Sedevacantists Claim there has been no Pope Since 1958

David Martin | The Daily Knight

Sedevacantist Symbol

Among the traditionalist Catholic groups of our time are the Sedevacantists, a separatist sect that holds to the unfounded theory that the Chair of Peter has not been occupied by a valid pope since 1958. Sedevacantism derives from the Latin words “sede vacante,” which simply means “vacant seat.”

However, acknowledging that the papal seat is vacant is not what makes one "sedevacanist." For example, if a pope dies and the seat is empty for three weeks, Catholics who acknowledge this are not "sedevacantist." Likewise, those Catholics of the past who acknowledged the takeover of the Chair of Peter by antipopes were not sedevacantists. Sedevacantism is the specific theory that all the popes from John XXIII to the present were antipopes on the basis that they were Freemasons who sought to destroy the Church with change.

The Popes After 1958 did not Introduce Change

This shows ignorance since it was not the popes but their enemies who introduced change to the Church. Pope John XXIII never introduced change to the Church’s teachings and liturgy as neither did Pope Paul VI. What Pope Paul did do was to sign for the new Mass against his will—a mistake indeed—but he was not the author of the new Mass as many think.

Generally, the Sedevacantists mean well but they are misled. Their good point is their rejection of Vatican II and their adherence to Apostolic Tradition, but it’s the way they do it that is questionable, namely, by operating outside the main hierarchical body via ‘side chapels.’ 

Separating from the main hierarchical body has rendered the sedevacantist group schismatic. By separating from the institutionalized Church and founding their own church, they lost Apostolic lineage thus disabling them from ordaining priests and bishops.

Breaking Away Fosters Timid Underground Mentality

The sedevacantist break from Rome is partly driven by fear. Breaking away fosters a timid, underground mentality that is entirely out of character with the Church Militant. If we want to win the battle we must remain in the arena. Hopping the ropes to avoid persecution disqualifies us. In the spirit of St. Athanasius, we must fight the battle within the parish church framework so as to edify and correct the church.

The excuse that the Mass today is not valid holds no water. We cannot deny that the Mass, priesthood, and popes since 1958 are valid, save Francis. Christ today is being profaned in His Own Church by His Own priests and we do him no service by leaving Him hanging there before his enemies. The good Catholics must repair to the cross.

The argument that staying in our parish churches contributes to the sacrilege holds no water.  St. John and Our Lady did not ‘contribute to the sacrilege’ by remaining at the foot of the Cross. God forbid! They didn’t make excuses but repaired to Christ where he was being crucified. Their example set the stage for all latter-day disciples who are working to restore the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Siri Theory a Foundation Block for Sedevacantism

Sedevacantism also has its roots in the Cardinal Siri theory that alleges that Cardinal Joseph Siri was elected pope at the 1958 conclave and that John XXIII forcefully heisted the election from him. The theory is fabricated and unfounded. When asked if he had been elected pope, Cardinal Siri put his hands over his eyes for two minutes and then answered, saying, “I can’t answer that question because I’m bound by the conclave vow of secrecy.” This proves he wasn’t pope since no pope is bound to vows of secrecy. Cardinal Siri never alleged he was pope but honored the election of Pope John XXIII. Moreover, he later participated in three papal conclaves, which no true pope could ever do.

Sedevacantism Masonically Encouraged

While traditional Catholics initially were tempted to go out of bounds after Vatican II, it was their enemies who promoted the “sedevacant” ideology among them. Freemasons posing as traditionalists sowed this schismatic idea among traditional groups as their objective was to drive the good Catholics from the Church in order to facilitate their takeover of the Church.

Under the illusion of being staunch, Sedevacantists have taken the Masonic lure, bait, line, and sinker, while the modernists have been able to dismantle the Church with less resistance. What modernists dread more than anything else is that tradition-minded Catholic make their influence felt in the main Church because this hampers the spread of modernist heresy.

Christ said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16) The Church’s mission is not about preaching to the choir but about spreading the Gospel to common folk. Christ sat among the Publicans, not among the saints, so Catholics today should be an example to the common folk who are being misled with heresy and false religion.

The argument that our attending the new Mass contributes to the problem holds no water since true Catholics do not use the new missal or participate in the new rite of the Mass but attend as if they were attending the Old Mass. It is the priests that say the new Mass who contribute to the problem. Priests should say only the Traditional Latin Mass and preach pre-Vatican II doctrine but should try to keep their push for tradition within the parish church framework.

The SSPX Not Sedevacantist 

The Society of St. Pius X founded by the late Archbishop Lefebvre says only the old Mass, but they operate out of side-chapels. However, they are not sedevacantist. With the exception of a ‘few’ individuals, the SSPX shuns sedevacantism and is open to reach out to the Church at large.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI fully approved the SSPX and was on the verge of regularizing them as his objective was to use them as special forces to correct the problems in the Church, but unfortunately the Jews and modernists had a hissy fit and spread lies that Benedict and the SSPX were “Nazis,” which ruined the project. But Benedict approved the SSPX, which God honored, and this is what counts. The fact that the SSPX didn’t get official written endorsement is of little significance. God doesn’t honor legalistic technicalities but honors true legality from the heart.

While the SSPX operates out of traditionalist “side chapels,” they at least welcome Catholics from the “conciliar church” to attend their services and are comfortably aware that their parishioners sometimes attend Mass at the Novus Ordo. This doesn’t constitute a compromise but rather an acknowledgment that the people in the conciliar church are Catholics too. It shows a certain willingness to reach out and edify them, which is more than we can say for the Sedevacantist group.