Posts
Replies to a set of questions
regarding the posts on Sedevacantism/Sedeprivationism.
regarding the posts on Sedevacantism/Sedeprivationism.
Dear Friend
I have thought over your comments and make the following replies.
1 How do you know that Fr Arriaga and Fr de Lauriers work no miracles?
If these well known traditionalists worked stunning miracles (or even some small wonders) it is fair to believe that the whole of the traditional world would be alerted to the fact very quickly.
This is because any miracle that they worked would be a confirmation of the Sedevacantist or Sedeprivationist doctrines that they taught.
2. Miracles may be slow in coming; vide. Cardinal Newman.
Yes, we could have a long time to wait for a miracle from the founders of the Sedevacantist or Sedeprivationist movement.
However, Pope John XXIII worked his stupendous miracle less than three years after his death; in fact on what would be the first day of the Novena before his 3rd anniversary.
3. Not all true popes work miracles. Did Pius XI?
Yes, you are right of course. Not all true popes work miracles after their deaths. But that is not the point here.
The point is this:
The Sedevacantists say that there has not been a true pope since Pius XII.
The fact that Pope John XXIII has worked his miracle proves:
a) that he is in heaven,
b) that he was a true Pope and
c) that therefore the sedevacantist theory that there has been no Pope since Pius XII is wrong. That is all we set out to demonstrate.
4. Do you not think that there is something distasteful, not to say scandalous, about ad hominem attacks on traditionalists who have been in their graves for many years now (35 years in the case of Dr Arriaga).
Certainly we want the dead to rest in peace and we pray for their souls.
For over 35 years their sedevacantist or sedeprivationist theories have been a constant attack on the persons of the five Popes who have legitimately filled the Chair of Peter since Pius XII. Their distasteful scandal cannot be readily repaired without a comparison between the grave of John XXIII and the graves of the authors of these pernicious errors.
For over thirty years noisy Sedevacantist arguments have dominated this question –many of them ad hominem, like the supposed scandals of Pope John XXIII (claimed to be a Freemason, a Heretic, the Usurper of Siri, etc).
We take the case from the arena of human arguments to that of the supernatural level.
The miracle introduces the judgment of God and demonstrates that John XXIII, quem Deus commendat, is a Blessed Pope and was a true Pope.
On the contrary, those who have attacked John XXIII as an anti-pope or ‘material’ pope only, are left in their silent graves; their theories have not been supported by Heaven.
Since we want to help souls find their way to the true Shepherd, the Vicars of Christ, it is necessary to demonstrate that the maligned Vicar of Christ, Blessed John XXIII was indeed a true Pope as are his successors.
5. Do you not think that it is better to explain why a theory is incorrect, rather than attack the man?
Until now the Sedevacantist/Sedeprivationist theories have been argued with cartloads of paper and gallons of ink.
In this world the voice of truth is easily drowned out.
For those souls who have lost faith in the validity of the Popes, more arguments are not going to help. Even the voice of the Church will not help because they believe it to be the voice of a Newchurch. In the chaos of this darkness what can help us? Not more arguments! No.
Where can help come from?
Emmite lucen tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua. In our situation it is a mercy from Heaven that God directly sent forth His light and His truth that souls may be conducted and brought back to His holy hill and the tabernacles of the Church.
The theorists are dead, long buried; they lie in silent graves. But, then, from among the dead, the silenced voice of their opponent is heard; he has the last word on the matter. His voice is loud, clear, full of charity; it awakens a dying nun and heals her instantly and in such a way that she lives thereafter as a walking miracle... Emmite lucem tuam... John XXIII is a brilliant shaft of light on the validity of the “Post Conciliar” popes.
6. Should traditionalists be attacking one another, rather than the enemies of the church?
When sheep and lambs are lost to the Chief Shepherd because of erroneous doctrines it is charity to try to bring them home. If God has given a miracle to prove the Sedevacantist theories wrong it is a duty to speak up and publicise it.
Whoever holds the sheep away from the Chief Shepherd is not his ally even if he speaks from the Papal Bulls and recognises the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.
