83. The mystical priestly state is that acquired by the ordained when the character or Ministerial Priesthood is impressed upon him. Thus, from the instant of ordination, the deacon, priest or bishop, in addition to the natural state he possesses as man, acquires a new state, the mystical priestly state, derived from the extension to him of the Eternal High Priesthood of Christ. The mystical priestly state, though given both to the soul and to the heart of the ordained directly by Christ, nonetheless extends to all of his body and blood. Consequently, the ego or human person of the ordained possesses that dual state in his soul, in his essential body and in his accidental body, and the acts of his person are realized in that dual state. The mystical priestly state is, then, possession by the priest of a mysterious and singular state which invests him with fitness for the ministry in the name of Christ and of the Church. That mystical state is the propitious seat of the mystical priestly espousal, without which his ministry would be inefficacious. As we know, the minister will only participate with ministerial efficacy in the Hypostatic Union when he possesses the mystical priestly espousal, because that espousal is absolutely vital for an action of his to be essentially priestly. Be it understood that a priest is Christ and the Church’s fit minister as long as he is in communion with the Pope, whether or not the Light in form of a Cross dwells in his mystical heart. Even though a priest within the true Church possesses the quality of suitable minister, notwithstanding, this does not exclude his for some reason being limited in the exercise of that suitability. For example, lack of jurisdiction to hear confession in a determined locality.

84. The mystical priestly state assumes, at the very instant it is bestowed on the ordained, the natural state he already possesses. Without mixture or confusion of either state, the mystical state impregnates and enfolds the natural state, which is not destroyed for that reason. Whatever the ordained minister does in his natural state, good or evil, is now an act of the priest. Let it be understood that, although the ordained minister possess one or two or three grades of the Priesthood, the mystical priestly state is one. According to the greater or lesser grade, the intensity of the mystical state will be greater or less. We know that the mystical priestly state entails one or several ministerial functions according to the grade received. One function for a deacon, two for a priest and three for a bishop. This lets us see, in the ordained minister, two kinds of activity. Properly natural, those he performs in virtue of the natural power of the body, for example eating; in virtue of the natural power of the soul, for example thinking; or in virtue of the natural power of both, for example vocal prayer. Properly ministerial, those he performs in virtue of his priestly power, in other words essentially priestly acts. Whenever the ordained minister performs an act, natural or ministerial, he necessarily acts in both states, since a single ego is acting. For example, if the ordained minister eats, though it is an act belonging to his natural state, given the unity of person he also eats in his mystical priestly state. Hence we say the priest eats. If a priest celebrates Mass, though it is an act belonging to his mystical priestly state, given the unity of person he also celebrates in his natural state.

85. When a deacon, priest or bishop is in the state of grace he possesses the luminosity of the Cross, the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart and Mary’s Drop of Blood, both in the mystical priestly state and in the natural state of his body and soul. Thus a priest in the state of grace possesses, on the one hand, the common mystical espousal or life of grace, which comes to him from the indwelling, for his own benefit, of Mary’s Drop of Blood, whence his whole being, both in the natural state and in the mystical priestly state, is raised -to the supernatural order. On the other hand, he possesses the mystical priestly espousal or illumination, in virtue of the indwelling of the Light in form of a Cross, whence his whole being, both in his mystical priestly state and in his natural state, is illuminated by that divine Light. Thus we conclude that when a priest in the state of grace performs an essentially priestly act, it is always for the benefit both of the Church and of himself.

We now present the doctrine on Christ’s assumption of the ministerial priest, which is effected in three ways - the Light in form of a Cross, the Drop of Mary’s Blood and the Particle of Deific Heart.

