Padre Pio Aid Says Saint Accepted New Mass

An Italian priest who served as a liaison between the famed Capuchin St. Padre Pio and English-speaking followers says that the saint had incorporated elements of the new or "Novus Ordo" Mass into his own celebrations of the liturgy before his death in 1968 despite rumors to the contrary.

The assisting priest, Padre Ermelindo Di Capua -- currently stationed in San Giovanno, Italy, where St. Pio spent nearly his entire ministry -- says the saint strictly adhered to dictates from Rome and sought information on precisely what he needed to do in order to conform with new strictures as the liturgy was changed from the Latin Rite after Vatican II.

The remarks are significant at a time when controversy has arisen over both the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo and the reaction to it by Pio -- considered a paragon of discernment.

It also comes at a time of enhanced interest (including here) of reintroducing elements of the Latin Rite into the modern Mass to bring back its mystical aspects. "It's not just old-timers wanting to cling to pre-Vatican II ways who are coming to the liturgies," notes one newspaper recently. "People in their twenties and thirties are filling many of the pews, finding serenity and a sense of awe in the solemn rituals." Additional interest has been sparked by director Mel Gibson, who recently made headlines with his movie about the Passion and who reportedly adheres only to the Latin Rite.

While there is no indication that Pio embraced all the reforms of Vatican II -- and indeed are even reports that he was distressed by certain Church trends -- Padre Ermelindo told Spirit Daily there was no indication that the saint opposed the new way of saying Mass, which has the priest facing the congregation and speaking in the national vernacular, which many believe detracts from reverence.

Ermelindo notes that the Novus Ordo is the only rite used at San Giovanni today and that visiting priests who request to use the Latin Rite are denied in conformance with the national bishops.

"He used to say Mass according to the new order," asserts the Franciscan, who lived in the same monastery as Pio and answered his English-speaking correspondence. "By 1968 [when Pio died] the new order was not yet complete, but had changed some things from Latin into the Italian language. He attempted to say Mass according to the new disposition of the Church. He tried to learn and adapt himself to the new rules of the Mass. There was still some Latin. It wasn't yet completely changed. The canon I don't remember exactly." "

Latin proponents have asserted that in fact Pio never did recite the new rite. "When the Mass of 1965 was introduced, bearing the first changes that were the precursors to the Novus Ordo, Padre Pio, without even reading the text, publicly took the position that he did not want to celebrate it," claimed one such correspondent. "He died before the full-blown Novus Ordo was issued in 1969 (and then recalled for doctrinal flaws)."

Padre Ermelindo -- who left San Giovanni Rotundo in 1970 and returned four years ago -- contradicts that, saying that he never heard Padre Pio criticize the new rules and that Pio always referred to Rome as "our mother." Ermelindo adds that the sainthood of Pio would have been impossible without strict obedience and that the greatest miracles around the saint were conversions. During his last Mass Padre Pio, who was too ailing to stand, sat on a chair in front of the people, says the assistant.

As for rumors that Pio's body has been moved from his tomb or that items from it have been taken, Ermelindo dismisses those out of hand.

"He was never moved from his tomb," says the priest, adding, however, that the shrine is waiting for Rome to decide whether to relocate St. Pio's body to a new crypt.

"He died before the full-blown Novus Ordo was issued in 1969 (and then recalled for doctrinal flaws)."

CORRECT. PADRE PIO NEVER CELEBRATED THE NOVUS ORDO MISSAE. He thankfully passed to his heavenly reward in 1968 before it spewed forth from the bowels of hell!

As for the "transitional Mass', Padre Pio never celebrated that either, he applied for, and received permission, to continue celebrating the traditional and TRUE Roman rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Why do you think Our Lord gave us this human crucifix, who excrucatingly and visibly suffered for 50 years all of Our Lord's wounds on the Cross, EACH TIME HE CELEBRATED THE HOLY SACRFICE OF THE MASS! It was to show us the utter ruin and folly that would fall upon the Church if any dared to change it!!

Why do you think Our Lord showed a vision to Padre Pio in 1915 of a vast multitude of priests unworthily celebrating Mass, at which Our Lord wept bitterly and cried out "BUTCHERS"! Our Lord also added to Padre Pio that He would continue to suffer until the end of time because of these unworthy priests!!

