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Sunday, May 4, 2014

St. Pius V: The Pope of Quo Primum

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Pius VToday is the Traditional Feast day of St. Pius V, the pope who, in 1570, gave us the bull Quo Primum. Quo Primum established the Traditional Latin Mass as the Mass of the Roman Rite and gave all priests a right to say this Mass with no need for perission from any bishop.

In addition Quo Primum fixed the Traditional Latin Mass in perpetuity forbidding any substantive change to it. The Neo-Catholics, sadly, have attempted to minimize the importance of Quo Primum by a few stock arguments. One of those arguments begins by saying that St. Pius V cannot bind future popes in matters of Church discipline.

This much is true. Where the Neo-Catholics err, however, is believing that the Traditional Mass is a mere matter of Church discipline. By this logic the Mass becomes the personal plaything of the pope, subject to the whims of whatever pontiff happens to be in office. To take this logic to its extreme, a Neo-Catholic would be forced to admit that tomorrow Pope Francis could eliminate all Eastern Rite liturgies, replace them with Novus Ordo folk Masses and be completely within his rights to do so. If this logic sounds strange to you, it should.

In the below video Canon Gregory Hesse, (Canon lawyer, Doctor of Thomistic Theology and former Secretary to Cardinal Stickler), explains why the popular Neo-Catholic talking point on Quo Primum is wrong. St. Pius V, pray for us!

Last modified on Monday, May 5, 2014
Chris Jackson | Remnant Columnist

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