86. Christ’s assumption of a ministerial priest in the state of grace, through the Light in a form of a Cross. In virtue of the indwelling of the Light in form of a Cross in his mystical priestly heart, a minister possesses the mystical priestly espousal, and thus is assumed in the mystical state of his person, through his mystical priestly soul, by the Most Divine Soul of Christ by way of the Divine Soul of Mary, which assumption is extended, through the concomitance of unity of person, to his natural state. The reason why the priest is assumed, for the Church, by means of the Light in form of a Cross, is for Christ to act through the mystical priestly state of His minister. When he is assumed he is mystically Christ, Who is hidden in the person of the priest. When a priest performs an essentially priestly act, at the same time as he acts in his double state, Christ acts in union with him, through his mystical priestly state. For example, if he blesses, it is his ego or person that blesses; and, consequently, he does so in the dual state he possesses, the mystical and the natural. However, as blessing is an essentially priestly action, and Christ of necessity acts through the mystical priestly state of His minister, a blessing is in essence given by Christ. Therefore every essentially priestly act pertains to Christ as its Cause primary, efficacious and indispensable. It also pertains to the priest, its secondary, indispensable and instrumental cause, since the priest is a mere instrument, conscious and responsible, of Christ’s Eternal High Priesthood. In Holy Mass for example, when the priest says the words of consecration, he does so using his mouth in the natural state; and owing to the unity of his ego or person, he does so simultaneously using his mouth in the mystical priestly state; and since the minister is assumed by Christ through the latter state, He, Eternal High Priest, also says, simultaneously and mystically, the words of consecration using the lips and voice of the minister. In short, both in the action of consecrating and in any other essentially priestly act, we consider the Primary Cause - Christ mystically in the priest; the first instrumental cause - the priest in his mystical state; the second instrumental cause - the priest in his natural state.

87. Christ’s assumption of a ministerial priest in the state of grace, through Mary’s Drop of Blood. The indwelling of the Singular Sacrament of the most pure Drop in the mystical heart of a priest has, as we know, a twofold purpose - for the benefit of the Church and for himself. In virtue of the indwelling of Mary’s Drop of Blood in his mystical heart, for the Church’s benefit, the priest is assumed, in the mystical state of his person, through his mystical priestly blood, by the Blood of Christ through Mary’s Drop of Blood. Which assumption is extended, through the concomitance of unity of person, to his natural state. The reason for the priest’s assumption, for the Church, in virtue of Mary’s Drop of Blood, is to pour out the Deific Blood of Christ over the members of the Mystical Body. For whenever he performs an essentially priestly act, the Drop of Mary’s Blood increases, in his mystical heart, for the Church’s benefit; which increase implies a new assumption by Christ of the priest, and in him of all members in the state of grace. In addition to that assumption of the priest for the Church’s benefit, he, in the state of grace, is also assumed, in virtue of Mary’s Drop of Blood, for his own benefit, as corresponds to his common priesthood.

88. Christ’s assumption of a ministerial priest in the state of grace, through the Deific Particle of Heart. In virtue of the indwelling of the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart in his mystical priestly heart, for the Church’s benefit, the priest is assumed, in the mystical state of his person, through his mystical priestly flesh, by the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart, which assumption is extended, through the concomitance of unity of person, to the priest’s natural state. The reason for his assumption for the Church, in virtue of the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart, is to give over that Deific Particle to those members in the state of grace; for whenever he performs an essentially priestly act, the Deific Particle of Heart increases in his mystical heart to the Church’s benefit, which increase implies a new assumption by Christ of the priest, and in him, of all those members who also possess the Deific Particle. In addition to Christ’s assumption of the priest to the Church’s benefit, when through Communion he possesses in his mystical heart the Deific Particle for his own benefit, he is also assumed as corresponds to his common priesthood.