It is impossible to think of Our Lord suffering on the Cross , and the image of it supplied in the film "The Passion of the Christ", and also Padre Pio's own sufferings and not be totally revulsed by the blapshemy, heresy and out right sacrilege in the "new order of mass", otherwise known as "the abomination of desolation in the Holy Place"!

As for the rest of the article, is is a COMPLETE LIE, and Padre Pio, if he were here, would deal with those calumniating him in order to ruin innocent souls by stating that he endorsed blasphemy, heresy, and sacrilege, especially any Franciscans who have sold their souls to satan, by following the same advise he himself gave in dealing with Communist agitators: take a stout stick, and apply it liberally to them, after sticking a number of sharp nails into it first!!

The Roman Rite is not "the abomination of desolation in the Holy Place". The Novus Ordo Missae is fully Catholic when said in Latin according to the rubrics. The idea that the Novus Ordo said in Latin with the Roman Canon is an "abomination" is simply ridiculous:

S. The Lord be with you!
R. And with your spirit!
S. Raise your hearts on high!
R. We now have them present to the Lord!
S. Let us then give thanks to the Lord our God!
R. This is worthy and just!
Truly it is fitting and just, right and helpful unto salvation, for us always and everywhere to give Thee thanks, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, through Christ our Lord; through Whom the angels praise, the Dominations adore, the Powers are in awe of Your majesty. The Heavens and the heavenly Virtues, and the blessed Seraphim, together celebrate in exultation. With whom we earnestly pray that you command our voices to be joined, bent low saying as a testimony of belief: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts. The heavens and the earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
You, O most merciful Father, do we supplicants therefore beg and entreat through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, that You will regard as acceptable and You will bless these offerings, these gifts, these unblemished sacrifices, in particular these things which we are offering to You on behalf of Your holy catholic Church: which You might deign to reconcile, protect, unite and guide upon the right path within the whole of the earth: together with Your servant our Pope N. and our bishop N. and all the orthodox in belief and the cultivators of the catholic and apostolic faith.
Be mindful, O Lord, of Your household servants and handmaids N. and N., and of all the bystanders here whose faith and recognized vocational devotion is completely known to You, for whom we are making this sacrificial offering to You: and who assuredly also are offering to You this Sacrifice of praise for themselves and for all of their own loved ones: on behalf of the redemption of their own souls, for the hope of their own salvation and well-being: they also offer back their own solemnly promised sacrificial offerings to You Eternal God, Living and True.
Participating as sharers in and venerating with religious awe the remembrance first and foremost of the glorious ever Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and our Lord Jesus Christ: and of course also of blessed Joseph the Spouse of the same as well as of Your blessed Apostles and Martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, (…) and of all your Saints; by whose merits and prayers may You grant it that we be strengthened in all things by the help of Your protection.
We beseech You therefore, O Lord, that having been appeased you might accept this offering of our humble familial service: and that you might give order to our days in Your peace, and also that you might bid that we be snatched away from eternal condemnation and be numbered in the flock of your elect. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Which sacrificial offering, O God, may you deign in every way to make blessed, accepted, ratified, spiritually dedicated, and acceptable: so that it may be made for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Who, the day before He suffered, took bread into His holy and venerable hands and, when (His) eyes were raised to heaven to You, O God, His Father Almighty, giving thanks to You He blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: All of you receive and eat of this: for this is My Body which will be handed over for you.
After the supper was concluded, in a similar way taking into His holy and venerable hands also this noble chalice, in like manner giving thanks to You He blessed and He gave it to His disciples, saying: All of you receive and drink from this: for this is the chalice of my Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out abundantly on your behalf and on the behalf of multitudes for the remission of sins. Do this for my remembrance.
The Mystery of Faith!
R. 1: We proclaim your death, O Lord, and we profess belief in your resurrection until at length you come!
R. 2: As often as we eat this bread and drink this chalice, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until at length you come!
R. 3: Save us, O Savior of the world, who freed us through your Cross and resurrection!
Wherefore, O Lord, mindful of the blessed Passion of the same Christ Thy Son, our Lord, and likewise mindful of His resurrection from the nether realm of the dead, but also His glorious ascension into the heavens, we Your servants but also Your holy people, offer up unto Your beautiful majesty from Your own gifts and grants, the sacrificial victim which is pure, the holy victim, the victim stainless, the holy Bread of life everlasting, and the Chalice of eternal salvation.
With a propitious and tranquil countenance deign to look with consideration upon them, and regard them as acceptable, just as You deigned to regard as acceptable the gifts of Your just servant Abel, and the sacrifice of Abraham, our Patriarch, and the holy sacrifice, the unblemished sacrificial victim which your high priest Melchisedech offered up to You
...

