In November of 2021 His Excellency Bp. Thomas Huber visited the Russian Capital of Moscow for the first time since 2018, the year of his own episcopal consecration. Due to the new waves of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown measures enacted, the waiting for bishop’s arrival took longer than initially expected.
The first visit of Bp. Huber to Moscow in his new capacity had as its goals meeting the members of the Moscow little traditional Catholic community, as well as administering the Sacraments, of which the faithful were deprived for more than a year since the moment of their exodus from the Moscow Immaculate Conception Cathedral in 2020.
During the first of three days of the visit Bp. Huber blessed the holy water. Also on Friday and on Saturday there was an opportunity to confess or to have private conversation with him.
On Friday our community was blessed with the singular event: H. E. Bp. Huber received the final act of Oblation of our friend Nikolai Buchenkov thus concluding his reception into the Third Order of the Guild of St. Peter ad Vincula. The Guild is a traditional Roman Catholic organization of clergy and laity, which has members in different countries. As its founding principles the Guild proclaims preservation and propagation of the true Roman Catholic Religion, morals, values and Sacraments. Before becoming an Oblate Nikolai had to pass through a long period of preparation, and his joyful and yet firm answer ‘volo’ (“I will”) to the questioning of the bishop during the rite has finally culminated in the words ‘usque ad mortem’ (“even unto death”), the words, which signified his resolution to be a faithful follower of the Rule of the Guild until the last breath. Thankfully, for a priest, administering the rite, it is not necessary to be a member of the Guild, thus delegation of the faculties to Bp. Huber, who is not associated with the Guild, was not a problem.
After that the faithful prayed the Rosary and then assisted at the Holy Mass, offered according to the Roman Missal of Pope St. Pius V.
Bp. Huber said it is very important for a sedevacantist to study a lot. In order to simplify things a bit a lecture was held. Among other things a topic of the loss of ecclesiastical office due to heresy ipso facto (“immediately, by the very fact”) was explained, and that means, that any of the high ranking church officials, even Pope himself, should he be found guilty of the grave delict of heresy, is removed from the office at once.
According to the Code of Canon Law of 1917 (Can. 188 n. 4), at the very moment of heresy a person automatically becomes a heretic and as such ceases to be a member of the Mystical Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not needed to establish a commission or committee to judge on that, the profession of heresy is just enough for the loss of office to happen.
However, this rule was expounded in the Code of Canon Law of 1917. In 1983 the Novus Ordo Church published its own Code, abolishing the one which had been in effect since 1917. According to the new Code of 1983, a person becomes a heretic only after a special commission decides that the fact of heresy took place indeed. It is obvious that such obstacles were raised precisely with the purpose of giving heresy a free reign. The very terms ‘heresy’ and ‘heretic’ were in fact abrogated, because the very notion of heresy was removed.
After the lecture two of the members of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus expressed their desire to profess their faith in accordance with the Tridentine Creed in the presence of the Roman Catholic bishop. Both of them were accepted in the Novus Ordo in 2012 and 2015 in Russia. Both of them understood actually how that happened: the induction was conducted by the Novus Ordo ministers, ordained in the new rite by the new “bishops”, whos consecration was also in the new rite and consequently not valid.
Those wishing to enter the Roman Catholic Church desired as well that it would be conducted according to the traditional norms, so that they could fittingly express their ultimate abjuration of the Novus Ordo. Both of the candidates professed their Faith according to the Tridentine Creed in the presence of witnesses. This rite was concluded with the Holy Mass of St. Pius V, after which an adoration immediately followed.
Sunday started with the Rosary and then Bp. Huber offered the Holy Mass, the last one after Pentecost, the last Holy Mass of the Liturgical Year. Then there was another adoration, which continued until the evening.
Later the same day the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was responsible for the organization of the trip, offered a little dinner, during which everyone had an opportunity to talk to the bishop in a less formal setup.
During his trip Bp. Huber visited the historical center of the capital. Spruces are being dressed everywhere already, a clear indication to prepare for Christmas. We will make our own preparations as well, especially with the Mass broadcasts at ‘Katholische Tradition’ YouTube channel (sermons usually in German and English).
Members of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as other people from our community were the most happy to approach the Sacraments after such a long time. However we always strived not only to provide an access to the Sacraments for ourselves, but lead an apostolate as well. We are working on building a new chapel, especially a new High Altar, so we hope that we’ll be able to invite you to public Mass in the coming year of 2022.
We are deeply thankful to H. E. Bp. Huber for his willingness to help our little community and to assist us in growing in Faith, Hope and Charity.
We also congratulate our fellow members with their acceptance into the Roman Catholic Church and our friend Nikolai with his Oblation!
Wishing you a fruitful season of Advent!
A Cruce Salus!
Gregor H. Huber
