A Response to Pontrello’s Attack on Sedevacantism

Pontrello, just like most phony Traditional “Catholics” recognizes that the Vatican II council and its “Popes” taught errors(heresies) or promulgated laws which were harmful to the faith. He also like most “Anti-Sedes” presents the following objection to the Sedevacantist position;

“The gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church, as Christ said(Matthew 16). He said He would be with His Church all the days until the end of the world(Matthew 28). What you are saying is contrary to the promises of Christ.” (The Sedevacantist Delusion: On Indefectibility pgs 53 – 58)

The first question is : What exactly is the Sedevacantist position?

The Sedevacantists believe (and rightly so) that the Vatican II Church is NOT the Catholic Church, it is a false Church and it’s “Popes” are actually Anti-Popes.

This is the ONLY logical position for every Catholic, for anything contrary to this will amount to the denial of the dogma of Papal Infallibility and  Indefectibility of the Church. Since the Church possesses indefectibility, a property by which the Church cannot fail, true Catholics(Sedevacantists) CANNOT hold the position that the errors of the Vatican II council were inspired by the Holy Spirit(what an insult to God!); Neither can Catholics, in good conscience, go against Church rules which makes it clear that a heretic CANNOT be Pope.

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church(1787 A.D.) teaches: “If ever a Pope, as a private person fell into heresy, he would at once fall from the pontificate.”

St. Francis de Sales (1622 A.D.): “Now when the Pope is explicitly a heretic, he falls ipso facto from his dignity and out of the Church…”

St. Robert Bellarmine “A Pope who is a manifest heretic automatically  ceases to be Pope and head, just as he ceases automatically to be a christian and a member of the Church… This is the teaching of all the ancient fathers who teach that manifest heretics immediately lose all jurisdiction.” (De Romano Pontifice II.30)

Pope Innocent III (1198 – 1216): “Still less can the Roman Pontiff boast, for he can be judged by men or rather, he can be shown to be judged, if he manifestly “loses his savor” in heresy. For he who does not believe is already judged.” (Sermo 4: In Consecrations PL 218:670)

And Finally, Pope Paul IV, 1559 Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio : “We enact determine, decree and define, that if ever at anytime it shall appear that the Roman Pontiff prior to his promotion or his elevation as Cardinal or Roman Pontiff, has deviated from the Catholic faith or fallen into some heresy; the promotion or elevation, even if it shall have been uncontested and by unanimous assent of all the Cardinals, shall be null, void and worthless.”

The fact remains that it is impossible for a true Pope to embrace the errors of Vatican II council together with the promulgations of Paul VI, without becoming a heretic!

Now the next question is, Does the sedevacantist position contradict the promises of Christ as supposed by Pontrello?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

To The first promise – “the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church.”

In saying this, Our Lord NEVER promised that His Vicar will ALWAYS be present to guide and guard the flock. There had been times in the past when the “barque of  Peter” sailed without a Pope, as history testified especially after the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268. The Church endured three years of great dispute before the election of Blessed Gregory X.  We(Sedevacantists) don’t believe that the seat will be forever empty. Oh no! Just for a time… I tell you, just for a time. History and authentic prophecies reveals the possibility.

The Church defines “the gates of hell” to be the disputation of heretics as explained by Popes Vigilius and St. Leo IX, and the Angelic Doctor St. Thomas Aquinas.

Pope Vigilius, Second Council of Constantinople, 553 A.D.; “… we bear in mind what was promised about the holy Church and Him who said the gates of Hell will not prevail against it (by these we understand the death-dealing tongues of heretics)…”

Pope St. Leo IX, Sept. 2, 1053: “The holy Church built upon a rock, that is Christ, and upon Peter … because by the gates of Hell, that is, by the disputations of heretics which lead to the vain to destruction, it would never be overcome.”

St. Thomas Aquinas (Intro to Catena Aurea): “Wisdom may fill the hearts of the faithful, and put to silence the dread folly of heretics, fittingly referred to as the gates of Hell.”

From their explanation, we can draw the conclusion that those who hold the Vatican II Church to be the true Church of Christ, do not only trample on the dogma of Infallibility and that of Indefectibility; but also preach(whether they know it or not) that the gates of hell has prevailed.

To the Second Promise – “I am with you always to the close of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

To claim that the Sedevacantist position contradicts this promise is just absurd. What Pontrello and the phony trads are implying is that there must be a Pope for Christ to be with His Church or the put it the other way round, Christ departs from the Church when there is no Pope! This is insane. Are they saying that Our Lord is absent during the “Sede Vacante” – that period between the death of the Pope and the election of the new one? Or are they implying that all masses and public prayers said within this period are worthless? God Forbid!

Generally speaking, Pontrello lacks not only the proper understanding of the Sedevacantist position, but also seem not to know the implication of the character of Indefectibility. You cannot believe that Vatican II erred and still blame the Sedevacantists for turning against this False Church.

At some point he wrote : “All sedevacantists deny the possibility of a defection of the Church while simultaneously proposing that a defection has occurred in fact.” Oh C’mon! There is no need trying to present us as being confused over the matter. Our position with regards to Indefectibility is quite clear as expressed by Rev. Anthony Cekada:

“…the logic of the faith dictates that we affirm the Indefectibility of the church, and acknowledge the defections of men” (Traditionalists, Infallibility and the Pope).

The Popes and Theologians acknowledged the possible defection of men; or else why would they teach that a Pope can become a heretic and fall, not only from his dignity but out of the Church?

I conclude with the words of St. Athanasius: “Thus, the more violently they try to occupy the places of worship, the more they separate themselves from the Church. They claim that they represent the Church; but in reality, they are the ones who are expelling themselves from it and going astray. Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ.”

Kyrie Eleison!