Sedevacantism is the belief that since the time of Pope John XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, the office of pope of the Roman Catholic Church is not legitimately held by the persons widely acknowledged as pope, sitting in the Vatican. The term sede vacante is Latin for empty chair. In standard Catholic Church usage, it refers to the vacancy in the papal office between the death or resignation of the pope and the election of his successor. Most sedevacantists hold that the office has been vacant since 1958, the year when Pope John XXIII was elected. Some Sedevacantists have elected "legitimate" pontiffs, generally held to be antipopes. These are known as Conclavists, see below. The Blessed John XXIII wearing a Papal Tiara Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte (province of Bergamo), Italy on November 25, 1881. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... Pope John Paul II has reigned since 22 Oct 1978. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In the Roman Catholic governance the vacant seat (in Latin, sede vacante) is the interregnum between a Popes death or resignation and the election of his successor. ... Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Sistine Chapel is the location of the conclave. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... An antipope is one whose claim to being Pope is the result of a disputed or contested election. ...

Sedevacantism

Generally, Sedevacantists consider themselves traditional Catholics who oppose the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and the replacement of the Latin language Tridentine Roman Missal and its order of Mass with a new one which allows the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular. They insist that the men who have occupied the Vatican palace since the latter part of the 20th century are heretics for promulgating those changes. Other traditionalists maintain that the popes since Pope Pius XII, although they may have personally held many of what some traditionalists perceive as scandalous heretical beliefs, nevertheless were true popes who never tried to use their infallible power (which is only used exceptionally) to promulgate a heresy, which all Catholics believe would be impossible. Traditional Catholic is a broad term used to describe many groups of Roman Catholics who follow more traditional aspects of the Catholic Faith. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Council of Trent (Italian: Trento) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in discontinuous sessions between 1545 and 1563 in response to the Protestant Reformation. ... The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman rite of Mass. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ...

The Sedevacantist view is often based in part on the decree on Papal Infallibility of the First Vatican Council. If a pope promulgates heresy, they reason, he lacks infallibility and thus cannot be the Pope. Alternatively, a pope falls from office if he embraces heresy and even if he does not explicitly promulgate heretical teachings by doing so. Sedevacantists also cite Paul IV's 1559 Bull Cum ex apostolatus officio, which teaches that a heretic cannot be elected pope. In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope, when he solemnly defines a matter of faith and morals ex cathedra (that is, officially and as pastor of the universal Church), does not have the possibility of error. ... The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ... Pope Paul IV Paul IV, né Gianni Carafa (June 28, 1476 - August 18, 1559) was Pope from May 23, 1555. ... Events January 15 - Elizabeth I of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey. ... A Papal bull is a written communication from the Vatican Chancery, bearing a formal papal seal. ...

Sedevacantists also argue that recent occupants of the Vatican palace have performed actions that they believe could not be carried out by true popes, often pointing to Pope Paul VI's (reigned: 1963-1978) refusal to wear the papal tiara, the traditional symbol of the papacy. Sedevacantists also note that Pope John Paul I (reigned: August-September 1978) abandoned the Papal Coronation and that Pope John Paul II (reigned: 1978-2005) declined to take the Papal oath. Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), served as Pope from 1963 to 1978. ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ... Triregnum from the XVIII Century The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, Triregnum or Triregno1, is the three-tiered papal crown formerly worn by popes from Pope Clement V up to and including Pope Paul VI, who was crowned in 1963. ... John Paul I, seen here on the papal throne, is wearing an inexpensive silver pectoral cross, not the standard golden cross worn by Popes and his uncut hair, simply brushed back, was considered unusual but more genuine and modest than the dandy coifs of the other Cardinals. ... Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ... Historically, a Papal Coronation was a six-hour ceremony in which a new pope was crowned as head of the Roman Catholic Church (and before 1870, head of state of the Papal States). ... His Holiness Pope John Paul II, officially in Latin , born Karol Józef Wojtyla [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death. ... Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Papal oath, also known as the oath against modernism, was an oath taken by popes during their coronation. ...

Sedevacantists are a small group compared to the mainstream of Catholicism, with a membership of only a few thousand. However, they assert that unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity are the characteristics that make theirs the legitimate Catholic Church, and not the size of their membership. In Christianity, the doctrine of apostolic succession maintains that the Christian Church is the spiritual successor of the Apostles. ...

Some sedevacantists in England prefer to be called recusants instead.

