Paul VI in 1976: Vatican II is Binding, New Mass is Obligatory and Replaces the Old

Consistorial allocution of May 24, 1976

Paul VI in 1976: Vatican II is Binding, New Mass is Obligatory and Replaces the Old

Abp. Giovanni Montini played “Pope Paul VI” from 1963-78
(image credit: Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo)

If you’ve been researching Catholic Traditionalism for a while, chances are you’ve come across the argument made by recognize-and-resist apologists that “Pope” Paul VI (1963-78) himself confirmed that his Second Vatican Council (1962-65) was neither infallible nor binding.

The line of argumentation given in Taylor Marshall’s 2019 book Infiltration is characteristic of this approach:

Pope Paul VI promulgated Dignitatis humanae on 7 December 1965, and the next day he closed the Second Vatican Council and stated: “The magisterium of the Church did not wish to pronounce itself under the form of extraordinary dogmatic pronouncements” [footnote: Pope Paul VI, Discourse closing Vatican II, 7 December 1965].