Chrism Mass in Larantuka: A Liturgy of Naturalistic Fraternity, Not Catholic Sacrifice

The conciliar structure occupying the Diocese of Larantuka, Indonesia, celebrated a Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. The event, reported by the Vatican News portal, featured a homily by the diocesan prelate, Mr. Yohanes Hans Monteiro, who emphasized priestly “fraternity,” communal “hope,” and the Church’s role in addressing “human dignity” and economic hardship. The rite included the blessing of the three holy oils, but the theological framework of the celebration reflected the post-conciliar paradigm’s substitution of supernatural charity with naturalistic humanism and its eradication of the traditional Catholic concept of the priesthood as a sacrificial, hierarchical office.

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Summary of the Conciliar Narrative

The Vatican News portal reports that during the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral Church of Larantuka, Bishop Emeritus Franciskus Kopong Kung was present alongside the current diocesan ordinary, Mr. Monteiro. Mr. Monteiro’s homily centered on Christ’s anointing and mission from Luke 4:18-19, interpreting it as a call to “bring good news to the poor, to liberate the oppressed, and to restore human dignity.” He stated that priests “share in this same anointing” and must avoid isolation by cultivating “fraternity through openness, humility, and mutual support.” The prelate connected the sacramental oils to the Holy Spirit’s outpouring but framed the Church’s mission as being a “tangible sign of hope” for fishermen, farmers, and laborers facing economic hardship, praising local traditions like the Semana Santa as expressions of faith that unite the community as “pilgrims of hope.” He concluded: “The world does not need perfect priests, but faithful priests,” urging them to live in fraternity and bring hope.

The article presents this event as a model of pastoral renewal, yet it systematically omits the entire supernatural framework of the Catholic priesthood and sacraments as defined before the revolution of Vatican II. The thesis is clear: the conciliar “Church” has replaced the sacrificial, dogmatic, and hierarchical nature of the Catholic priesthood with a functional, community-oriented, and socially-driven model rooted in modern humanism.

1. Factual Deconstruction: The Omission of the Sacrificial Priesthood

The article describes the Chrism Mass, the oldest sacramental rite in the Church, but completely strips it of its essential meaning. The blessing of the oils, particularly the sacred chrism, is presented solely as a symbol of “consecration and mission” linked to the Holy Spirit’s outpouring and Christ’s “anointing.” There is no mention of the chrism’s primary purpose: to sacraimentally configure the soul of the priest to Christ the High Priest for the offering of the unbloody sacrifice of Calvary—the Holy Mass. The pre-1958 Roman Catechism (Trent, Session XXIII) and the Roman Pontifical are explicit: chrism is used in the ordination of bishops and priests precisely because it signifies the plenitude of the Holy Ghost for the sacerdotal office of sacrificing and absolving. This omission is not accidental; it is doctrinal. The conciliar mentality, as condemned by St. Pius X in Lamentabili sane exitu (Propositions 39-42), reduces sacraments to mere reminders or symbols, severing them from their efficacious, grace-conferring reality. The article’s language (“channel of grace,” “consecration and mission”) is vague and naturalistic, aligning with the Modernist error that sacraments are “merely… to remind man of the presence of the ever-benevolent Creator” (condemned in Lamentabili, Prop. 41).

2. Linguistic Analysis: The Vocabulary of Apostasy

The homily’s language is a study in conciliar euphemism and naturalism:

• “Fraternity” replaces charity and hierarchical communion. Fraternity suggests horizontal peer relationship among priests, undermining the ontological difference between the bishop and his clergy and the absolute authority of the bishop as vicarius Christi. The pre-1958 doctrine, defined by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus (Error 54), holds that kings and princes are subject to the Church in spiritual matters; likewise, priests are subject to their bishop in a hierarchical, not fraternal, communion. The emphasis on “openness, humility, and mutual support” sounds like a corporate team-building seminar, not the formation of men configured to act in persona Christi.
• “Human dignity” and “economic hardship” are the central concerns. This is pure social gospel, condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus (Errors 56-58), which states that moral laws do not need divine sanction and that all rectitude of morality is placed in the accumulation of riches and gratification of pleasure. The Church’s mission is not to “restore human dignity” in a naturalistic sense but to save souls from eternal damnation. The homily’s focus on fishermen and farmers echoes liberation theology, which Pope Pius X condemned as a “synthesis of all errors” in Pascendi Dominici gregis.
• “Pilgrims of hope” and “tangible sign of hope” are empty phrases. Hope, in Catholic theology, is a theological virtue directed toward eternal life with God. Here, it is reduced to social cohesion and economic uplift, a Pelagian optimism that denies original sin and the necessity of grace. The article’s silence on sin, judgment, hell, and the necessity of the state of grace for receiving sacraments is deafening and exposes the naturalistic foundation of the conciliar “Church.”
• “Faithful priests” versus “perfect priests.” This is a deliberate demystification. The Catholic priesthood requires not mere “faithfulness” in a vague sense but holiness, as defined by the laws of God and the Church. It requires the priest to be a sponsus Ecclesiae, celibate, detached from the world, and an enemy of the “triple concupiscence.” The pre-1958 Code of Canon Law (Canons 132-147) imposed strict obligations on priests regarding residence, dress, and association. The homily’s message is that priests need only be nice team players, not living icons of Christ the High Priest.

