Adsum is published by the seminarians of Mater Dei Seminary for the enjoyment of our families, friends, and benefactors.

February, 2015

Adsum

Solemn Pontifical Mass for the feast of the Purification

Dear Friends and Benefactors, Withtheinfluxofnewseminarians,itisagreataidtotheirstudyoftheliturgynotonlytolearninthe classroom but more importantly to serve on a regularbasisduringtheliturgicalceremoniesatthevariouspositionsrequired.BesidestheSolemnHighMassesofferedbyourpriestsandtheSolemnPontifi-cal Masses offered by the bishop and assisted by the major order clerics, our seminarians are active also in assisting the priests at baptisms,weddings, andfunerals.Whatbetterwayforthemtolearntheproperrubrics of these ceremonies than to frequently assist at them! Webeganthismonthwiththeceremonyfortheblessing of candles followedby aPontificalHighMass.Inlessthantwoweeks,theseminarianswillbeassistingatthesolemnblessingofashesandanotherPontificalHighMasstousherintheHolySeasonofLent.Thiswillbefollowedbythestudyandpractice

LETTER FROM THE RECTOR

oftheceremoniesforHolyWeek—PalmSunday,HolyThursday’s Mass of Chrism and Mass of the Last Sup-per,GoodFriday,andtheEasterVigil.TherewillalsobethereviewofthechantforTenebraeforWednesdayinHolyWeek. AlthoughIdonotbelievein“globalwarming”and“climatechange,”ourweatherinthemidwesthasseennearrecordsforJanuary.Werecentlyhadverywarmweather—nearlyto60degrees—onlytobefollowedbythetemperaturesthislastweekdippingto20belowzerowiththewindchillfactorandaccompaniedbyaconsiderableamountofsnow. WithLent justaround thecorner, itwouldbewellforustoprepareforthisholyseasonbymakingspiritual resolutions. There are many pious practices thatcangreatlyaidourspiritualrenewal.TheStationsoftheCross,meditationonthePassion,extravisitstotheBlessedSacrament,theSorrowfulmysteriesoftheRosaryandtheSevenDolorsofOurLadyareafew.Lentisindeedtheacceptabletimeofgrace.Withmyprayersandblessing,MostRev.MarkA.Pivarunas,CMRI

After classes a few of the seminarians dug out the convent’s driveway of a massive

snow drift, supervised by Rambo, the Bishop’s dog

Acquisition of St. Philomena This past January, Fr. Carlos Borja located a beautiful statue of St. Philomena from a religiousgoodsdealerinEurope.Thestatuewasproducedinthe1800’sandhadbeendarkenedovertheyears.AfterseveralattemptsbytheSisterstocleanthestatuewithvariouschemicals,BishopPivarunashadthethoughtafterfinishinghisprayersinthechurchlateonenighttouseaparticulargoldandsilverpolish,whichworkswondersonchalicesandciboria.Notwantingtodam-agethestatue,herubbedthegoldandsilverpolishona small area of the left hand. To his amazement, the discolorizationcameoffandtheoriginalcolorsofthestatuereturned.Afewdayslater,afterseveralhoursofcleaningandtouchingupwithanairbrush,theSisterswereabletorestorethestatuetoitsoriginalbeauty. ItisprovidentialthatwewereabletogetastatueofSt.Philomena.PopeGregoryXVI,onJanuary13,1837,officiallyraisedSt.Philomenatothehonorofthealtar,grantingaMassinherhonorandthePopebasedthis solely on the multitude of undeniable miracles worked through her intercession.Nevertheless, in1961,shewasremovedfromthecalendarforerrone-ous reasons, and in 1968 all indulgences in regardtodevotiontoherweresuppressedbytheConciliarChurch.Duringthislapseoftime,ithasbeendifficulttofindlargestatuesinherhonor.ThisVirginMartyristrulyagreatmodelforthestudentsofouracademyandboardingschool;herstatueislocatednearthefrontentrance of our church on the Gospel side to facilitate frequent visits to her shrine.