89. If is evident from what has been said that the members of Christ’s Mystical Body in the state of grace benefit, according to their correspondence and dispositions, from all essentially priestly acts carried out by ministerial priests anywhere in the Universe. That benefit will be ordinary, due to the presence of Mary’s Drop of Blood in them; and extraordinary, for those who also possess the Deific Particle of Heart. Herein lies the importance, for the members of Christ’s Mystical Body, of being in the state of grace, and also of possessing the Particle of the Deific Heart which comes to them from reception of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

90. Let us now consider a priest who, unfortunately, is in mortal sin. A priest who commits a mortal sin, which God forbid, commits that very grave offence against God both in his natural state and in his mystical priestly state, since a single ego or person is acting. While in mortal sin, since he does not possess the common mystical espousal, he also lacks the mystical priestly espousal in the mystical state, as long as he does not perform an essentially priestly act. Thus Satan dwells both in the natural state and in the mystical priestly state of his heart and soul, as likewise in his whole being. Nonetheless, whenever he carries out an essentially priestly act he will receive, during its execution and for the Church’s benefit, the luminosity of the Cross, the Particle of Christ’s Heart and Mary’s Drop of Blood, in the mystical priestly state of his soul and heart, as likewise in his whole mystical state. However, Satan will continue to dwell in the natural state of the priest’s soul and heart and in all his natural state. The fact that the Evil One ceases to inhabit the mystical priestly state whenever the priest performs an action essential to his ministry, is because in that mystical state the Most Divine Soul of Christ is present, illuminating it. Hence Satan is forced to abandon it during the time that the Divine Light is present. Though he be in mortal sin, whilst the priest carries out an essential priestly act, he is assumed in his mystical state by Christ, in virtue of the indwelling of the Light in form of a Cross, Mary’s Drop of Blood and the Deific Particle of Heart. The aforementioned assumptions and indwellings, which are exclusively for the Church’s benefit, remain in the mystical state of the priest during the performance of the ministerial action, without being extended to the natural state of the minister. A priest in mortal sin, even when bereft of the Light in form of a Cross, continues to be Christ’s representative, since he retains the juridical priestly espousal, the external priestly espousal with the Church and therefore his ministerial character. However, only when he carries out an essentially priestly act is he mystically Christ. When a priest in mortal sin performs an essentially priestly act he commits a grave sacrilege, since Christ is forced to intervene in the mystical state of His wretched minister, who, in turn, acts not only in that state, but also in his natural state, in which Satan continues to dwell.

91. As we have seen, Christ endows the ministerial priest with a new and singular state in order for that minister to be the suitable and effective instrument of His deific intervention, in the exercise of the ministry. That is because the priest, a fallen man and free to choose good or evil when he sins mortally, will be forgiven by Christ and freed from Satan only when he repents. However, as a perpetual guarantee of the transmission of supernatural life to His Church, the Divine Saviour bestows upon the priest the mystical priestly state. Although that state shares in the disgrace of sin and in the indwelling of Satan in which the priest may be found, the expulsion of the Evil One therefrom depends, according to circumstances, on the recovery of grace or on the exercise of the ministerial priesthood. That is why, when a priest in mortal sin carries out an essentially priestly act, at the very instant the Most Divine Soul of Christ with His presence illuminates the mystical priestly state, He hurls Satan therefrom, and also frees that mystical state from sin, in order for Him to act as Eternal High Priest, for the Church’s benefit. Thus the priest, in his mystical state, in virtue of that divine illumination, is mystically Christ. Notwithstanding, in his natural state he continues to be the slave of sin and of Satan. When the priest has concluded the essentially priestly act Christ withdraws, and Satan and sin return to invade, with their filthy presence, the mystical state of the priest.

92. It is fitting here to give the following explanation. We know that the ministerial priesthood implies, on the ordained’s part, the reception of the ministerial character, of the juridical priestly espousal, of the mystical priestly espousal, of the external espousal and of the mystical priestly state. We see, then, in each of these constituent elements, one aspect of the ministerial priesthood. The ministerial character is the Priesthood considered as a sign; the juridical priestly espousal is the Priesthood considered as a spiritual commitment to the Espousal of Christ and Mary; the mystical priestly espousal is the Priesthood considered as effective participation in the Espousal of Christ and Mary; the external priestly espousal is the Priesthood considered as the suitability of the ministry; and the mystical priestly state is the Priesthood considered as Christ’s essential instrument in the Church.

