Clemens, not to sidetrack you, but how do you answer the objection that Vatican I says that we will have pastors and teachers, which many interpret as having ordinaries, till the end of time? (Serious question)
Yes, Good Question. But beside the doctrinal issue there are other practical considerations, dearest friends, that suggest to us that the "sede-vacantist solution" is unlikely to be the true explanation, and now nearing 62 years, can be easily seen to be such. That leads us to Syllogism III, from the practical requirement, in the case of the alleged Pope-heretic (let alone 6 alleged to be consecutively such), of "Ordinary Pastors/Shepherds" (in the language of Fr. Suarez cited earlier) to make a binding juridical declaration on the Church first.
Major: There are now no Ordinaries in the Church, if 61 year-(henceforth SOY-)SVism is true.
Minor: But Ordinaries are required to pass the binding judgment of the Church in the case of (6 alleged) Pope-heretics.
Conclusion: Consequently, if SOY-SVism is true, there is no way to elect a new Pope, because that binding judgment must come first.
Corollary: Such a situation is clearly contrary to the Divine Promise to the Church. Therefore, it's time to move on from SVism.
Ergo, Q.E.D. again.
Seriously, I don't mean to be mean; but I can't help laughing at the absurdity of such a thesis, and I regret that some good Catholics apparently take it seriously enough to stake their Faith on it being true, and curiously devote their entire life to believing and teaching it. So imho, It's time to move on, dear friends. With the period of sede-vacantist temptation once and for all seriously put behind us, we could discuss legitimate and real steps to be taken toward resolving the Crisis and the path to Church Restoration that could be taken.
Now, here's yet another consideration, from another Dogmatic Statement, that should be well known to all of us, being from the Oath against Modernism of His Holiness Pope St. Pius X, on the perpetuity of the Catholic Hierarchy until the end of time: "I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the Charism of Truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the Succession of the Episcopacy from the Apostles." This statement says basically that the Charism of Truth promised by Christ, assured to the Catholic Hierarchy until the end of time, will perpetually reside in the Successors of the Apostles always. Thus, there will always be good Catholic Bishops in the Hierarchy, as for e.g. are saintly Bishops like Bishop Athanasius Schneider, and Bishop Bernard Fellay today. It should also be noted that Vatican I, in passing, speaks of "that ordinary and immediate power of episcopal jurisdiction, by which bishops, who have succeeded to the place of the apostles by appointment of the Holy Spirit, tend and govern individually the particular flocks which have been assigned to them" from which it is also evident that ordinary jurisdiction is connected to succession to the place of the Apostles i.e. to episcopal sees. Now, the fourth syllogism.
Major: The Charism of Truth will always remain among the Successors of the Apostles (from Pope St. Pius X)
Minor: The Successors of the Apostles are Bishops who have succeeded to the place of the Apostles (Vatican I)
Conclusion: Consequently, there must, of necessity, be good and faithful Catholic Bishops in the Jurisdictional Hierarchy, now and always.
Corollary: Such Bishops e.g. today, can reasonably be seen to be Bp. Fellay, Bp. Schneider etc, among others, who, received their authority from the Pope.
All in all, there is no need to be a sede-vacantist. What is required is to support good Roman Catholic Bishops in the Catholic Hierarchy.
Topic: 61 year sede-vacantism has already become proximately heretical (leads to EVism) (Read 10634 times)