Is the Pope an Absolute Monarch? The Authority of the Roman Pontiff in the Catholic Church

Clear ideas on a confusing subject…

Is the Pope an Absolute Monarch?
The Authority of the Roman Pontiff in the Catholic Church

True Vicar of Christ: His Holiness, Pope Pius XII (r. 1939-58)
(image: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo)

We live in a post-Traditionis Custodes world. It is not surprising, therefore, that it has become more fashionable than ever now for recognize-and-resist traditionalists to try to find all sorts of ways to limit or downplay papal authority, lest they should actually have to submit loyally to the decree their extremely valid “Pope” Francis released this past July 16, which gradually phases out the Traditional Latin Mass.… READ MORE

MELTDOWN: Round-Up of Reactions to Francis’ Suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass

Chaos Frank triggers his trads!

MELTDOWN: Round-Up of Reactions to Francis’ Suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass

Now that almost two weeks have passed since the release of Traditionis Custodes, “Pope” Francis’ motu proprio “Apostolic Letter” that severely limits (and gradually eliminates) the Traditional Latin Mass (1962 Missal), a lot of reactions have poured in from various quarters of the Vatican II Church; especially, of course, from those who consider themselves traditionalists, since they are the ones negatively affected by the suppression of Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum.

By phasing out the Traditional Latin Mass (aka Tridentine Mass), a decision he allegedly made based on answers procured through a questionnaire process, Francis has ripped the heart out of the traditionalists in his church.… READ MORE

Tradition and the Magisterium: Refuting the False Claims of Prof. Roberto de Mattei

Recognize-and-resist icon vs. Catholic doctrine…

Tradition and the Magisterium:
Refuting the False Claims of Prof. Roberto de Mattei

On April 2, 2020, the semi-traditionalist flagship publication Catholic Family News published an interview with Prof. Roberto de Mattei, an Italian historian who is also the founder of the Lepanto Foundation and editor of the Corrispondenza Romana news site. De Mattei frequently speaks at conservative Novus Ordo and semi-trad conferences and is routinely promoted in the publications of those groups as a guiding light of Tradition in our dark times.

In fact, it was precisely in that putative capacity that Matthew Gaspers, managing editor of Catholic Family News, recently interviewed de Mattei, since the hierarchy of the institution they both claim is the Catholic Church, obviously does not hold the Catholic Faith and therefore cannot be considered a reliable teacher of the same.… READ MORE

Roberto de Mattei: Francis Opens Door to Married Priests in upcoming Exhortation on Amazon Synod

Celibacy, shmelibacy!

Roberto de Mattei: Francis Opens Door to Married Priests in upcoming Exhortation on Amazon Synod

Peek-a-boo! Open or closed?!

The Novus Ordo Church historian Prof. Roberto de Mattei has published an article on his web site asserting that several “bishops” have leaked to him a pre-released portion of Francis’ upcoming post-synodal “Apostolic exhortation” that speaks of lifting the requirement of clerical celibacy.

But first, some background.

On Jan. 13, 2020, “Cardinal” Claudio Hummes, the general relator of the notorious Amazon Synod held in the Vatican in October of last year, sent a confidential letter to the world’s Novus Ordo bishops announcing that Francis’ exhortation would be published “by the end of this month or in early February.”… READ MORE

Tempest in a Beer Mug: 130 Novus Ordos and Semi-Trads protest the German “Synodal Way” in Munich

A brief review and commentary

Tempest in a Beer Mug: 130 Novus Ordos and Semi-Trads protest the German “Synodal Way” in Munich

The German city of Munich, capital of the state of Bavaria, is known for its fine beer, the Hofbräuhaus, and its annual Oktoberfest. It is also home of the see of the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, a position currently under usurpation by the rotund apostate Mr. “Cardinal” Reinhard Marx.

On Saturday, Jan. 18, Munich became the place of a protest that had not been advertised beforehand. On Friday afternoon, Michael Matt of The Remnant had sent out a tweet with a first and rather cryptic announcement: “Please spread the word.… READ MORE

Was Pope John XII “Deposed”? A Refutation of Prof. Roberto de Mattei

More misleading info from popular R&R icon…

Was Pope John XII “Deposed”?
A Refutation of Prof. Roberto de Mattei

The Italian historian Professor Roberto de Mattei enjoys immense popularity among conservative Novus Ordos and semi-traditionalists because he comes with the pedigree of a being an academic who has taught and written books on ecclesiastical history, and because he continually reassures them through his writings and lectures that their convenient “recognize-and-resist” (R&R) position is the correct alternative to submitting to Circus Bergoglio or rejecting Francis as a false pope.

The Catholic doctrine on the Papacy, however, admits of no such thing as recognizing a Pope as legitimate while refusing submission to him.… READ MORE

TRADCAST 024 is here

Novus Ordo Watch for your ears…

TRADCAST 024 Now Available

TRADCAST — The Traditional Catholic Podcast

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
AND TO LISTEN TO ALL EPISODES

In case you missed our initial announcement on April 12: We have published another full-length episode of our popular TRADCAST podcast program. As always, it is loaded with real traditional Catholicism, hard-hitting refutations of various errors, and razor-sharp analysis. Our content is typically challenging but is always delivered with a relieving touch of humor.

TRADCAST 024 consists of two separate segments. After a few introductory comments, at listener request we offer specific book recommendations for (former) Novus Ordos interested in learning the real Catholicism of the past (you know, the one from 33-1958).… READ MORE

A Refutation of Athanasius Schneider on the Heretical Pope Question

The Theological Errors of “Bishop” Schneider

A Refutation of Athanasius Schneider on the Heretical Pope Question

On March 20 of this year, the Kazakh Novus Ordo auxiliary bishop Athanasius Schneider, immensely popular among semi-traditionalists, published a lengthy article entitled, “On the Question of a Heretical Pope” on the Rorate Caeli web site.