93. We teach that if a priest apostatizes from the true Church, he continues with the ministerial priesthood, but merely juridically, because the character received at ordination is indelible. However, the character retains its ministerial quality merely juridically, since the juridical priestly espousal is indissoluble. As regards the mystical priestly state, we teach that a priest forfeits it by apostasy since he ceases to be Christ’s minister, and recovers it if he rejoins the Church. It also disappears at clinical death for the following reasons: (a) Between that death and real death he no longer exercises any ministry; (b) Priests who are condemned cease to be Christ’s ministers; (c) Those who are saved attain the grade of perfect charity, whereby their natural state is made fit to be Christ’s priestly instrument.

94. The sublime doctrine of the mystical priestly state is not applicable to the common priesthood of the faithful, for only in virtue of the ministerial priesthood, and not of the common priesthood, is one a Minister of Christ and His Church. Hence the mystical priestly state is received to fulfil that ministry.

95. We now refer briefly to the apostate Churches. First we recall that due to its apostasy the Roman Church ceased to be the true Church of Christ on the 6th of August, 1978, at the death of Pope Saint Paul VI and the elevation to the Pontificate of his legitimate successor Pope Gregory XVII. On that day the Holy Ghost abandoned all the inhabitants of that Church, since the Paraclete is Soul exclusively of the true Church, One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Palmarian. Nevertheless, the Roman Church, as likewise the other apostate sects, retained certain powers until these were completely withdrawn by His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII in virtue of the Apostolic Constitution of the 30th of July, 1982. After this preamble, we must consider the following, dealing with the baptized, the confirmed and the ordained:

1. Those validly baptized, confirmed or ordained in the Roman Church prior to the 6th of August, 1978, and who remained in that Church when it apostatized on that day, retained the respective impressed character and juridical espousal, for being eternal. The same must be said of those who, at any historical moment, have apostatized after being baptized, confirmed or ordained within the true Church. Since they all retain the respective impressed character and juridical espousal, though only juridically, they retain the common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood, as the case may be. However, on having severed communion with the Pope, they lose their status as members of the faithful and their dignity as ministers of Christ and of the Church, respectively. In other words, for the ordained minister his priestly character ceases to be ministerial. No apostate retains any relationship with the true Church.

2. Those validly baptized, confirmed or ordained outside the true Church, that is, in the different apostate sects, at any historical time, have received no espousal, common or priestly, neither juridical nor mystical nor eternal. They did receive the character of the corresponding Sacrament, but without its relating them in any way to the true Church.

3. In the Roman Church, now apostate, those validly baptized, confirmed or ordained from the 6th of August, 1978, until the Apostolic Constitution of the 30th of July, 1982, received no espousal, common or priestly. However they did receive the character of the corresponding Sacrament. Neither were they nor are they related in any way to the true Church.

4. Those who were validly baptized, confirmed or ordained in the apostate Churches prior to the Apostolic Constitution of the 30th of July, 1982, did not receive, as we stated, any kind of espousal but merely the corresponding cross or sacramental character. In other words, those baptized and confirmed received the priestly but not the common character, and those ordained the priestly but not the ministerial character, since the common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood are received exclusively within the true Church.

