Parish communique in the Diocese of Manchester, NH
Dear Parishioners of Mary Queen of Peace and Parish of the Holy Spirit, On Behalf of Fr Britto and myself, I write to inform you all of an important change in status of the Saint Benedict Center and the “Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School: Following recent decisions reached by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, The Saint Benedict Center, The Saint Benedict Center, Inc., and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, have been placed under strict canonical prohibitions and obligations As a result the Most Reverend Peter Libasci, Bishop of Manchester has determined Beginning January 7, 2019, under no circumstances may Catholics receive the sacraments of the Church at the Saint Benedict Center or any of its locations, nor should they participate in any activity provided by this group or school.
This is a new set of circumstances for the St. Benedict Center. Prior to this new directive from Bishop Libasci and the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, Bishop Libasci had been allowing for certain sacraments to be offered at the St Benedict Center (Confession and Eucharist). This allowance has been rescinded. I know this may cause questions and confusion among some of you. The diocese has invited anyone looking for further details to refer to the diocesan website at: www.catholicnh.org/about/stay-informed/frequently-asked-questions/#stbenedict. Any specific questions can be directed to The Office of Canonical Services and Tribunal 603-669-3101.
In his desire to provide for the pastoral needs of Catholics in NH, Bishop Libasci has arranged for the Latin Mass to be offered once a week at St. Stanislaus Church in Winchester. The Latin Mass will be offered on Sundays at 7:45am by a priest of the Fraternal Society of St. Peter (FSSP). I remain with you all in prayer and if I can be of any assistance on this matter, I will do my best. In Christ, Fr Alan Tremblay (and Fr Britto Adaikalam).
Below is a copy of what can be found on the diocesan website regarding this matter: What is the status of the Saint Benedict Center and the “Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School? The individuals who work and reside at Saint Benedict Center in Richmond, NH, are men and women who have chosen to live in community having adopted and following their own set of rules. Neither Saint Benedict Center, the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, nor the self-referenced “Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” enjoy any recognition, canonical or otherwise, in the Universal Roman Catholic Church or in the Diocese of Manchester. They are not a Catholic organization, nor can they, or should they, present themselves in such a way. The Immaculate Heart of Mary School is not a Catholic School, nor can it, or should it, present itself as such, or imply that it offers an education rooted in Catholic Tradition.
In the past, the Bishop of Manchester has granted permission for a priest in good standing to offer ministry at the Saint Benedict Center. Unfortunately, this fact has been manipulated to imply the Bishop’s support or recognition. To avoid any further confusion as to the status of the Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, beginning 7 January 2019, Catholic priests are now under strict prohibition from celebrating the Sacraments of the Church at the Center.
The theological teachings of the Slaves and those associated with them on the principle “extra ecclesiam nulla salus,” (outside the Church there is no salvation) was declared “unacceptable” by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, in April 2016 and reaffirmed in October 2016. Rome considers the matter closed! Therefore, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, The Saint Benedict Center, The Saint Benedict Center, Inc., and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, are placed under strict canonical prohibitions and obligations.
It is the most sincere hope of the Bishop of Manchester that all those associated with the Saint Benedict Center and its various entities will rediscover full communion with the See of Peter. Catholics are not permitted, under any circumstances, to receive the sacraments of the Church at the Saint Benedict Center, Richmond, New Hampshire, and its associated locations, nor should they participate in any activity provided by this group or school. In his pastoral care for the souls of those who work, live at, or reside near the Saint Benedict Center, the Bishop of Manchester has arranged for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Latin Mass) at St. Stanislaus, 80 Richmond Street, Winchester, NH 03470, on Sundays at 7:45am. Letter from Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: https://www.catholicnh.org/assets/Documents/About/FAQ/StBenedictCtr-CDF-Ltr-10.26.18.pdf Precepts of Prohibition:https://www.catholicnh.org//assets/Documents/About/FAQ/Decree-Precepts-StBenedictCtr.pdf
Today we celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. This is the second epiphany, or manifestation, of the Lord. The past, the present, and the future are made manifest in this epiphany. The most holy one placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners. The Son of God freely humbled Himself at the hand of the Baptist. By His baptism in the Jordan, Christ manifests His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of man. He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of the Jordan. — The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B. PARISH O
Editor: So I guess we don’t need to worry about sins any more then!
Father Feeney figured out what the hijackers were attempting long before Vatican 2 “Council”.
Ah, Mr. Walker, I found the following “heretics”, (according to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the Wikipedia page for “No Salvation outside the Catholic Church”:
“Saint Jerome (died A.D. 420):
“As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the Church is built. …This is the ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails. …And as for heretics, I have never spared them; on the contrary, I have seen to it in every possible way that the Church’s enemies are also my enemies.” (Manual of Patrology and History of Theology)
Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430):
“No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
Saint Fulgentius (died A.D. 533):
“Most firmly hold and never doubt that not only pagans, but also all Jews, all heretics, and all schismatics who finish this life outside of the Catholic Church, will go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Enchiridion Patristicum)
Saint Bede the Venerable (died A.D. 735):
“Just as all within the ark were saved and all outside of it were carried away when the flood came, so when all who are pre-ordained to eternal life have entered the Church, the end of the world will come and all will perish who are found outside.” (Hexaemeron)
Saint Thomas Aquinas (died A.D. 1274):
“There is no entering into salvation outside the Church, just as in the time of the deluge there was none outside the ark, which denotes the Church.” (Summa Theologiae)
Saint Peter Canisius (died A.D. 1597):
“Outside of this communion – as outside of the ark of Noah – there is absolutely no salvation for mortals: not for Jews or pagans who never received the faith of the Church, nor for heretics who, having received it, corrupted it; neither for the excommunicated or those who for any other serious cause deserve to be put away and separated from the body of the Church like pernicious members…for the rule of Cyprian and Augustine is certain: he will not have God for his Father who would not have the Church for his mother.” (Catechismi Latini et Germanici)
Saint Robert Bellarmine (died A.D. 1621):
“Outside the Church there is no salvation…therefore in the symbol [Apostles Creed] we join together the Church with the remission of sins: `I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins’…For this reason the Church is compared with the ark of Noah, because just as during the deluge, everyone perished who was not in the ark, so now those perish who are not in the Church.” (De Sacramento Baptismi)”
Question from me: Does this censure of the Slaves of the Immaculate by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith then imply that we must now consider the views of the above saints to be anathema?
Come to think of it, maybe I should send my above question directly to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, yeah, maybe I will. I think it’s important. After all, if they are going to, in effect, anathemize the Slaves of the Immaculate for the very same views held by saints, then shouldn’t the saints be anathemized also?
Francis would love to nullify the old saints. Instead he calls them revolutionaries.
Agreed Mary. This is a shameful disregard for Doctors of the Church.