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The Old Roman Catholic Church finds itself in a canonical situation similar but not identical to the Society of St. Pius X.  Though you occasionally find local bishops and priests who do not understand this, the Roman Church considers us a part of the one true Church but considers us “irregular” in the sense we choose our own bishops (which is contrary to the Roman preference and directive).

Many books have been written on the post-Vatican II mess and we will not attempt to provide an exhaustive answer here but a simple one.

The local mainstream/post-Paul VI era diocese will typically discourage or forbid attendance at our Masses unless a situation of emergency.  For our part we agree with Rome that we are part of the One True Church and believe we are preserving the Old Faith of most of the Saints.  Hence why we are “Old Roman Catholics”.  There are many organs in a body though only one body.  We share the same DNA of apostolic succession.

We pray for eventual full union with Rome and the restoration of the Old Faith.

Question:  I saw it in a number of places that Pope Francis stated that atheists can go to heaven?  Did he really say this?  How can it be?

Answer:  The claim  that the Pope spoke of atheists being saved received wide coverage. [1]  It seems that the Pope was the victim of somewhat lose reasoning on his own part, and of journalists’ ignorance of Christian terminology.  His statement is available on the Radio Vatican website, and speaks of atheists being “redeemed,” but makes no mention of their “salvation.”[2]  It seems that many journalists equated the two terms.  Christ died for the redemption of all mankind, but individuals are saved by belief in Jesus Christ and His teachings, Baptism, and a life in conformity with Jesus’ teachings—an atheist would hardly qualify.

What Pope Francis seems to be saying is that all men, being created in God’s image and likeness, have an obligation to do good, for everything God does is good.  This obligation to do good is enhanced by the fact of the redemption of mankind.  If everyone strives to do good—in what Pope Francis calls the “culture of encounter—we could enjoy world peace.

If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.

“We will meet one another there” refers to meeting in a peaceful world—quite a bit less than a promise that we will meet in heaven.

Phrasing his words to atheists in religious terminology may have added to the confusion of those unable to distinguish redemption from salvation.  After all, the terminology of religion does little or nothing to convince a man who doesn’t believe in God that he should do good for world peace.

Does redemption make the non-believer more capable of natural virtue than he would have been prior to the Redemption?  Possibly, but such a question is best left in the arena of theology, and not in a brief homily at Mass.

Further confusion arose when a Vatican representative corrected the erroneous reporting by the news services.  Whether out of genuine confusion, or in an effort to save face, the Vatican spokesman was reported to be correcting the Pope! [3]

In any event, we would remind the Holy Father of the timeless equation:
GOOD – GOD = O

by Fr. Brusca

There are four “marks” of the Catholic Church, identified in the Creed, which distinguish It from all others. The true Church is “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.” Its true members possess characteristics as individuals that enable the Church to display her “marks” as a society.

The Church is One.   Catholics must seek the truth and profess it to those around them. Only unity of belief in the truth can bring about unity of purpose and unity of action. Our Lord describes Himself as the Truth, the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us.¹ Without truth there is no Christ; without Christ there is no Church.
Catholics must be truthful and seekers of truth.

The Church is Holy.   But, by nature, we are sinful people. The Church offers us many avenues to holiness, many forms of life that lead to God, and many ways to receive His graces. But central to any attempt at holiness is the virtue of humility. Those that perceive themselves as somehow better than others are destined to sin, just as the devil was able to tempt Adam and Eve through their pride.²
Catholics must be humble and submissive to God’s laws.

The Church is Catholic.   For the Church to be Catholic, simply the Greek word for “universal,” Her members must have charity, the Greek word for “love.” We will unite all nations under the rule of Christ the King, only if we love God and only if we love our fellow man for the love of God.³ “Charity is not envious, is not pretentious, is not ambitious, is not self seeking”; it has no room for making others look bad so that we can look good.⁴
Catholics must be charitable.

The Church is Apostolic. Our Faith goes back to the Incarnation and the Public Life of Christ. Catholics hold the Faith that has come down to us from the Apostles, as though it were a jewel wrapped in silk. “Even if an angel from heaven should preach a different Gospel, we would not believe him.”⁵ They “stand firm and hold the traditions they have learned from the Apostles.”⁶
Catholics must be traditional.

Pope Saint Pius X is said to have quizzed a group of seminarians studying in Rome as to how the Church might be identified. They all responded with the traditional four “marks,” but Pope Pius demanded another. One bright student added that “the Church must be Roman.” Another quickly added, “and loyal to the Popes.” The Saint smiled, perhaps condescendingly. “Yes, of course, both the good and the bad, but what else.” No hands were raised. The Pontiff himself supplied the answer:

“The Church is Persecuted.” This we learn from our Lord Himself at the first Mass: “If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world … the world hateth you. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”⁷ But, our Lord would have us cherish this persecution as a beatitude: “Blessed shall you be when men hate you, and when they shut you out, and reproach you, and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and exult, for behold your reward is great in heaven…. bless them that curse you and pray for those who lie about you.”⁸
Catholics will be persecuted. Preceding section by Fr. Brusca

The term “Catholic” means “universal” but that is insufficient to answer the question.  If a Church is to be considered “Roman Catholic” it must acknowledge the petrine ministry, that is to say the pope, the successor to the See of Rome.  These Churches in turn are organized into assemblies of the faithful, hierarchically ordered, normally in terms of a certain territory, and often called a “particular church” (See, diocese, prelature,  et al).   Under Roman Catholicism there are a number of rites and traditions divided into Eastern and Western Rites:

Eastern rites include:  Byzantine Rite (Antiochian, Greek, Slavonic); Alexandrian Rite; the Syriac Rite; the Armenian Rite; the Maronite Rite and the Chaldean Rite.

Western rites include: Roman (Mass of St Pius V, Mass of Paul VI, Anglo-Catholic Ordinariate); Ambrosian; Carthusian; Dominican; and Sarum.

The Old Roman Catholic Church is part of the western Roman rite with “juridic irregularity” from the current Vatican administrative perspective, similar to the Society of Pius X.  We acknowledge Peter, we pray and hope for full union but are impeded by the modernist influence and agenda.  We give Vatican II the assent to which it is due.

NOTES:

1. John xiv: 6; i: 1, 14, 17.
2. Genesis iii: 5 “and you shall be as Gods.
3. Mark xii: 30, 31. The two great commandments.
4. 1 Corinthians xiii: 4-6.
5. Cf. Galatians i: 8, 9.
6. Cf. 2 Thessalonians ii: 14 (15).
7. John xv: 19, 20. But John xiii through xvii are as much a consolation as a forewarning of persecution. Everyone should read them once in a while.
8. Luke vi: 22, 23, 28.

Yes!

Old Roman Catholics are part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Our bishops and priests are ordained via the ancient Traditional Rites of the Church and have historical line of Apostolic Succession.

Further Reading:

Sacraments