96. Since it behoves us to penetrate more deeply into the Sacrament of Orders, let us examine what the valid ordinations in the apostate Churches at any historical moment consisted of, until His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII withdrew their powers on the 30th of July, 1982. At the moment of ordination, the ordained received in his soul the indelible and eternal cross or character of the Sacrament of Orders which the Most Divine Soul of Christ was forced to impress upon him, even though that priestly character was not the ministerial. However the Most Divine Soul of Christ did not, even at the moment of impression, dwell in the soul of the ordained apostate. For that reason he did not receive any kind of priestly espousal, neither juridical nor mystical nor external. Thus must be understood what His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII defined when he said that in the schismatic Churches where ordinations were valid, when one received priestly ordination or episcopal consecration, though he received in his soul the indelible character of the Order, he was espoused neither with Our Lord Jesus Christ nor with the Divine Mary. However, despite the fact that apostate priests were destitute of all priestly espousal, they continued to realize certain actions proper to the ministry of Orders, because a Pope had not yet withdrawn their powers, received from the true Church by apostolic succession, though, it is clear, from the hands of an apostate bishop. However the actions of one thus ordained, he being neither Christ nor the Church’s minister, were not essentially but merely accidentally priestly. For an essentially priestly act implies, as we stated, the indwelling of the Light in form of a Cross or Most Divine Soul of Christ, both in the soul and in the heart of the priest, illuminating the minister’s whole being, something which did not take place in those apostates, even though they retained their powers. Consequently, when for example those priests validly administered Sacraments, their validity was in virtue of the Sacraments themselves, given that Christ was obliged to act through those priests once He had impressed character upon them and the Pope did not withdraw afterwards the powers they possessed. For the character impressed upon them necessarily carried those powers with it, until His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII, inspired by the Holy Ghost, learned that as Vicar of Christ he could withdraw these from them since they are separable from the priestly character, wherefore the Supreme Palmarian Pontiff, using his authority, withdrew from the apostate Churches the powers they had been usurping. However, let it be understood that since those apostate priests were bereft of spiritual paternity, which is possessed only within the true Church with the priestly ministry, when they administered the Sacraments they gave nothing of themselves, rather, as mere and illegitimate instruments, from the heart of the priest of the true Church they stole the corresponding graces - which were imperfectly applied to them. That is the reason why those apostate priests, since they were not representatives of Christ, were usurpers, consciously or unconsciously, of the powers they retained, for those powers belong exclusively to the true Church. From all that has been said it is evident that apostate priests could not sacrifice, that is, validly celebrate Holy Mass. For, being outside the true Church, at no time did they receive the indwelling of the Light in form of a Cross, by virtue of which a priest of the true Church lodges her and her finite sacrifice. Therefore their Offertory could never be sacrificial. And the valid consecration of the species of bread and wine in their religious services was only sacramental and not sacrificial, so that they could neither immolate nor unite sacrifices at Communion.

97. When Pope Gregory XVII, by the Apostolic Constitution, withdrew from the apostate Churches all powers, which thenceforth exist only in the true Church, the apostates - although they continue to retain in their souls the impressed character of Orders with or without the juridical espousal, as the case may be, both being indelible and eternal - no longer have the power validly to perform any act of the priestly ministry. We conclude by saying that when an apostate priest, whether possessing merely the character, or whether possessing in addition the priestly juridical espousal, recognizes his error and manifests the desire to join or rejoin the true Church, at the very moment the Pope lifts the excommunication, he receives or recovers, as the case may be, the external espousal with her, and therefore, if not possessed, the priestly juridical espousal as well. Hence to his priestly character will be united the quality of ministerial, wherefore he is now Christ and the Church’s minister.

98. After this brief commentary on the apostate Churches we continue our doctrine on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the ministerial priesthood. Further to clarify the concept of the essentially priestly act, which always implies the presence of the Light in form of a Cross in the mystical heart, as has already been stated, we teach that an essentially priestly act is one the priest performs for purely ministerial or pastoral reasons. For example Holy Mass, administration of the Sacraments, blessing of persons and objects, preaching and in general all that is proper and exclusive to the ministerial priesthood. Beyond the exercise of his ministry no act of the priest is essentially priestly, even though the light in form of a Cross dwells in his heart when he is in the state of grace. For example, when he recites the Holy Rosary, hears Holy Mass, receives sacramental Communion, etc., and in general all acts common to men.