In face of the overwhelming evidence that Jorge Bergoglio (“Pope Francis”) is not a Catholic but a public heretic, Schneider’s objective was to find a way to reconcile Bergoglio’s obvious stubborn adherence to heresy with his claim to the Papacy, the legitimacy of which Schneider refuses to question.… READ MORE

TRADCAST 024 (April 12, 2019)

TRADCAST 024 (12 APR 2019)

Contents

  • Segment 1: Introductory comments; reading suggestions for new or potential converts; From the Jorge’s Mouth: a critical review of some of Francis’ recent utterances; modesty in dress and the beauty of femininity
  • Segment 2: The pop traditionalism and drive-by theology of the recognize-and-resist traditionalists: the Ultramontanism objection / Steve Skojec / Michael Matt / Christopher Ferrara / Roberto de Mattei
  • Total run time: 1 hr 24 mins

You can listen to the show by clicking the big play button in the embedded player above. Alternatively, you can choose right below from more listening/viewing options:

Alternate Show Links (Audio and Video)

Links to Items mentioned in the Show & Related Information

… READ MORE

Ark of Apostasy: Why Francis’ Interreligious Fraternity Document does Not Admit of an Orthodox Interpretation

A theological ship of fools…

Ark of Apostasy:
Why Francis’ Interreligious Fraternity Document does Not Admit of an Orthodox Interpretation

The apostate Jesuit Jorge Bergoglio — more commonly known by his stage name “Pope Francis” — caused a ruckus last week when he co-signed a document on “human fraternity” with Sunni Muslim Imam Ahamad Al-Tayyib declaring that God wills there to be a plurality and diversity of religions. We covered this in our post “Apostasy in Abu Dhabi: Francis says God wills Diversity of Religions”.

Just before the signing of the joint declaration, Francis gave a lengthy speech in which he called all participants of the interreligious conference he was attending to “enter together as one family into an ark which can sail the stormy seas of the world: the ark of fraternity.”… READ MORE

Against the “Loyal Opposition”: How Recognize-and-Resist Traditionalism neutralizes the Catholic Faith

A reality check for Burke, Schneider & Co.

Against the “Loyal Opposition”:

How Recognize-and-Resist Traditionalism
neutralizes the Catholic Faith

by Francis del Sarto

On May 18, 2018, during his Rome Life Forum keynote address at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome, “Cardinal” Raymond Burke declared: “We cannot fail to observe that the situation which Pope Pius XI described in 1925 has only grown worse in our time, and attempts ever more to infiltrate the life of the Church herself and to corrupt the Bride of Christ by an apostasy from the Apostolic Faith” (see video recording, 12:51ff.… READ MORE

The Limits to Invoking “Papal Lapses” as a Justification for the Recognize-and-Resist Position

Rejoinder to recent arguments…

The Limits to Invoking “Papal Lapses” as a Justification for the Recognize-and-Resist Position:

A Response to Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

by Francis del Sarto

“Lessons from Church History: A Brief Review of Papal Lapses” is an article by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski that was published on August 6, 2018, by the OnePeterFive website. An editor’s note informs the reader that it is an update of an article that first appeared in October 2015. The author is identified as “a Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer…”, who has taught at Novus Ordo colleges in Austria and the United States, written six books, and is a regular contributor on “Catholic blogs”.… READ MORE

The “St. Paul resisted St. Peter to his Face” Objection

The case of Galatians 2:11-14…

The “St. Paul resisted St. Peter to his Face” Objection

Time and again we hear from those we call Semi-Traditionalists the argument that a Pope can lead the faithful astray into errors against the Faith through the exercise of his non-infallible Magisterium; and when that happens, it is then the right and the duty of the victim faithful to resist him, clinging to “Tradition”.

Those who defend this position often point to an incident that occurred between St. Paul and St. Peter recorded in Galatians 2:11-14, as supposed historical precedent for an error-teaching Pope being corrected and resisted by his inferiors.… READ MORE

Conservative Church Crisis Conference in Rome issues Lackluster Declaration

Roman “How to survive Francis without saying he isn’t the Pope” Gathering…

Conservative Church Crisis Conference in Rome issues Lackluster Declaration

Saturday, April 7, 2018, saw yet another high-profile “Catholic” conference in Rome. It was, in essence, a crisis self-help conference by various conservative Novus Ordo personalities who are wondering what they can or should do in the current situation without having to deny that Francis is a true Pope. Similar events had taken place before, such as the conference in Rome on Christian marriage sponsored by the Lepanto Foundation in Dec. 2016.

Officially, the conference had the intriguing and yet smooth-sounding title, “Catholic Church, where are you going?” … READ MORE

“Bp.” Schneider rocks Rome, accuses Francis of promoting “Joy of Adultery”

Hard-hitting speech condemns Francis

“Bishop” Schneider rocks Rome, accuses Francis of promoting “The Joy of Adultery” by pretending to Dispense from the Sixth Commandment

de-mattei-schneider-rome-conference

Image Source: Le Blog de Jeanne Smits (cropped; used with permission)

The prelude to a formal schism within the Novus Ordo Sect has just reached a new stage: On Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, the Rome-based Lepanto Foundation held a conference in the Eternal City on Christian marriage and the errors of “Pope” Francis’ exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The well-attended conference was hosted by the Foundation‘s president, Roberto de Mattei, and took place only about 3 miles from the Vatican.… READ MORE