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Quote from: Pete Vere

Just out of curiosity, where does Fr Pfeiffer stand with regards to the validity of the canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II? Does Fr Pfeiffer recognize their validity?

  He makes excuses why they don't matter.

Interesting.

Given that Pope St John XXIII summoned the Council, and Pope St John Paul II did more than any other individual to implement the Council, what exactly is the Resistance resisting if these two canonizations do not matter?

Quote from: Mabel

1. I try to separate the laity from the priests in the Resistance.

Fair enough. I think one could go even further in separating the simple priests of the Resistance from its one bishop.

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Judging what I know about most of these situations, this is how many independent chapels develop. When the dust settles, we will probably see most in a permanent location, operating a chapel alone.

Interesting.

Not to put words in your mouth, but do you foresee more a Mgr Williamson model of "loose association" between local groups than an internationally-organized worldwide apostolate that mimics the early SSPX?

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As for the laity, some are just following the movement for the time. Others have seen the SSPX at it's best and highest standards, they want a return to those standards. Still some want to preserve the status quo where they are independent of the man they call Pope. Many felt betrayed by Fellay and want the SSPX to return to it's former status and standards. In essence they are resisting the auto-demolition of the SSPX, it isn't coming back. Those who are invested in SSPX are trying to create a replacement or at least contribute to one.

2. The Resistance is trying to preserve the Faith, they love the Church and want to save their souls. The problem is that they can't recreate the SSPX, the other problem is they don't have justification to keep resisting "Rome." They are trying to reconcile contradictory positions, this leads to instability and hurts some of their efforts.

So is the Resistance a permanent option, or is it a gateway to sedevacantism? If the former, how does the Resistance in North America compete with a group like the CMRI that is better organized, more stable, and has wider reach?

The Resistance priests who maintain a good relationship with Bp. Williamson will likely use him to confirm, much like other independents do with the various traditional bishops. I do not know how closely they will work together in the future or if regular ordinations will be a part of that. They still have growing pains and I think that as they develop their theological positions (or the more the talk) there is potential for division, scandal, and alienation of themselves and laity. I can already see that it is not going to work out for them to cover for one another in all cases due to the intricacies of those developing theological positions.

In short, I don't think anything grandiose is on the horizon. In fact, I think the opposite will happen.

Resistance a gateway to sedevacantism? Not directly. That is mostly dependent on what comes out of Rome, as far as the fence sitters. The former Society priests, that I know, who have embraced sedevacantism, did so over the course of many years and it was a gradual realization. Most priests who have left the Society go in the opposite direction.

Nobody wins when it turns into a competition. There is no need for CMRI and the Resistance to compete or to be enemies. The open hostilities do no good. Signing statements against other Catholics is a serious symptom of a problem as are inflammatory sermons. I do worry that the Resistance position will cause others not to mass or confession just because it is "sedevacantist." They don't have to hold joint chapel barbecues, but they can peacefully exist in the same area.

Personally, I think an amicable relationship is the best course between all Catholics and groups.

Fr. Pfeiffer is a good man and a kind hearted priest but I don't think he really appreciates the magnitude of the crisis. He is blind and I believe instinctually refuses to see the crisis for what it is.   There is a BIG difference between a Pope who is mistaken, misguided, wrong, etc. and a HERETICAL man claiming or being elected to the Papacy.
Big difference! There are sincerely WRONG and MISGUIDED people in the world from the average layman all the way up to the Popes of history.  You CAN be wrong and NOT be heretical.  You cannot be HERETICAL and not be wrong.  The R&R position is a novelty and is in no way a Catholic response to the Crisis in the Church.  The response of the Church to a heretical man assuming (claiming, stealing, etc.) the Papacy is well docuмented by the theologians and Doctors of Holy Church.  There is NO such teaching of "R&R" in the Church teaching, doctrine, or tradition when it comes to the Papacy.  "R&R" has no theological or rational position within the Church.  Sedevacantism does.