A Simple Divide
Despite the apparent complexity of the current Catholic crisis, the responses given to it may be divided into two basic groups.
The first group is comprised of those Catholics who believe that a faithful Catholic must believe the doctrine taught and obey the universal laws promulgated by a true Roman Pontiff in all circumstances.
The second group is comprised of Catholics who believe that it is sometimes necessary for faithful Catholics to reject the doctrine taught and/or to disobey the universal laws promulgated by a true Roman Pontiff.
Agreements & Disagreements
Vatican II Represents Substantial Change
Super-maximalist, Recognize & Resist, and Sedevacantist Catholics affirm that the distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations of Vatican II represent a substantial change from the perennial teaching of the Holy Roman Church.
Vatican II Teaches the Perennial Catholic Faith
Continuitist Catholics, on the other hand, affirm that the distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations of Vatican II represent a true and faithful development of the perennial teaching of the Catholic Religion.
The Conciliar & Post-Conciliar Popes Were & Are TRUE Popes
Super-maximalist, Continuitist, and Recognize & Resist Catholics affirm that Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI were true popes and that and Francis is a true pope, despite the fact that each of them have assisted in the promulgation, propagation and defense of the distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations of Vatican II.
The Conciliar & Post-Conciliar Popes Were & Are ANTI-Popes
Sedevacantist Catholics, on the other hand, affirm that the distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations of Vatican II represent a substantial change from the perennial teaching of the Holy Roman Church, and that, consequently, the men who promulgated, propagated and defended those doctrines cannot be true popes.
Positions
The following are brief outlines of the four positions taken regarding the current situation of the Catholic world.
Super-maximalist Catholics
The Church…succeeded, during the second Vatican Council, in re-defining her own nature.
~ Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, Sign of Contradiction, p. 17.
[The Second Vatican Council teaches that] There isn’t any preferential option to be holy. That wipes out what we’ve been told from the Fathers of the Church right down to Vatican II, which is that celibacy for the kingdom of heaven is a better vocation. It’s not a better vocation.
~ Germain Grisez, Philosopher. Interview with Thomas L. McDonald, 30 November 2015
The Second Vatican Council quite deliberately rejected the view that the Church of Christ is to be identified solely with the Roman Catholic Church, with its implication that other Christians have no part in Christ's Church..
~ Dennis Rudd. Restoring Unity
It would be too much to say that conversion…is entirely out, but it is certain that ecumenism is very much in; and ecumenism eschews the aim of converting individuals to the visible unity of the Church.
~ Bishop Christopher Butler, OSB. Grace Abounding: Ecumenism vs. Conversion
Super-maximalist Catholics affirm that a faithful Catholic must believe the doctrine and morals taught, and obey the universal laws promulgated by the Roman Pontiff in all circumstances. Super-maximalists also believe that each and every legitimate successor of St. Peter has the authority to change the content of the Catholic Faith, and to establish new doctrines, moral codes and universally binding laws which may be contradictory to the doctrine, morals and universally binding laws of his predecessors.
Since Super-maximalist Catholics affirm that the pope (or College of Bishops whether in council or synod) possesses the authority to substantially change the doctrinal and moral formulations of the Catholic Religion, then it follows that it is a matter of very little concern that the doctrine of Vatican II represents a substantial change from the perennial teaching of the Catholic Religion.
According to Super-maximalist Catholics, it is a fact of Catholic history that a number of legitimate successors of Saint Peter (or councils or synods) have taught doctrines that contradict those of their predecessors.
Super-maximalist Catholics affirm that Catholics in each generation are obliged to believe the doctrines and obey the moral instruction of the pope or popes during whose reign they happen to live.
Continuitist Catholics
To defend the true tradition of the Church today means to defend the Council. It is also our fault if we have at times provided a pretext (to the ‘right’ and ‘left’ alike) to view Vatican II as a ‘break’ and an abandonment of tradition.
~ Joseph Ratzinger & Vittorio Messori, The Ratzinger Report (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987), 31
There is, instead, a continuity that allows neither return to the past or a flight forward, neither anachronistic longings nor unjustified impatience. We must remain faithful to the today of the Church, not the yesterday or tomorrow.
~ Joseph Ratzinger & Vittorio Messori, The Ratzinger Report (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987), 31
And this today of the Church is the documents of Vatican II, without reservations that amputate them and without arbitrariness that distorts them.
~ Joseph Ratzinger & Vittorio Messori, The Ratzinger Report (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987), 31
Continuitist Catholics affirm that a faithful Catholic must believe the doctrine and morals taught, and obey the universal laws promulgated by the Roman Pontiff in all circumstances. Continuitists also believe that the teaching of each and every legitimate successor to Saint Peter can in nowise contradict the doctrine, morals or universal laws established by his predecessors.