99. At the altar of the Lord, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the celebrating priest is most fundamentally portrayed as Christ’s minister, Whom he represents as inferior, and as minister of the faithful, whom he represents as superior. Thus the priest exercises two ministries, because he is complete minister of the Whole Christ, that is, of Christ’s Mystical Body. Therefore the priest is minister of Christ the Spouse and of His Bride the Church. Through his ministerial character he as sole minister unites the action of both Spouses. The priest, minister of Christ, is also minister of Mary, and as minister of the Church is also his own, being one of the faithful.

100. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass there are also three real and true Victims: Christ, Mary and the celebrating minister, and in him the whole Church. The first and principal is Christ, Infinite Victim, God made Man Who, at every Mass in sacramental form is offered, descends upon the altar and is immolated in His Most Sacred Humanity. Thus the second Divine Person, the very God of infinite majesty, dies in unbloody manner in His Humanity in each Mass. The second is the Divine Mary, infinite Victim by grace through Her most singular Espousal with Christ, by which at every Mass She necessarily is offered, comes to the altar and is immolated with Him in the eucharistic Sacrament in which both are present. The third is the ministerial priest, finite victim who, through the exceptional presence in his mystical priestly heart of the Most Divine Soul of Christ as Light in form of a Cross, makes it possible, at every Mass, for Christ and Mary, as Priests and Victims, to be offered, to descend upon the altar and to be immolated invisibly in his priestly heart, when he himself as celebrant is offered, pronounces the words of consecration and is immolated, respectively. Since all the Church’s members are present in his mystical priestly heart, they also are offered and immolated with him.

101. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass there are three real and true Priestly Hearts: the first and principal, the Deific Heart of Jesus; the second, the Immaculate Heart of Mary; and the third, the mystical heart of the minister, and in him the whole Church. In this sublime dogmatic Definition of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII there is contained the doctrine of the Mystical Priestly Heart of the Church, which we must consider under the following two aspects, invisible and visible.

A) In the invisible aspect we distinguish:

1. The Mystical Priestly Heart of the Church in its essential aspect, which is the Espousal of the Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

2. The Mystical Priestly Heart of the Church in its extensive aspect, which is the espousal of the Priestly Hearts of Jesus and Mary with all the hearts of illuminated ministerial priests, in virtue of the mystical priestly espousal through the presence in those priests of the Most Divine Soul of Christ or Light in form of a Cross. Studying more profoundly the extensive aspect we teach that all ministerial priestly hearts, through the mystical priestly espousal of each of them with Christ and Mary, constitute a single operative and efficacious Heart of the Church, without on that account the ministerial action of one being that of another. However the action of any one of them is that of the Mystical Priestly Heart, since the latter, in its extensive aspect, is each and every one of the illuminated priestly hearts. Hence we see that the Mystical Heart of the Church is, simultaneously, one and manifold. It is one in regard to the action of Christ, Who, as prime and efficacious Cause, is the same in all priestly hearts. It is manifold in the action of the priest, for each minister is an individual and separate instrument of Christ’s priestly action in the Church. Since the members of Christ’s Mystical Body in the state of grace dwell, through common mystical espousal, in each illuminated priestly heart, and participate extensively in their ministries, they, corresponding to their common priesthood, form part of the Mystical Priestly Heart. In other words, the mystical heart of the ministerial priest is extended to them, since they are assumed in it by Christ, without mixture or confusion of hearts on that account, since in the Mystical Priestly Heart the mission of the ministerial priest is perfectly distinguished from that of the common priesthood.

B) In the visible aspect we distinguish:

1. The living Mystical Priestly Heart, which are all ministerial priestly hearts illuminated by the presence of the Most Divine Soul of Christ.

2. The dead Mystical Priestly Heart, which are the hearts of all ministerial priests in mortal sin while not performing an essentially priestly act. The members of Christ’s Mystical Body belong to the living or dead Mystical Heart, respectively, according as they are in the state of grace or in mortal sin.

From all of which can be concluded that the mystical priestly heart, when illuminated by the Most Divine Soul of Christ, is Calvary itself, with all the mysteries enshrined therein.