Objections to Sedevacantist Criticism of Mainstream Catholicism

Many mainstream Catholics argue that the Church's catholicity (universality) means precisely that: The true Catholic Church is universal and its truth cannot be hidden. Sedevacantists (or conclavists) argue that the true nature of the Catholic Church has been successfully hidden from the world for nearly fifty years and that only they have uncovered it. Mainstream Catholicism considers this a heretical position, and that in accordance with the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ, adopted at the First Vatican Council in 1870, the visible Church must have a visible Head, and that visible Head is the Vicar of Jesus Christ (Vicarius Christi), the Roman Pontiff. The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Typically, sedevacantists are accused of citing as infallible documents such as Papal encyclicals, bulls, homilies and other sources traditionally held not to be sources of infallible teachings. It is argued by mainstream Catholics that the traditional use of Latin and especially the Tridentine Order of Mass set down by the Council of Trent (1545-1563) is not an infallible dogmatic teaching but simply a small-t tradition, and can be revised or reformed by a General Council of the Church at any time. Further, sedevacantists are accused of indulging in the logical fallacy of post hoc, ergo propter hoc (coincidental correlation) by confusing the general decrease in religiosity in the Western world for a failing of the Church in particular. Finally, sedevacantist claims of unity are accused of being mere partisan rhetoric, as there are many groups of sedevancantists and conclavists, each with either their own Pope or no Pope at all and few or no formal ties to each other. In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope, when he solemnly defines a matter of faith and morals ex cathedra (that is, officially and as pastor of the universal Church), does not have the possibility of error. ... In the ancient Church, an encyclical was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... The Council of Trent (Italian: Trento) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in discontinuous sessions between 1545 and 1563 in response to the Protestant Reformation. ... A logical fallacy is an error in logical argument which is independent of the truth of the premises. ... Post hoc ergo propter hoc is Latin for after this, therefore because of this. ...

Conclavism

Some groups have put forward their own popes in opposition to those in Rome, making them "conclavists" rather than "sedevacantists" in the strict sense of the word. The Palmar de Troya movement asserts that Christ appeared to Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, a Spaniard, and told him that he was to assume the papacy on Pope Paul VI's death. This claimant, known as "Pope Gregory XVII", died in March 2005. One of his followers, Manuel Corral, succeeded him as "Pope Peter II." The Palmarian Church (also One, Catholic, Apostolic and Palmarian Church) was established in 1975 by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, an insurance broker from Seville, Spain who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him at a shrine outside the small village of El Palmar de Troya in Andalusia with instructions to... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish and Galician: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ... Clemente Domínguez y Gómez ( May 23, 1946– March 22, 2005) was proclaimed Pope Gregory XVII by supporters of the Palmarian Catholic Church Catholic breakway movement in 1978. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Ongoing events • Iraqi legislative election • Bill C-38 (Canada gay marriage) • Tsunami relief • Cedar Revolution in Lebanon • Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan • German Visa Affair 2005 • Expo 2005 in Nagoya, Japan • Terri Schiavo controversy • Pope John Paul II...

The United States-based true Catholic Church elected a traditionalist priest to be Pope Pius XIII in the late 1990s, claiming that all popes following the death of Pope Pius XII (reigned: 1939-1958) were invalidly elected or disqualified by virtue of their excommunication. This group claims that Pope John XXIII (reigned: 1958-1963) joined the freemasons in 1935, an act that, if true, would have earned automatic excommunication and so made him ineligible for the papacy. "Pius XIII", however, in an interesting wrinkle, admits to having divined with a pendulum since his seminary days, an act which carries a similar penalty of automatic excommunication, and would therefore result in his own ineligibility for the Papacy. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Father Earl Lucian Pulvermacher, OFM Cap (born April 20, 1918) became Pope Pius XIII of the true Catholic Church in 1998. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Excommunication is religious censure which is used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... The Blessed John XXIII wearing a Papal Tiara Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte (province of Bergamo), Italy on November 25, 1881. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... American Square & Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. ... 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Excommunication is religious censure which is used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Dowsing is a controversial method of divination which dowsers say empowers them to find water, metals, gem stones and hidden objects by carrying some form of stick and watching its motion while walking over a piece of land. ... A gravity pendulum is a weight on the end of a rigid rod, which, when given some initial lift from the vertical position, will swing back and forth under the influence of gravity over its central (lowest) point. ... A seminary is a specialised university-like institution for the purpose of training candidates for positions within a religious context. ...

