Hi all: I read the book "Nikita Roncalli" that has been linked to here on Cathinfo and found it quite interesting. It mentioned some of the odd things that happened during the 1958 and 1963 conclaves and offered the theory that Cardinal Siri was elected but forced to resign under severe duress to make way for the 'masonic' choice of Roncalli. In investigating this a little further I discovered this site:
http://www.thepopeinred.com/
It certainly offered some interesting information, but nothing I could find that would be conclusive. I have to admit to more than half wanting this to be true. Everything I read on Cardinal Siri confirms that he was staunchly orthodox and anti-communist. Just the man to lead the Church after Pius XII...
However, that site links a lot of material off another site that at least seems to be connected, CathInfo or something and that was when things got weird. I can't tell what trad group they are related to but they seem to hate all other trads even more (if possible) than the Vat II church. I have to say my antennae started twitching immediately. Nobody was spared their very uncharitable articles (that seemed quite light on hard evidence) ++Lefebvre, +Sanborn/Fr Cekada, CMRI, MHFM, pretty much nobody in traddom escaped their wrath, heck I even saw something on Cathinfo's own Matthew!
Who are these guys? Are they some kind of traditional Catholic group? They must be pretty small, I don't think I have heard of them before :confused1:
Luke
It goes without saying that the theory is truly :tinfoil:. This is the only "theological" position where conspiracy is the ONLY element necessary that determines your belief.
For the sake of argument, lets suppose that he is right and Cardinal Siri was elected as Gregory XVII. The fact that he stayed in communion with those he knew were anti-Popes, despite ANY good will or intentions he might have had is a schismatic act. Therefore Gregory XVII would be an anti-Pope, that no Catholic would owe allegiance to the theory is a poor attempt at recognizing the impostors as anti-Popes, while having all the benefits of sedeplenism. This is like attempting to have the best of both worlds without having to recourse to any thinking, but it is trying to reconcile the unreconcilable.
No more question about original jurisdiction because there is some secret Pope which no one is aware of, but we invisibly submit to... Sounds lovely, heck it makes :tinfoil: nutters like David Icke seem quite sane. There is a great deal of truth and half truth's mixed into their argument. You cannot expect the Catholic faithful to base their whole belief on a conspiracy without backing it up with theology. Their problem is that EVERYTHING they judge is based on the internal forum, while the true Catholic teaching is based on the external forum. They make rash judgements all the time, and argue that they are sound judgements when they are not. There is definitely going to be an increase among the indult crowd a rise in the Siri thesis for those that believe the sedevacantist thesis is too hard to swallow. Anything but sedevacantism will work for these individuals...
Like others said, stay away but if you are too curious and have already listened to them. Just think logically and you will see how most of their arguments are drawn from straws. All of it is fill in the blank detective work, and if you want to make that case to someone who is rational they will definitely label you as a crack pot conspiracy theorist (can't really blame them sometimes). You just can't be making claims without making a disclaimer that this is probable, as opposed to "certain" or facts. That is the problem with the whole Siri thesis, even if it was true it simply means we have another anti-pope. No amount of duress or threats would ever change that fact, the man approved of heresy, submitted to heretics etc... Several times he denied it, what else are we supposed to judge by? Just look at his life and you will see that he was a staunch conservative that remained generally silent on the mass apostasy. Leading the faithful only closer to the clutches of the Conciliar Church, if it was not for men like Cardinal Siri who still give credibility to that institution, the open schism between traditionalist and Novus Ordites would have clashed a long time ago. Father John Hardon is another example of a sad attempt to build and destroy at the same time...