The Benevacantists have a Pope… and So Do We
In a hilarious twist of God's Providence, a fringe group makes itself, reluctantly, mainstream.
BIP to Elect Anti-Pope on Monday
You may not have realized it, but a new “Pope” will be elected this coming Monday, the 30th of January. Why do I put it in quotes? For two good reasons. The first is that you cannot elect a new Pope if there is one still alive; the second is that this whole story, more…
A Psychological Approach to Understanding Sedevacantism
Sedevacantism: from Latin sedes, “seat, bench, throne,” and the verb vacare, “to be empty.” As a legal term denoting a temporary episcopal vacancy, sede vacante is unimpeachable. My objections begin with the addition of the notoriously modern suffix “-ism,” with all its implications of continuance and ideological coherence. Human societies, from the most primitive tribes…
The New Rite of Consecration is Valid
The New Rite of Episcopal Consecration Valid, albeit deficient and problematic In fall 2005, Rev. Fr. Pierre Marie of the SSPX, a traditional Dominican Priest in Avrille, France, published a detailed and excellent study (which is now online here) in Sel de la Terre documenting that the New Rite of Episcopal Consecration (in use in the Latin…
James Martin Does Teach Heresy: A Response to Trent Horn
Recently, I listened to a podcast from last summer by my friend and colleague, Trent Horn, titled, “Exposing Fr. Martin’s Slippery Tactics.” As usual, Trent was lucid, compelling, and impeccably intellectually honest and fair. Decrying those who assume the motives, intentions, and “real” beliefs of Fr. Martin, Trent asks a rhetorical question and issues a…
Re-Evangelizing Our Separated Brethren, the Sedevacantists
It appears that the prologue to my series on sedevacantism caused quite a stir, rankling and even riling up a boatload of belligerent BadTrads. A bunch of sour grapes if you ask me, and they failed on multiple fronts, not least of which was their fantastical lack of foresight – not to mention their apparent…
Pornocracy and the Coming Reign of Antichrist
In our first essay we discussed some of the horrors of the three pornocracies of the Church, and suggested the term “Third Pornocracy” to be an accurate historical description of our own epoch. It is helpful, I believe, because the term truly describes the reality of how bad the corruption is, but it also reminds…
The Third Pornocracy: What We Are Living Through
Pornocracy. The term was coined to refer to the period that Cardinal Baronius called “the dark age” (saeculum obscurum): the tenth century Papacy. Protestants attempted to use this term to discredit the Church as entirely corrupt, but they failed to realize that the Holy Ghost had used the same accusation against the Church of the…
I was a Sedevacantist and an Enthusiast
If Monsignor Ronald Knox is correct, as I contend he is, then, “there is a recurrent situation in Church history—using the word ‘church’ in the widest sense—where an excess of charity threatens unity.” It’s the classic double-edged sword of otherwise good folks taking an otherwise pious proposition or practice a tad too far. To his…
When Being Fake Turns Deadly
I’m rather fond of one of my brother’s expressions. In reference to a snack I once offered him, it went something like this: “That’s not salsa, it’s tomato paste, lying about being salsa.” In his book, “12 Rules for Life,” Jordan Peterson makes a valid point: you can never go wrong by telling the truth.…
Against Sedevacantism: Errors Concerning Supplied Jurisdiction
The current crisis does not require us to reinvent the canonical tradition or reinterpret the laws of the Church in novel ways, not heretofore seen. In light of Pope Francis’ disastrous pontificate, including his unjust and imprudent motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, many impacted Catholics are being tempted to leave the Church and take refuge in…