Expert: Fr. Michael - 8/19/2008

Question
I have been doing much reading on traditional catholicism and have visited quite a few traditional websites. I have noticed that although all of them claim to recognize the latin mass as the only mass, there are differences in positions held regarding the pope. Some feel that because of his rejection of certain Catholic beliefs e.g. Limbo he cannot be considered the vicar of Christ. Others feel that we owe allegiance to him. There is also the issue of Bp. Lefebvre who is considered by some to be a crusader and others as a schismatic. How do I know what to believe?

Answer
       Sede-vacantism, the position that the papacy is currently vacant on account of heresy to Modernism and the New Order, amounts to a merely personal opinion on the part of someone that involves applying certain principles of Roman Catholic theology to a specific factual situation.  It is not a doctrinal issue, as a sede-vacantist certainly accepts the Roman Catholic dogma on the papacy as defined at Vatican I.  A personal opinion of sede-vacantism has no impact on the validity of the true Mass, Sacraments, and Faith.  It is not heretical or schismatic.  Traditional Catholic theologians of the past indicate various ways by which an official decision could be made.  Thus, sede-vacantism was considered at least a theoretical possibility by even Doctors of the Church.

       In practice, traditional Catholics are minimally affected by the issue.  Traditional Catholics are not going with the "New Mass," the "New Sacraments," the "New Morality," and the "New Theology," no matter who is pope, because that would be an offense against God Himself and a violation of the Apostolic Deposit of Faith.  Any pope who would dare to violate the constitution of his papal office is acting outside his authority, and such acts are thus null and void anyway, according to the dogmatic decree "Pastor Aeternus" of Vatican I.

       What a person's opinion about an individual pope (as opposed to the doctrine on the office of the papacy itself) is, does not impinge on the traditional Mass, Sacraments, or Faith.  Those are set in Catholic doctrine and Tradition, no matter who the pope is or is not.

        After all, the Deposit of Faith does not belong to the pope.  It is the Church's treasure of truth that has been taught during twenty centuries.  The pope is obligated to transmit it faithfully and exactly to all those under him.  He is not free to do anything he pleases.  Nor can we follow his error and change God's truth, just because the one who is charged with transmitting it is weak and allows error to spread around him.  Remember that dogmatic council Vatican I found that some 40 of 260 popes had at one time or another personally taught error.  One pope was excommunicated.  One pope was deposed from office.

       Catholics must remain faithful to the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy of two thousand years, not novelties that have been taught for just the last forty years.  Traditional Catholics should be looking for a site where the unadulterated Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments are offered and where the traditional Roman Catholic Faith is preached.