicae Curae, September 13, 1896:  "For this 
reason, in the whole Ordinal not only is there no clear mention of the 
sacrifice, of consecration, of the sacerdotium [sacrificing priesthood], but, as 
we have just stated, every trace of these things, which had been in such prayers 
of the Catholic rite as they had not entirely rejected, was deliberately removed
and struck out.  In this way the native character -- or spirit as it is called 
-- of the Ordinal clearly manifests itself.  Hence, if vitiated in its origin it 
was wholly insufficient to confer Orders, it was impossible that in
the course of time it could become sufficient since no change had taken
place."

The New Rite fits this description precisely.  The New Rite of Ordination 
specifically eliminated the sacrificing priesthood.  The intention it manifests 
is therefore contrary to the intention of the Church and cannot suffice for 
validity.

Pope Leo XIII further decreed in Apostolicae Curae:  "For, to put aside other 
reasons which show this to be insufficient for the purpose in the Anglican rite, 
let this argument suffice for all:  from them has been deliberately removed 
whatever sets forth the dignity and office of the priesthood in the Catholic 
rite.  That form, consequently, cannot be considered apt or sufficient for the 
sacrament which omits what it ought essentially to signify."


ADDENDUM:  THE NEW RITE OF CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS

Paul VI's New Rite of Consecration of Bishops is also an issue.  In Sacramentum 
Ordinis, November 30, 1947, Pius XII declared what is the essential form for the 
Consecration of Bishops:

"But regarding the matter and form in the conferring of every order, by Our same 
supreme Apostolic authority, We decree and establish the following:  in the 
Episcopal ordination or consecration, the form consists of the words of the 
'Preface,' of which the following are essential and so required for validity:  
'Complete in Your Priest the fullness of Your ministry, and sanctify him, 
adorned (as he is) with the ornament of all glorification, with the dew of
heavenly anointing.  (Enchiridion Symbolorum 2301)

The form in the New Rite of Paul VI for the Consecration of Bishops is radically 
different from that which was declared essential for validity by Pius XII.  Here 
it is:

"And now pour out upon this chosen one the power that comes from You, the
excellent spirit You gave Your beloved Son Jesus Christ, which He Himself
gave the Holy Apostles, who built the Church in every place as Your Sanctuary
for the everlasting glory and praise of His name."

The two forms only have one thing in common, the single word "et," which
means "and."  In the Traditional Rite, with its expression "the fullness of
Your ministry" and "ornament of all glorification," the purpose of
Consecration is clearly defined since both can refer only to the bishop.  In
the new rite, an unambiguous description of the effect of Episcopal Consecration 
is missing.

In the New Rite of Episcopal Consecration, basically every reference to the
specifically Catholic understanding of the Episcopate has been deleted, just
like in the New Rite of Ordination.  In fact, there is not one unambiguous
statement about the intended sacramental effect of Episcopal Consecration
that can be found.

In the Traditional Rite of Consecration, the Consecrator instructs the bishop
elect in the following terms:

"A bishop judges, interprets, consecrates, ordains, offers, baptizes, and
confirms."  This has been abolished in the New Rite.

In the Traditional Rite, the Bishop-to-be is asked to confirm his belief in
each and every article of the Creed.  This has been abolished in the New Rite.

In the Traditional Rite, the Bishop-to-be is asked if he will "anathematize
every heresy that shall arise against the Holy Catholic Church."  This has been 
abolished in the New Rite.  The deletion of this requirement to anathematize
heresy is significant, for this is indeed one of the functions of a Bishop.

In the Traditional Rite, after the consecratory prayer, the functions of a
Bishop are once again specified in these words:

"Give him, O Lord, the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven....  Whatsoever he shall 
bind upon earth, let it be bound likewise in Heaven, and whatsoever he shall 
loose upon earth, let it likewise be loosed in Heaven.  Whose sins he shall 
retain, let them be retained, and do Thou remit the sins of whomsoever he shall 
remit....  Grant him, O Lord, an Episcopal chair...."  This entire prayer has 
been abolished in the New Rite.

Paul VI's New Rite of Episcopal Consecration, therefore, has a radically
different form than what Pius XII declared was necessary for validity.  Further, 
other references to the specifically Catholic understanding of the Episcopate, 
such as that the Bishop is empowered to ordain, were deliberately abolished.  

Pope Leo XIII decreed in Apostolicae Curae:  "When anyone has rightly and 
seriously made use of the due form and the matter requisite for effecting
or conferring the sacrament, he is considered by that very fact to do what the
Church does.   On this principle rests the doctrine that a sacrament is truly
conferred by the ministry of one who is a heretic or unbaptized, provided the
Catholic rite be employed.  On the other hand, if the rite be changed, with
the manifest intention of introducing another rite not approved by the Church, 
and of rejecting what the Church does, and what by the institution of Christ 
belongs to the nature of the Sacrament, then it is clear that not only
is the necessary intention wanting to the sacrament, but that the intention
is adverse to and destructive of the sacrament."