Someone eluded to this question on a blog last week. It was posed in context of, “we need to study this more”. It just struck me as funny, like war of the worlds, “What is that thing coming out of the pod, we need to catch one and study it”. Of course todays world is full of questions. Democrats are still trying to determine what a women is. I hope they never find out, its a good way to stop them from breeding more liberals.
Depending on who you talk to a sedevacantist could be anywhere between the Catholic version of Joseph Stalin and King Richard the lion hearted. Realistically, like the rest of us they are Catholics for one. Don’t give me this crap that just because they do not recognize the current pope makes them some beast with a pointed tail. One thing I do know is the Catholicism they practice is pure and unadulterated. They practice the faith as it was before not only Vatican II but before Annibale Bugnini and his new liturgical movement buddies began to hammer away at the very foundation of Catholicism.
Whenever I can not attend my ICKSP TLM I would stream from St. Gertrude the Great church in Ohio. That church is where Fr. Cekada author of “work of human hands” spent the last few years before his death. All I know is the rubrics are impeccable and the sermons are meat and potatoes Catholicism. Try saying that about most novus ordo sermons.
Let’s now take a look at the Catholic blogosphere. At the left/modernist end of the spectrum is Mike “Pudge” Lewis and his blog “Where Peter is”, and on the other side Chris Jackson and his orthodox blog Hiraeth in Exile. While Chris talks about orthodoxy and how the Bergoglio/Prevost line of popes is destroying it Mike is too busy being the modernist apologist. If Leo says 2 + 2 is 5 rest assured that Pudge will construct some kind of twisted logic to back it up. In between is a hodge podge of Catholic bloggers from one side of the spectrum to the other. Somewhere in the middle is what Frank Walker of Stumbling block has tagged Trad Inc. These are basically your middle of the road opportunists. If Prevost is out they are against him, if he is popular they are for him. Michael Matt is still trying to pick his stand (probably all depends on Remnant subscriptions) while Taylor Marshall just wants to sell his pope Leo steak knives. Where is Tridentine Catholic in all this? I am hiding somewhere behind Chris Jackson and Frank Walker. All I want to be is that aggravating pebble in Leo’s shoe.
In regarding the pope. As we all know, or at least most of us know, Sedevacantist is Latin for empy chair or seat. The belief is that there is no legitimate pope since Pius XII and based on the antics of Bergoglio and Prevost I have to agree with them, with one exception. I almost have to question Pius XII on that too since he ok’d “Revisions to the Liturgy” mainly the attempted gutting of the holy week ritual and worst off assigned our good buddy Annibale Bugnini to a position overseeing the liturgy. Annie was the architect of the mass of Paul VI and the total overhaul of the real Catholic mass. To his credit Pius wrote an encyclical blasting modernism Sollemnis Conventus (1939) I find it so strange that Pius could write this and then 10 years later in 1948 appoint the supreme modernist Annie to alter the liturgy.
What are the choices? There are basically 3. The “pudge” Lewis approach. Simply walk like step with the post conciliator church. If Leo says jump then ask how high. Afterall he will threaten you with “what about your vow of obedience.?” That is overrated, for one how can you be obedient to a heretic and for two my understanding is the vow of obedience is to obey the true faith. A vow the Bergoglio/Prevost popes have already broke. I will take a pass on this one.
Next approach is Recognize and resist. I think the SSPX originally came up with this. Possibly an attempt to keep a bridge between thme and the Vatican. Basically ya, he is the pope just don’t listen to him. Now how much sense does that make? Try that in the army, “Ya he is the General but I’m not going to listen to him”. See if that doesn’t get you time in the guard house. Besides when you recognize him your recognizing heresy and evil. No thanks not for me.
Sedevacantism? Still some flaws but probably the best approach. The gutless wonder I am I’m still sitting on the fence on this one. My mother, the devout Polish Catholic that she was, used to tell me let your conscious be your guide. She taught me that and the only Polish phrase I know, “idź z Bogiem” pronounced Each buggum I think meaning go with God. At first I though corny but now as we wade thru the confusion of the Prevost church makes every bit of sense. Probably the only way any of us can keep our sanity. Trust your conscience which is inspired by God. Thanks mom!
But, but the pope is chosen by God. Ah well kind of, he chooses the electors, the Cardinals who are men, and men suffer the consequence of original sin. They are every bit capable of making a mistake as the rest of us. I’ll put a twist on this. I think there is a man intended by God out there somewhere to be the pope as he intended. In my mind its Archbishop Vigano. After all at one time during the great Schism there were 3 popes out there.
My battle plan? Never give up the true faith as existed before Vatican II. Find it were I can, Ecclesia Dei groups, SSPX, Sede you name it. Confession too, I have located 3 orthodox Novus Ordo priests I will use as last resort should I not be able to get to a TLM with a mortal sin. I prefer now to play the roll of utility infielder until something more perminet comes along. Start thinking out of the box as if your soul depended on it, because it does.