Sedevacantism

[connorj1994]

This has been confusing me. 0.o

What are your thoughts?

 

[Julian0404]

You are refering to the latin phrase meaning “empty chair” which is used to describe when a Pope has not been named as successor following the death of a Pope, the Catholic Church would have an “empty chair of St. Peter” until a new Pope is named. It also applies, and this is your point, to the occurence “if” ever a heretical Pope would be named and sit in the chair of St. Peter, being a heretic and thus not faithful to the Catholic Church, then the chair would stll be considered empty.

And to that I simply state have you never read Jesus words, “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it…” refering to the fact that hell and all of its heretics will fall to the catholic church.

 

[LoyalViews]

I think what he means is the stance that some people hold today, like the SSPV, and the CMRI. I think the people who are part of these groups, are just wandering sheep that have drifted from the shephard (Pope Benedict). People who are sedevacantist, just do not understand what really happened at Vatican II. They think that it (Vatican II) was a movement that was meant to Protestantize the church. What V II was really about, was renewing our traditions. But, the so called “liturgical experts” took the liturgy and started to experiment with it. Things are better now, we have a holy Pope. We have had nothing but holy Popes since Vatican II, very orthodox. Especially Pope John Paul I, II, and especially Benedict XVI.

 

[Lycorth]

Things are better now, but not near what they should be. Thankfully, though, there seems to be a steady trend of ever-more traditionally-oriented popes in the Chair since VII, so there is hope yet.

I admit, the sedevacantist question has troubled me deeply. This article has done much to help me understand, from the non-sedevacantist view, why the Chair is not empty (and why popes can lead badly, as any student of Church history can tell you has happened plenty of times already).

Sedevacantists do bring useful topics to the table regardless of actual sedevacantism; they are still faithful Catholics who go to great lengths to study Catholic tradition and conform their lives to the Lord as best they can. I doubt that many, or any, of them are secret anti-Catholics. The Church is still in crisis and the Faith is still reeling in the modern world, and all Catholic voices must be listened to as we all strive towards renewal.

Now, I think that the ban on sedevacantist threads is still in force, so I expect this thread may become locked soon. But, in the event it is not, I hope a fruitful and educated dialogue can take place; there will be no renewal of the Church without restoration of unity.