102. We further clarify the doctrine of the mystical priestly heart. When the subject ordained receives the Light in form of a Cross, the Particle of Deific Heart and the Drop of Mary’s Blood, through the Sacrament of Orders his priestly heart is constituted mystical Calvary, since it affords shelter to the Most Sacred Humanity of Christ in three distinct and singular presences: that of His Soul, that of His Body and that of His Blood. These mysteriously represent the sublime and bloody immolation of Golgotha, in which the three most divine elements of the Redeemer were separated one from another, though each remained united to the Divinity. Here we see how the priestly heart, constituted mystical Calvary through the presence of the Light in form of a Cross, is in Christ and the Church’s name legitimate depository of infinite graces, harbouring them ever inexhaustibly in virtue of the perpetuity of Holy Mass. Only from that heart can the Church’s members receive them. However, let it be understood that even though the priest harbours, in his mystical heart, by virtue of the Light in form of a Cross, the infinite graces of Calvary, it is as co-treasurer, this privilege as representative of Christ and Mary. For Christ as Man is, in justice, Divine and Supreme Treasurer, and Mary, by grace, Divine Treasuress. When the priest is constituted co-treasurer of graces it is, as we know, for the express purpose of pouring them over the Church through his ministerial action also as universal co-mediator in the dispensation of all graces. That prerogative is his as representative of Christ and Mary, since Christ as Man is, in justice, Divine and Supreme Mediator and Dispenser, and Mary, by grace, Divine Mediatrix and Dispensatrix. From all that has been stated we conclude that from the mystical priestly heart, constituted sublime and unbloody Calvary, Christ exercises His Supreme Paternity over the Church and pours Himself out over souls. That is why, when the priest efficaciously administers a Sacrament, it is Christ Himself Who, from the heart of the priest, confers it as Principal Minister, and produces in the soul of the recipient the corresponding effects.

103. We now study profoundly the different parts of the Mass according to the Palmarian rite which, as we know, is quite like that of Jesus in the first Mass of the Cenacle. The Palmarian Mass is in its totality essentially priestly, for thus are all its component parts. The priest, before beginning the Holy Sacrifice, and before vesting, performs two preparatory ceremonies. He first recites the act of contrition, in order further to cleanse his soul of any fault, and secondly washes his hands, a sacramental full of symbolism, by which rite he is spiritually and corporeally purified. Neither act is essentially priestly, but both are sacred rites obliging the celebrant.

104. This Holy Council teaches that because all the component parts of Holy Mass are essentially priestly, during its celebration there is an uninterrupted increase of Mary’s Drop of Blood in the hearts of the Church’s members in the state of grace, as also of the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart in those possessing It. The increase is more intense at the Offertory, much more so at the Consecration, and attains its peak at the immolation. Let it be understood that all increases of Mary’s Drop of Blood and of the Deific Particle of Christ’s Heart in the Mass are anticipated or consequent applications, as the case may be, of the sacrificial immolation of the Mass.

105. Holy Mass begins when the priest, vested, blesses himself for the first time, invoking the Most Holy Trinity and blessing at the same time the whole Church, present in his mystical heart. This first essentially, priestly act, which is outside the essence of the Sacrifice, includes, among others, the following objectives: when the priest blesses himself, he implicitly manifests before the Church that his power to celebrate Holy Mass comes to him from the Triune God through his participation in the Divine Souls of Christ and Mary; besides, with that initial sign of the Cross he emphasizes the profound mystery contained in the Sacrifice he is about to celebrate, perpetuation of Calvary or Sacrifice of the Cross, the only one capable of glorifying the Father. If unfortunately, the priest be in mortal sin, it is in this first blessing of himself at Mass that he receives in his mystical heart the Light in form of a Cross, as well as the finite sacrifice of the Church from the hands of Most Holy Joseph, all of which remains in him until he concludes the Mass.