“Since all the Sacraments of the New Law instituted by Christ our Lord are the principal means of sanctification and salvation, the greatest care and reverence should be observed in administering and receiving them fittingly and in accord with the prescribed rites.” - Can. 731, § 1 

 

“It is well-known that to the Church there belongs no right whatsoever to innovate anything on the substance of the Sacraments.” - Pope St. Pius X, Ex quo nono, 1910

 

“The Church is forbidden to change, or even touch, the matter or form of any Sacrament. She may indeed change or abolish or introduce something in the non-essential rites or "ceremonial" parts to be used in the administration of the Sacraments, such as the processions, prayers or hymns, before or after the actual words of the form are recited...”

- Pope Leo XIII, Apostolicae Curae, 1896

 

A sacrament is an “outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace”. There are Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. In each of the sacraments there is an outward sign, that is, some external thing or action called the matter, and a set formula of words known as the form. The matter and the form together make up the sign of the sacrament. When the sign is applied to the one who receives the sacrament, it signifies inward grace and has the power of producing it in the soul. A sacrament always gives sanctifying grace–ex opere operato–in addition to a special grace that differs for each sacrament (sacramental grace), provided that we receive it with the right dispositions. Therefore, preparing ourselves fervently to receive a sacrament is important because ordinarily the better prepared we are to receive a sacrament, the more grace we receive from it.

 

In order to receive the sacraments at Holy Redeemer Chapel, it is necessary that one attends exclusively the traditional Latin Mass, and avoids the new Mass and reformed sacraments. 

 

NOTE ON THE NOVUS ORDO SACRAMENTS

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In accordance with the stipulations of the Vatican II Council concerning the Liturgical Reform, Paul VI, between 1968-1973, proceeded to reform all the rites of the sacraments. These changes affected the essential parts of most of the sacraments as they were made under a notorious Protestant influence. As a result, the validity of these new sacraments is questionable. To evaluate their validity, two things must be considered: a) their conformity with the Faith, and b) whether the changes were made by the legitimate Authority of the Church.

If these new rites were promulgated by the true Authority of the Church, it would be impossible for them not to be in conformity with the Faith (or invalid), since they would be guaranteed by the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost. However, if these new rites essentially are not in conformity with the Catholic Faith, they could not possible have been created by the true Authority of the Church, because this Authority cannot give the Church an evil Law (Denz. 1578), nor a contemptible Rite (Denz. 856). Therefore, in the practical order, they must be considered invalid. This is the case of at least four new sacraments (Confirmation, Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Orders). Because the essentials have not changed for the other three sacraments (Baptism, Penance, Matrimony), there is no reason (“a priori”) to doubt their validity.