Padre Pio and the Novus Ordo Missae

He was a model of respect and submission towards his religious and ecclesiastical superiors, especially during the time when he was persecuted. Nonetheless, he could not remain silent over a deviation that was baneful to the Church. Even before the end of the Council, in February 1965, someone announced to him that soon he would have to celebrate the Mass according to a new rite, ad experimentum, in the vernacular, which had been devised by a conciliar liturgical commission in order to respond to the aspirations of modern man. Immediately, even before seeing the text, he wrote to Paul VI to ask him to be dispensed from the liturgical experiment, and to be able to continue to celebrate the Mass of Saint Pius V. When Cardinal Bacci came to see him in order to bring the authorization, Padre Pio let a complaint escape in the presence of the Pope’s messenger: "For pity sake, end the Council quickly."

The same year, during the conciliar euphoria that was promising a new springtime to the Church, he confided to one of his spiritual sons: "In this time of darkness, let us pray. Let us do penance for the elect"; and especially for the one who has to be their shepherd here below: All his life, he immolated himself for the reigning pope, whose photograph was among the rare images that decorated his cell.

Renewal of Religious Life?

There are other scenes from his life that are full of meaning, for example, his reactions to the aggiornamento the religious orders concocted in the wake of Vatican II. (The citations here are taken from a book bearing an imprimatur):

"In 1966, the Father General [of the Franciscans] came to Rome prior to the special Chapter on the Constitutions in order to ask Padre Pio for his prayers and benedictions. He met Padre Pio in the cloister. 'Padre, I came to recommend to your prayers the special chapter for the new Constitutions...' He had scarcely gotten the words 'special Chapter'...'new Constitutions' out of his mouth when Padre Pio made a violent gesture and cried out: 'That is all nothing but destructive nonsense.' 'But Padre, after all, there is the younger generation to take into account... the youth evolve after their own fashion... there are new demands...' 'The only thing missing is mind and heart, that’s all, understanding and love.' Then he proceeded to his cell, did a half-turn, and pointed his finger, saying: 'We must not denature ourselves, we must not denature ourselves! At the Lord’s judgment, Saint Francis will not recognize us as his sons!'"

A year later, the same scene was repeated for the aggiornamento of the Capuchins:

One day, some confreres were discussing with the Father Definiteur General [The counselor or adviser to the general or provincial of a religious order –Ed.] the problems in the Order, when Padre Pio, taking a shocked attitude, cried out, with a distant look in his eye: "What in the world are you up to in Rome? What are you scheming? You even want to change the Rule of Saint Francis!" The Definiteur replied: "Padre, changes are being proposed because the youth don’t want to have anything to do with the tonsure, the habit, bare feet...."

"Chase them out! Chase them out! What can you be saying? Is it they who are doing Saint Francis a favor by taking the habit and following his way of life, or rather, isn’t it Saint Francis who is offering them a great gift?"

If we consider that Padre Pio was a veritable alter Christus, that his entire person, body and soul, was as perfectly conformed as possible to that of Jesus Christ, his stark refusal to accept the Novus Ordo and the aggiornamento should be for us a lesson to learn. It is also noteworthy that the good Lord desired to recall His faithful servant just before they were implacably imposed on the Church and the Capuchin Order. Noteworthy, too, is the fact that Katarina Tangari, one of Padre Pio’s most privileged spiritual daughters, so admirably supported the priests [of the Society of Saint Pius X] of Ecône until her death, one year after the episcopal consecrations of 1988.

http://www.sspx.org/miscellaneous/padre_pio.htm

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