7. I don't believe you are doing yourself any long term credit by this line of argumentation.
Credit is not the goal.
We began this to help a soul called “Lost Sheep.” To help a soul is a great privilege. Our Lord gave His life for this soul.
For our part, we have tried through the blog posts to secure Lost Sheep along the road of returning to the Church. Since Lost Sheep cannot be the only one in this situation we have published the response for others to find.
It is like everything else, we have to do what we think is right and pay the price for it. The cost is never too much.
The Chief Shepherd.
10 comments:
Dear Father, may God reward you for the help that you are providing to souls who are caught up in the tangled web of sedevacantist arguments.
The truth really does ring loud and clear!
Thankyou and please keep up the great work for the good of souls, this is so necessary a topic to discuss! There are many good people who are caught in SVism, and without real help like you are providing, who will speak up?
Pax et Bonum!
Pax et Bonum, how right you are! The chapels are filled with good, good people who only want to be Catholic.
Lost Sheep
Dear Father,
Thank you for tackling these questions head on. Your willingness to engage with difficult issues - which are ducked by many - will no doubt bear much fruit.
Speaking as an ex-sede, I would say that the issue of Paul VI is a far more serious one than John 23, or indeed the John Pauls, and I find it difficult to eradicate a sneaking suspicion that he may not have been a valid pope. I hope at some point that you will deal with the issue of Pope Paul.
Best wishes in Christo
Benedictine Oblate.
Benedictine Oblate,
Is it true, then, that irreparable harm has been done to ex-sedes? What I mean is, will we always harbor a suspicion as to the validity of both Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II? To this day, I find it more difficult to look at a picture of Pope John Paul II than one of Pope Paul VI.
Lost Sheep
Thank you for this Fr Michael Mary.
Ar there really that many sedevacantists out there that a defense of the Pontiffs is that needed?
Thank the good Lord we have you and the FSSPX and the FSSP and the other Traditional orders to stand up against the horrendous error of sedevacantism.
Fr, Your excellent arguments against this error sound like the ones given by our FSSPX pastor in our diocese.
"Ar there really that many sedevacantists out there that a defense of the Pontiffs is that needed?"
Cruise, you should be concerned about your lost brothers and sisters in Christ!! Is it that you do not think they are worth what Fr. Michael Mary is doing? Didn't Our Lord leave the 99 in search of one lost sheep?
Lost Sheep
I am so delighted that Father Michael is reaching out to my Sedevacantist brothers and sisters. I was also a Sedevacantist,and I was such because I thought it was the truth. If only, if only! the Holy Church was reaching out as is Fr Michael, to speak to people where they are with respect and understanding,and tackling the issues where they are - not in a detached way or from an ivory tower, but as a pastor who seeks out every lost sheep as if that were the only sheep that matters.
Thank you Father, and thank you Lost Sheep for your courage. You are both an example to us all!
Cruise:
From Wiki-
There are estimated to be between several tens of thousands and more than two hundred thousands of sedevacantists worldwide, mostly concentrated in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia, but the actual size of the sedevacantist movement has never been accurately assessed.
(See further the section on statistics in the article Traditionalist Catholic.)
I heard an SSPX priest, from the pulpit, castigate the flock for murmuring against clergy and the pope. He said you have the pope you have, live with it!
There is a site, not sedevacantist, but highly critical of the post conciliar popes, which is now turning-in on itself by being hyper-critical of the vry hierarchy to that which it ostensibly has allegiance.
Such are the fruits of long-term detachment.
Watchman et al,
Thank you for the information.
I did not know there were that many sedevacantists in the world.
They must surely be helped and prayed for.
Maybe, Fr Michael Mary, you could write a piece about and helping all the material apostates and sedevacantists in the many chancerys of the world who verbally acknowledge our Holy Father in name, but absolutely will not teach orthodox dogma and doctrine, and obey the Holy Father when he teaches on these matters, to their respective diocese's.
I would suspect this over half of the worlds bishops.
We must pray for them as well.
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