PopeGregoryXVI(1831-46),whoauthorizedherpublicveneration, showedhisesteemanddevotiontothesaintbygivingherthetitle“PatronessoftheLivingRosary,”anddonatingamagnificentgoldandsilver lamp to her sanctuary. Of all thePopes, however,PopePius IXculti-vatedthemostspecialdevotiontothevirgin-martyr.AsArchbishopofSpoleto,hewasoneofherdevoutclients and did much to spread her veneration. Later inlife,whenArchbishopofImola,hefellveryillandhiscurewasattributed toSt.Philomena’s interces-sion. When raised to the throne of St. Peter, this Pope availedhimselfofhispower tobestowstillgreaterlusteronthesaintatMugnano,whereheofferedHolyMassonthealtarofthesaint,andafterwardspublicly

veneratedherrelics.In1849,henamedher“PatronessoftheChildrenofMary.” LeoXIII imitated his predecessor in the honorshowntoSt.Philomenaduringhispontificate.Beforehiselectiontothepapacyhemadetwopilgrimagestoher shrine. After he had become the Vicar of Christ, he gaveavaluablecrosstothesanctuary.HeapprovedtheConfraternityofSt.Philomena,andenricheditwithindulgences.Furthermore,heraisedittoanArchcon-fraternity. NotlessdevotedtothelittlesaintwasourbelovedSt.PiusX.Costlygifts,among themamagnificentgoldring,weregivenbyhimtohershrine.Heoftenspokewarmlyofherandmanifestedhisdevotiontoherinvariousways.

Everythingwasinreadinessfortheexecution;thefiringsquadstoodbywithloadedrifles,andevenmotion-picturecameraswere in evidence.Theofficer in charge,MajorTorres,askedFatherProtoexpresshislastwill.“Permitmetopray,”answeredthepriest.Kneeling,hetookfromhispocketacrucifix,whichhekissedandheldinhisrighthand,andarosary,whichheheldinhisleft.HecommendedhissoultoGodand,refusingtobeblindfoldedashestooderect,saidcalmly:“Lord,ThouknowestthatIaminnocent.”Then,makingthesignoftheCrossoverthespectators,hesaidtothefiringsquadandtheotherswhoperpetratedhisexecution:“MayGodhavemercyonyou.MayGodblessyou.” Withouttheslightestnervousnesshewalkedtothewall,tranquilly faced the soldiers, stretched forth his arms in the formofacross,andexclaimed:“WithallmyheartIforgivemyenemies.”Then,justbeforetheordertofirewasgiven,hequietlyutteredthefavoriteejaculationoftheMexicanmartyrs: “Viva Cristo Rey!”(LongliveChristtheKing!).Thevolleywasfired,andthebelovedFatherPro,idolofthepeopleofMexicoCity,felldead,riddledwithbullets.But,tomakedoublysureofhisdeath,asoldierapproachedand,atcloserange,firedabulletintothedeadpriest’shead,thusgivinghim“el tiro de gracia.”

HadtheChurchsubmittedtotheseflagrantlyunjustconditions,itwouldhavetherebyrepudiateditsowndivineoriginandauthorityandbetrayedthesacredtrustreposedin it by its Divine Founder. Therefore, the Bishops of the MexicanRepublic, aweekbefore the satanicdecreeofCalleswastogointoeffect,issuedanofficialstatement,redolentofpathosanddignity,totheCatholicsofMexico: “Sincetheconditionsimposedrenderimpossiblethecontinuationofthesacredministry,wehavedecided,afterconsultingourMostHolyFather,PiusXI,that,fromJuly31of thepresentyearuntilwedetermineotherwise,allpublicworship requiring the participation of priests besuspended in all the churches of the Republic. “Inorderthatthefaithfulmaycontinuetopraywithinthem,thechurcheswillnotbeclosed,thoughtthepriestsinchargewillwithdrawfromthem. “Weleavethechurchestothecareofthefaithful,andweareconfidentthattheywillpreservewithallsolicitudethesanctuarieswhichtheyhaveinheritedfromtheiran-cestors,orwhichtheyhave,atthecostofsuchsacrifice,erectedandconsecratedtotheworshipofGod.

ExcerptsfromThe Life of Father Pro by Rev. M.D. Forrest, M.S.C.