3. Theological Confrontation: Contra Catholic Doctrine Before 1958

Every major theme of the article contradicts integral Catholic theology:

A. The Nature of the Priesthood
The article presents the priesthood as a functional ministry of “liberation” and “hope.” The Catholic Church, before the conciliar apostasy, defined the priesthood as a sacramental character imprinted on the soul, configuring the priest to offer sacrifice and forgive sins. Pope Pius XII, in Mediator Dei (1947), reaffirmed that the priest acts in persona Christi, not as a delegate of the community. The bishop’s statement that priests “share in this same anointing” from Luke 4 is a gross misinterpretation. That anointing refers to Christ’s messianic mission, not to the sacramental ordination. The sacramental anointing with chrism, as defined in the Roman Pontifical, makes the priest a “co-worker with the bishop” for the sacrifice of the Mass and the administration of sacraments. The article reduces this to a vague “mission” of social uplift, aligning with the Modernist proposition condemned by St. Pius X: “The Church is an enemy of the progress of natural and theological sciences” (Lamentabili, Prop. 57) and that “dogmas… are merely modes of explanation” (Prop. 54). The priesthood is not a “fraternity” but a hierarchy (cf. Pius IX, Syllabus, Error 34: “The teaching of those who compare the Sovereign Pontiff to a prince… is a doctrine which prevailed in the Middle Ages”—this error is now universal in the conciliar sect).

B. The Church’s Mission
The prelate states the Church must be a “tangible sign of hope” for the poor and oppressed. This is the “option for the poor” of liberation theology, explicitly condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus (Error 40: “The teaching of the Catholic Church is hostile to the well-being and interests of society”). The true mission of the Church, defined by Pope Pius XI in Quas Primas, is to preach the kingdom of Christ, which is “not of this world” (John 18:36), and to lead souls to eternal salvation. The encyclical states: “The kingdom of our Redeemer encompasses all men… He is the source of salvation for individuals and for the whole.” The Church’s primary duty is not economic justice but the salvation of souls through the sacraments and preaching of the immutable faith. The article’s focus on “human dignity” and “economic support” is a direct adoption of the secular, naturalistic errors listed in the Syllabus (Errors 56-64), which separate morality from divine law and make the state the arbiter of “rights.”

C. The Role of the Holy Oils
The explanation of the oils is heretical in its omission. The oil of catechumens is not merely “strength for those preparing to embrace the faith”; it is an exorcism oil used to drive out demons and prepare the catechumen for baptism, a sacrament necessary for salvation (Council of Trent, Session VII, Canon 4). The oil of the sick is not just “healing and comfort”; it is the sacrament of Extreme Unction, which remits sins and provides viaticum for the dying (Council of Florence, Decree for the Armenians). The chrism is not simply “consecration and mission”; it is the sacramental matter for Confirmation, which imprints an indelible character and confers the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Ghost (Council of Trent, Session VII, Canon 9). The article’s reduction of these to vague symbols is the Modernist error condemned in Lamentabili, Prop. 41: “The sacraments merely serve to remind man of the presence of the ever-benevolent Creator.”

4. Symptomatic Analysis: The Conciliar Revolution in Microcosm

This single article is a perfect microcosm of the post-1958 apostasy:

• Hermeneutics of Continuity: The use of a Chrism Mass, a pre-conciliar rite, gives the illusion of continuity while emptying it of its doctrinal content. This is the conciliar trick: preserve the shell, poison the kernel. The pre-1958 Roman Missal and Pontifical are used in a context of total doctrinal rupture.
• Naturalism Over Supernaturalism: The entire homily is focused on the natural order: economics, community, dignity. There is zero mention of grace, the state of grace, mortal sin, the four last things (death, judgment, heaven, hell), the necessity of the sacraments for salvation, or the absolute primacy of God’s law over human laws. This is the “cult of man” condemned by Pope Pius XII in Humani generis (1950) and the secularism decried by Pope Pius XI in Quas Primas.
• Democratic Clericalism: The call for “priestly fraternity” and the emphasis on priests being “faithful” rather than holy reflects the conciliar democratization of the clergy. The pre-1958 Church taught that priests are a “sacred hierarchy” (Council of Trent, Session XXIII, Canon 2), not a fraternity of equals. The bishop’s warning against “isolation” is a veiled attack on traditional priestly formation, which emphasized solitude, asceticism, and total dedication to God, not peer group therapy.
• False Ecumenism and Relativism: The praise for “local traditions such as the Semana Santa” as expressions of faith that unite the community is a classic conciliar error. These traditions, while perhaps beautiful, are not Catholic unless purified and subordinated to the liturgical laws of the Church. The article implies that any community expression is valid, echoing the indifferentism condemned by Pius IX in the Syllabus (Errors 15-18).