One group of conclavists believe that Karol Wojtyła was a heretical antipope, but also accept the Catholic doctrine that there will be a perpetual line of successors in the Papacy. These conclavists elected David Bawden as Pope Michael on July 16, 1990. Bawden has declared Pope Benedict XVI an antipope. Others have rejected this pope in favor of other conclaves that have elected Victor von Pentz (Pope Linus II) and Lucian Pulvermacher (Pope Pius XIII). For a full list of rival popes elected by sedevacantist groups, see the article Antipope. His Holiness Pope John Paul II, officially in Latin , born Karol Józef Wojtyla [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... An antipope is one whose claim to being Pope is the result of a disputed or contested election. ... Dutch Catholic TVs Interview with Pope Michael David Allen Bawden (born September 22, 1959), is an American citizen who was elected Pope Michael I by a very small group of Conclavist or post- Sedevacantist Catholics to fill the vacancy they consider to have been caused by the death of... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Father Earl Lucian Pulvermacher, OFM Cap (born April 20, 1918) became Pope Pius XIII of the true Catholic Church in 1998. ... An antipope is one whose claim to being Pope is the result of a disputed or contested election. ...

Main sedevacanist and conclavist groups

• Society of St. Pius V (formed when a small number of priests of the Society of St. Pius X split over sedevacantism)
• The Ngo-Dinh-Thuc line of episcopal succession
• Palmar de Troya
• true Catholic Church

The Society of St. ... The Society of St. ... Archbishop Peter Martin Ngo Dinh Thuc (October 6, 1897 - December 13, 1984), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hué, Vietnam, was born in Hué, on October 6, 1897, of Catholic parents. ... The Palmarian Church (also One, Catholic, Apostolic and Palmarian Church) was established in 1975 by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, an insurance broker from Seville, Spain who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him at a shrine outside the small village of El Palmar de Troya in Andalusia with instructions to... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

See also

• antipope
• David Bawden, the self-proclaimed "Pope Michael"
• Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, the self-proclaimed "Pope Gregory XVII"
• Lucian Pulvermacher, the self-proclaimed "Pope Pius XIII"
• Novus Ordo Missae
• Five Popes in the conventional (Roman) line have been declared antipopes by Sedevacantist and Conclavist groups, they are:
  • Pope John XXIII (all except for Palmar de Troya)
  • Pope Paul VI (all except for Palmar de Troya)
  • Pope John Paul I (all)
  • Pope John Paul II (all)
  • Pope Benedict XVI (all)

An antipope is one whose claim to being Pope is the result of a disputed or contested election. ... Dutch Catholic TVs Interview with Pope Michael David Allen Bawden (born September 22, 1959), is an American citizen who was elected Pope Michael I by a very small group of Conclavist or post- Sedevacantist Catholics to fill the vacancy they consider to have been caused by the death of... Clemente Domínguez y Gómez ( May 23, 1946– March 22, 2005) was proclaimed Pope Gregory XVII by supporters of the Palmarian Catholic Church Catholic breakway movement in 1978. ... Father Earl Lucian Pulvermacher, OFM Cap (born April 20, 1918) became Pope Pius XIII of the true Catholic Church in 1998. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Blessed John XXIII wearing a Papal Tiara Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte (province of Bergamo), Italy on November 25, 1881. ... The Palmarian Church (also One, Catholic, Apostolic and Palmarian Church) was established in 1975 by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, an insurance broker from Seville, Spain who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him at a shrine outside the small village of El Palmar de Troya in Andalusia with instructions to... Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), served as Pope from 1963 to 1978. ... The Palmarian Church (also One, Catholic, Apostolic and Palmarian Church) was established in 1975 by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, an insurance broker from Seville, Spain who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him at a shrine outside the small village of El Palmar de Troya in Andalusia with instructions to... John Paul I, seen here on the papal throne, is wearing an inexpensive silver pectoral cross, not the standard golden cross worn by Popes and his uncut hair, simply brushed back, was considered unusual but more genuine and modest than the dandy coifs of the other Cardinals. ... His Holiness Pope John Paul II, officially in Latin , born Karol Józef Wojtyla [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death. ... His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (in Latin Benedictus XVI) was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on April 16, 1927. ...

External links

Sedevcantist sites

• Further explanation of sedevacantism (http://www.wandea.org.pl/sedevacantism.html)
• the Aquinas site (http://www.sedevacantist.com/)
• traditionalmass.org  (http://www.traditionalmass.org/)

Criticism of Sedevacantism

• Critique of sedevacantism (http://www.sspx.org/miscellaneous/is_sedevacantism_catholic1.html)
• Do-It-Yourself Popes: the Wacky World of Sedevacantists (http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=2651)
• A Prescription Against "Traditionalism" Part 3: A Refutation of the Heresy of Sedevacantism (http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/sedevacantism.html)