Continuitist Catholics recognize that the documents of Vatican II do propose distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations, but they deny that these formulations represent a substantial change from the perennial teaching of the Catholic Faith.
Moreover, Continuitist Catholics affirm that the perennial Tradition of the Catholic Religion is faithfully taught through the distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations of Vatican II.
Despite the above, Continuitist Catholics are not blind to the confusion and loss of faith that has attended the dissemination of Vatican II's new formulations and the implementation the council's directives.
Continuitist Catholics affirm that Catholics are bound in conscience to believe the doctrine, obey the universal laws, and receive the reformulated sacramental rites that have proceeded from Vatican II.
Finally, Continuitist Catholics affirm that every Catholic, each according to his ability, ought to seek to properly understand Vatican II's distinctive doctrinal and moral formulations and to demonstrate the continuity of those formulations with the perennial Tradition of the Catholic Religion.
Sedevacantist Catholics
~ John S. Daly, Did Vatican II Teach Infallibly?
Sedevacantist Catholics affirm that a faithful Catholic must believe the doctrine and morals taught, and obey the laws promulgated by the Roman Pontiff in all circumstances. Sedevacantists also believe that it is both necessary and possible for faithful Catholics to form judgments regarding whether an apparent and current occupant of the Chair of Saint Peter is or is not a true Roman Pontiff: The grounds for such judgments, however, must be restricted to a consideration of the public theological and moral teaching of the alleged Roman Pontiff.
Sedevacantist Catholics deny that the pope possesses the authority to substantially change the doctrinal and moral formulations of the Catholic Religion.
In addition, Sedevacantist Catholics affirm that the Holy Ghost prevents legitimate successors to Saint Peter (i.e. true popes) from promulgating doctrines and moral principles, and establishing universal laws which contradict those previously taught by his predecessors and from establishing rites which are inimical to the Catholic Religion.
Furthermore, Sedevacantist Catholics affirm that Catholics are duty bound to reject as false any claimant to the papacy who publicly teaches doctrines, and attempts to impose universal laws that contradict the perennial Tradition of the Catholic Religion.
Recognize & Resist Catholics
...the conciliar documents, in spite of whatever faithful expressions are to be found therein ... are polluted with ambiguities, contradictions and outright errors... the text of Vatican II, far from being solid nourishment for the soul, is downright poisonous.
~ Louie Verrecchio, akaCatholic, About
Now some priests (even some priests in the Society) say that we Catholics need not worry about what is happening in the Vatican; we have the true sacraments, the true Mass, the true doctrine, so why worry about whether the pope is heretic or an impostor or whatever; it is of no importance to us. But I think that is not true. If any man is important in the Church it is the pope.
~ Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, The Angelus, July 1986
Place new quotations here.
Recognize & Resist Catholics believe that faithful Catholics are normally obligated to believe the doctrine taught, and to obey the moral norms and the universal laws promulgated by the Roman Pontiff. However, they also believe that the teaching of a legitimate successor to Saint Peter may at times contradict the doctrine, morals or universal laws established by his predecessors. When this occurs, Recognize & Resist Catholics affirm that it is the duty of all Catholics to resist the Roman Pontiff, and to reject his false doctrine and or to disobey the universal laws promulgated he has promulgated.
Recognize & Resist Catholics deny that the pope possesses the authority to substantially change the doctrinal and moral formulations of the Catholic Religion.
According to Recognize & Resist Catholics, however, our Lord Jesus Christ has allowed legitimate successors to Saint Peter (i.e. true popes) to promulgate doctrines and moral principles, establish universal laws and establish rites which contradict those previously taught by his predecessors.
In addition, Recognize & Resist Catholics affirm also that Catholics are duty bound to reject the false teaching, and disobey the universal laws of a legitimate and true pope when a his doctrine, moral instruction and universal laws contradict the perennial Tradition of the Catholic Religion.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TERMS
In order to avoid unnecessarily cumbersome language, we will use the term Catholic to refer to those sources which pre-date the pontificate of John XXIII. The term Conciliar will be used when speaking of the teaching of the Vatican since John XXIII assumed the papal throne. No prejudice for or against the Catholicity of either body of documents is implied or assumed.
A similar approach will be taken to all ecclesiastical titles and offices (i.e. pope, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, priest, and father, etc.). No prejudice for or against the reality that undergirds or fails to undergird the men who bear these titles and offices is implied or assumed.
Finally, throughout this website, we will be using the adjectives Super-maximalist, Continuitist, Recognize and Resist, and Sedevacantist as predicates of the noun Catholic. Since the views of these groups of professed Catholics are to one degree or another mutually exclusive, it necessarily follows that the protagonists of each of these positions cannot — objectively speaking — be genuine Catholics.
At the end of the day, and at the end of time,
a true sorting will needs take place.
[Cf. Matthew 25:31-33]
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