Author Topic: Question For Sedevacantists ONLY (Read 3314 times)

Alexandria · « **on:** April 03, 2010, 12:27:03 PM »

It is my understanding (correct me if I am wrong) that the Catholic Church needs at least one Bishop with jurisdiction or the entire house of cards collapses. If I remember correctly, this even perplexed John Lane.

What do the sedevacantists have to say about this?

:wave:

Ladislaus · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2010, 12:51:17 PM »

Well, although I'm not a sedevacantist per se, let me take a crack at it. During ANY sedevacante period, the entire jurisdiction of the Church goes into an extraordinary state, since all jurisdiction derives from the Pope--it's in a kindof dormant state where it's supplied by the Church for all ordinary day-to-day activities that typically require jurisdiction. That's why Church law declares that nothing new can be enacted during sedevacante--sede vacante nihil innovetur. So this would be no different--except for the unprecedented length of this hiatus.

Alexandria · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2010, 12:58:35 PM »

Ladislaus, are you quite sure about this? Have you studied the matter? And, if so, could you explain it to me in simple terminology?

Alexandria · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2010, 04:30:24 PM »

Let me make the point clearer as best as I can with my limited understanding of it.

The Church to continue would need at least one bishop today who had received his jurisdiction from a pope or else that would be the end of apostolicity.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2010, 05:00:32 PM »

Well, there are in fact actually a small handful of Pius XII bishops still around.

And the material-formal sedevacantists would have an answer for this.

I'm not sure that the principle that at least one bishop who received jurisdiction from a pope actually holds water, since, as I said, that jurisdiction basically ceases when the pope dies. It does not carry over except through the Church supplying it for the good of souls (i.e. for valid Confessions, etc.) Other than those basic juridical functions, the Church goes dormant juridically (cf. the canon law principle I cited earlier). During any sedevacante, the principle is that the Church supplies that ordinary jurisdiction. That's what I have read about sedevacante periods (the more ordinary ones in the past). I'll try to look it up when I have more time--which may not be until Monday.