5. The Grave Omission: Silence on the Supernatural

The most damning critique is what the article does not say. In a homily for a Chrism Mass—the Mass where priests renew their ordination promises—there is:

• No mention of the sacrifice of the Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.
• No mention of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
• No mention of the priest’s role in absolving sins, which is the primary power given at ordination (John 20:22-23).
• No mention of hell or the necessity of the state of grace to avoid it.
• No mention of Our Lord Jesus Christ as King whose rights must be acknowledged by individuals and states (cf. Quas Primas).
• No mention of the Virgin Mary or the saints as models and intercessors.
• No mention of devil or the necessity of spiritual warfare.

This silence is not benign; it is heretical. It reflects the Modernist principle that the supernatural is a “mythical invention” (condemned in Lamentabili, Prop. 7) and that religion is primarily about human flourishing. The pre-1958 Church, following St. Paul, preached “Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2) and the necessity of Baptism for salvation (Council of Trent, Session VII, Canon 4). The article preaches a “Christ” who is a social liberator, not the God-Man who died to satisfy divine justice and open the gates of heaven.

6. The Conciliar “Bishop” and the Invalid Hierarchy

Mr. Monteiro and the “Bishop Emeritus” Kopong Kung are not Catholic bishops. They are ministers of the conciliar sect. The episcopal consecration they received, if performed after 1968 according to the new rite, is valid but illicit, and they operate without jurisdiction. Even if their orders are valid (a question mark due to the probable defects in post-1968 ordinations), they are excommunicated for adhering to the errors of Vatican II, which are condemned by Pope Pius IX’s Syllabus and St. Pius X’s Pascendi. Their “Chrism Mass” is a liturgical act within a schismatic, modernist structure. The faithful who attend and receive the “oils” are participating in a sacrilegious parody if they are in mortal sin, and a vain superstition if they believe it conveys grace apart from the true faith. The pre-1958 Church taught that sacraments require proper matter, form, intention, and dispositio (disposition) in the recipient. The conciliar sect has altered the matter and form of sacraments (e.g., the new rite of ordination, the new Mass) and promotes a disposition of “active participation” that is often heretical. The blessing of oils, while using the old rite, occurs in a context of total doctrinal corruption, making it an empty ritual.

7. The “Fraternity” Heresy vs. Catholic Communion

The bishop’s call for “priestly fraternity” is a direct attack on the Catholic doctrine of hierarchical communion. St. Robert Bellarmine, in De Romano Pontifice, explains that the Church is a perfect society with a divinely instituted hierarchy: pope, bishops, priests. Priests are not peers but assistants to the bishop, who holds the fullness of the priesthood. The concept of “fraternity” suggests a democratic, horizontal relationship, which is the spirit of Freemasonry infiltrating the Church. The pre-1958 Code of Canon Law (Canon 107) defined the relationship as one of “obedience” and “reverence.” The conciliar sect, following Vatican II’s Presbyterorum Ordinis, has redefined the presbyterate as a “college” sharing in the bishop’s mission in a collaborative, not hierarchical, way. This is the “democratization of the Church” condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus (Error 19: “The Church is not a true and perfect society… but it appertains to the civil power to define what are the rights of the Church”).

8. Conclusion: A Liturgy of Apostasy

The Chrism Mass in Larantuka is not a Catholic liturgy but a ceremony of the conciliar apostasy. It uses ancient Catholic forms to preach a modern, naturalistic, and heretical message. The focus on “fraternity,” “human dignity,” and “hope” replaces the supernatural truths of the Catholic faith: the sacrifice of the Mass, the real presence, the necessity of grace, the terror of hell, and the absolute sovereignty of Christ the King over all nations. The prelate, Mr. Monteiro, is not a bishop of Christ but a functionary of the “abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15) standing in the holy place. The faithful are not instructed in the faith but in the social gospel of Modernism. This event is a stark reminder that the structures occupying the Vatican and the sees of the world are in a state of material schism and formal apostasy. The only response for a Catholic is to flee these conciliar sects and adhere to the unchanging faith of the pre-1958 Church, wherever it may be found in small, persecuted communities led by bishops who reject the errors of Vatican II and the conciliar “popes.”

Source: Vatican News portal, April 2, 2026. Article URL: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-04/holyweek-chrismmass-indonesia-larantuka-asia-priests.html

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Source:
Indonesia: Bishop’s call for building priestly fraternity   (vaticannews.va)
Date: 02.04.2026