7.11. Isn’t it enough to recognize Leo XIV as pope but just resist his errors, like the SSPX does?
The Recognize and Resist (R&R) position holds that Catholics must acknowledge the post-Vatican II popes as legitimate, but that they can or must resist their teachings, liturgical laws, canonizations, or disciplinary decisions. This approach is taken by the SSPX, FSSP sympathizers, and many “conservative” Catholics who are rightly scandalized by the errors and irreverence of the modern hierarchy.
But this position is theologically incoherent and ecclesiologically impossible. If a man is truly pope, then his universal teachings and disciplinary laws are protected by the Holy Ghost, and Catholics are bound under pain of mortal sin to submit to him (cf. Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus). To recognize a pope and then disobey him or judge his magisterium is to make oneself a pope. The “Recognize and Resist” approach contradicts the very doctrine of the papacy and was condemned by the Church throughout history.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the Catholic teaching on papal authority vs. the incoherent errors of Recognize and Resist.
| Category | Catholic Doctrine on the Papacy | Recognize and Resist Position | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source of Authority | The pope is the supreme visible head of the Church, appointed by Christ (Matt. 16:18) | The pope is head of the Church, but his teachings may be heretical or unsafe to follow | Christ does not give authority to teach error; the Holy Ghost protects the papal office from heresy |
| Submission Required | “To the Roman Pontiff… submission is of necessity for salvation” (*Unam Sanctam*) | Submission is conditional; Catholics may pick and choose what to accept | This is Protestant-style private judgment, condemned by Vatican I and Leo XIII |
| Teaching Authority | The pope cannot teach error to the universal Church in matters of faith or morals | The pope can teach grave errors or heresies in official magisterial documents | If this were possible, the gates of hell would prevail against the Church |
| Response to Error | If a pope were a heretic, he would **cease to be pope** (St. Robert Bellarmine) | The pope can be a heretic and remain pope; we must resist him | This denies the visibility and unity of the Church and contradicts Church Fathers and canonists |
| Magisterial Infallibility | Universal teachings of the pope are protected from error by the Holy Ghost (Vatican I) | Even encyclicals, canonizations, or liturgical laws can be erroneous or harmful | Rejecting the magisterium while claiming fidelity is a contradiction in terms |
| Liturgical Discipline | The Church cannot give her children poisonous or harmful rites | The New Mass is harmful, irreverent, and possibly invalid, but still “lawfully” promulgated | If the pope imposed an evil rite, he would violate indefectibility and cease to be pope |
| Canonizations | Saints canonized by a true pope are infallibly in heaven | Recent canonizations (e.g. John Paul II) are erroneous or politically motivated | Denial of papal authority in canonizations denies the magisterium and contradicts prior teaching |
| Unity of the Church | Unity requires one Faith, one worship, and submission to one visible head | Unity is redefined as “partial communion,” allowing faithful to resist Rome | Destroys visible unity and turns the Church into a chaotic federation |
| Theological Source | Vatican I, St. Thomas, St. Bellarmine, Pope Leo XIII, Pope Pius IX | Fr. Hesse, SSPX, private theologians with contradictory interpretations | SSPX theology is self-contradictory, unauthorized, and has no ecclesiastical approval |
| Fruits | Doctrinal clarity, liturgical unity, true submission to authority | Confusion, practical schism, long-term compromise with error | R&R results in loyal disobedience and a Protestant spirit dressed as tradition |
Summary:
The Recognize and Resist position tries to have it both ways—claiming loyalty to the pope while refusing obedience to his teachings, laws, and worship. But the Catholic Church has always taught that the pope is the visible rule of faith, whose official teachings are protected from error by the Holy Ghost. To claim that a true pope can lead the Church into heresy or legislate sacrilege is to deny the promises of Christ, the doctrine of papal infallibility, and the indefectibility of the Church.
R&R ultimately creates chaos: every Catholic becomes his own judge of what to accept or reject. The only consistent position is the one held by the Church Fathers and theologians like St. Robert Bellarmine:
if a pope manifests heresy, he ceases to be pope.
Therefore, faithful Catholics must reject the Vatican II antipopes, and adhere only to the unchanged magisterium of the true Catholic Church.