Note : This article was first published on the Canada Fidèle website on 23 May, 2018

We would like to translate a debate that is currently taking place in the English-speaking blogosphere and which seems interesting to us. We shall publish the facts, the opinions and the reactions as they are.

Please note that what is said in a particular publication does not always correspond to our exact thinking. We will publish these texts so that people may not be deprived of this interesting debate in this crisis of the Church that we are going through.

Our debate began in January 2018, when Father Ringrose published in the parish bulletins of St. Athanasius Chapel in Vienna, Virginia, USA, the following words:

14 January, 2018 - The Chair of Saint Peter in Rome (18 January)

This feast reinforces the unique role of the Pope as Vicar of Christ, and the fact that, as Universal Pastor, he cannot err when teaching in matters of faith and morals. How then will faithful Catholics explain that, according to appearances, the Pope has erred since Vatican II? Here are some attempted explanations, created over the years. Some of you who have been here for a long time will remember this without a doubt.

• It is the liberal bishops and not the Pope who are responsible.

• The Council was ambiguous and a bad interpretation was given of it.

• The real Pope is held captive and a double who looks like him has taken control.

• The Pope did not speak ex cathedra.

• The Council was only a pastoral Council.

Today it seems that it can sometimes happen that the Pope teaches error. When he does, we must continue to recognise his authority, but stand firm and resist the wrong teachings or the wrong orders he gives us.

The Pope and the bishops embraced the apostasy from the new religion and thus lost their office. All the episcopal seats are empty, including that of the Pope, and today we no longer have any hierarchy whatsoever.

We understand that just as glaring as some of these errors may appear today, they were the best answers available at the time. It was only time and more careful consideration that made the errors in these answers obvious.

Let us look today at this latest error that many now call sedevacantism (from the Latin sede vacante: “vacant seat”). The popular name for this error is borrowed from the term that is used between the death of a pope and the election of another pope. Good Catholics, who believed in the idea that all episcopal seats are vacant, did so only to be faithful to Christ's promise that the religion that any of the popes would teach the Universal Church would be guaranteed by His own words and the power of the Holy Ghost. But, while defending this truth of Christ, these Catholics unwittingly fell into an error contrary to another teaching of the Church, namely the fact that the Hierarchy is perpetual, that it will continue until the end of time, and that Peter will have perpetual successors. The Pope and the hierarchy cannot simply be gone! This is why this explanation must be rejected by Catholics.

21 January, 2018 - The Chair of Saint Peter in Rome (continued)

This feast reinforces the Catholic doctrine that Christ gave Peter and his successors a unique role as Pastor of the Universal Church. In this teaching role, Our Lord has promised that whoever listens to Peter will listen to Christ himself. Recognising this promise, the Church has infallibly taught that Peter and his successors cannot teach the Universal Church error any more than Christ can. This is why Christ guarantees that Peter will never teach error and that Peter is assisted in a special way by the Holy Ghost so that this does not happen.

Last week we considered the fallacy of sedevacantism, which holds that there is no pope and there is no hierarchy. Today, let us consider another mistake, which some call Recognise and Resist (R&R).

In short, the R&R position holds that sometimes the Pope teaches error and imposes bad or harmful practices and laws.* When he does, we must recognise his authority but resist his mistaken teachings or bad orders. Good Catholics have mistakenly fallen into this error in their desire to protect the teaching of the Church that the Pope must have perpetual successors and that somehow there will always have to be a hierarchy.

The R&R position cannot be held because it ignores the clear teaching of the Church that the Pope cannot teach error or impose bad or harmful practices and laws under the guarantee of Our Lord and the special assistance of the Holy Ghost. If we recognise the Pope's authority to teach and lead the Church in matters of faith and morals, we have no choice but to submit our minds and obey, for not to do so would be a failure to submit to Christ himself, by whose authority and in whose name the Pope speaks. So the R&R position cannot be the answer, and like sedevacantism, this position must be rejected.

(* A few have said that the Pope taught error in the days of Saint Athanasius, but a closer examination of the facts shows that this is not the case.)

28 January, 2018 - The Chair of Saint Peter in Rome – Conclusion

We have considered in the past weeks this feast which gives strength to the teaching of the Church that the office of the Chair of Saint Peter (Peter and his successors, the popes) is unwavering, that is to say that it is always free from error and must be perpetual. The teachings of this Chair are the norm and rule of the Faith, regardless of the dignity or indignity of the successor of Saint Peter.

In light of what we have said before, what should faithful Catholics do? Go to or go back to the Novus Ordo? Certainly not! It is a false religion and to do so would be to abandon the Catholic Faith.

We have considered some answers to the question: How is it that the Popes of the Novus Ordo attempted to impose on the Church erroneous teachings or harmful or bad laws or practices? We paid particular attention to two of the more widely held explanations: sedevacantism and the R&R Position (Recognise the Pope and Resist him) stance. In light of what we have said, the following things become evident:

- Contrary to the teaching of the Church: The Pope can sometimes teach error and impose harmful and bad practices and laws on the universal Church. Faith demands that all Catholics reject it.

- Contrary to the teaching of the Church: There is no hierarchy whatsoever. (It is of faith that the hierarchy must be perpetual). This is why Catholics must reject sedevacantism.

- Contrary to the teaching of the Church: We can resist the authority of the Pope. Therefore we must reject the R&R position. 

As it is evident that the popes of Vatican II imposed teachings and practices contrary to Faith and morals, we must conclude that the infallible and unwavering power to teach promised to the successors of Peter is absent among them.

We can hold that since the popes of Vatican II enjoy a legal and valid election, they have some legal status as popes.

We can hold that this legal status is sufficient to maintain the succession of Peter and the perpetuity of the hierarchy.

It therefore appears, as a result, that the Chair is not completely vacant and neither is it fully occupied. The popes of the Novus Ordo have a certain status as popes, but they lack the authority to teach and rule in matters of faith and morals.

In the face of this situation, the proper response of all faithful Catholics is to believe what Catholics have always believed and do what Catholics have always done. We cannot go wrong in doing this!

(Father Ronald Ringrose, Parish Bulletins of 14, 21 and 28 January, 2018)