“Let us take comfort and courage from thewordsChristaddressedtoHisApostleswhenHeannouncedHisapproachingdeathandresurrection:‘BeholdwegouptoJerusalem,where the thingsshallbe fulfilledwhich theprophetswroteoftheSonofMan.Hewillbedeliveredtothegentilesandwillbemockedandspatupon.AndthenHewillbescourgedandwillbeputtodeath.AndthethirddayHewillriseagain. “ThelifeoftheChurchisthatofitsDivineFounder.Thus, beloved children, theChurch inMexico is todaydelivered up, persecuted, imprisoned, reduced to a state resemblingdeath.ButtheMexicanChurchalsowill,afterashortperiod, riseagainfullof lifeandstrength,morevigorousthanever.Holdfasttothishope.”

FacingtheFiringSquad

Episcopal Proclamation

Adsum, a publication by the seminarians of MATER DEI SEMINARYforthereadingenjoymentoffriendsandbenefactors,issentfreeofchargetoallwhorequestit.Ifyouareinterested,pleaseprovideyournameandmailingaddressto:

Question: Onwhatgroundsdosometheologiansbasetheirteachingthatarecidivistmaynotbeabsolvedunlesshemanifestsextraordinarycontrition?IsnottheminimumdegreeofcontritionsufficientforthefruitfulreceptionofthesacramentofPenance,aslongasitextendstoallthepenitent’smortalsinsandisbasedonasupernaturalmotive?

The Absolution of a Recidivist

MATER DEI SEMINARY7745 Military Avenue

Omaha NE 68134-3356

Answer: Thequestionerisperfectlycorrectinassertingthatnoextraordinarydegreeofcontritionisre-quiredfromeventhemosthardenedandmosthabituatedsinner,includingtherecidivist,thepersonwhohasreturnedtothesamehabitofsinafterpreviousconfessionswithoutanyapparenteffortatamendment.Butthequestioneriswronginsayingthatsometheologiansrequireextraordinarycontritionfromthe(formal)recidivistbeforeabsolutionmaybeimparted.Whatthesetheologiansdemandisextraordinarysignsofcon-trition. For, since the recidivist has proved that his mere assertion that he is sorry and intends to amend does notgivetheconfessorsufficientmoralcertaintytojustifytheconferringofabsolution,amoreconvincingproofofhisdispositionsiscalledfor,andthesignsbywhichthisismanifestedarecalledextraordinarysignsbysometheologians,specialsignsbyothers.Suchsignswouldbethefactthatthepenitentisnowmakingamissionorretreat,thefactthathehasrecentlygivenupanoccasionofsin,andaboveallthecandidandsincerestatementthatheisnowmoreawarethaneverbeforeofthenecessityofamendmentandisresolvedtoavoidsininfuture(verba cordialia).Itisdifficulttoseehowapriestcancontinuetoabsolveapersonmonthaftermonthwhenthispenitenthasbeencommittingsomegravesinsregularlywithoutanyapparentmanifestationofamendment,unlesstheconfessorobtainsmoreconvincingproofofcontritionthanthemererepetition of the act of contrition.

Question: AsumofmoneywasleftinawillforMasses,butwithoutspecificationofthenumberthatthetestatorwished.However,thedeceasedperson,inthecourseofherlifetime,wasaccustomedtohave“announcedMasses”saidregularly,givingtheadditionalstipendexpectedforthese.Inviewofthisfact,may“announcedMasses”besaidforthelegacyatthissamehigherstipend?

An Inheritance for Masses

Answer : Canon830prescribesthatifasumofmoneyisgivenforMasseswithoutanyindicationastothenumberofMassesthedonorwishes,thenumberistobecomputedaccordingtothestipendprevailingintheplacewherethedonorlived“unlessismustbelawfullypresumedthathisintentionwasdifferent.”Inthecase described by the questioner it can be reasonably presumed that the testator intended the stipends for the Massestobereckonedaccordingtothecustomshefollowedduringherlifetime—thatis,“announcedMasses”maybesaid,accordingtothestipendwhichthefaithfulareaccustomedtogiveforthem.

From The American Ecclesiastical Review 1957