7.10. Isn’t the Vatican II Church still the Catholic Church since it has apostolic succession and the pope?
The Catholic Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—founded by Christ, governed by the successors of the Apostles, and entrusted with the unchanging deposit of faith. It is indefectible, meaning it cannot fail or teach heresy. However, not everyone who claims the name “Catholic” is truly part of the Church. After 1958, modernist infiltrators usurped the Church's visible structures and, at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), instituted a new religion under the guise of “renewal.”
This new institution—commonly referred to as the Novus Ordo Church, Conciliar Church, or Vatican II Sect—teaches doctrines condemned by the Magisterium, worships with a man-made liturgy, and follows leaders who openly contradict the Catholic Faith. Though it retains Catholic buildings, terminology, and appearances, it is not the Mystical Body of Christ, but rather a counterfeit church foretold in Scripture and by the saints. Below is a comparison between the True Catholic Church and the Vatican II Sect, showing how they differ in their essence, marks, mission, and fruits.
| Category | The True Catholic Church | The Vatican II Sect | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Founded by Jesus Christ upon St. Peter (Matt. 16:18) | Claims continuity with Peter but teaches novelty | The true Church teaches nothing new; the Vatican II Sect rejects previous dogmas and introduces heresy |
| Marks of the Church | One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic | Divided, corrupt, doctrinally inconsistent, and modernist | It visibly lacks the four marks as defined by the Church Fathers and the Magisterium |
| Doctrine | Unchanging, dogmatic, infallible | “Developing,” contradicts past teachings (e.g. religious liberty, ecumenism) | Contradicting prior infallible teachings proves it is not the true Church |
| Liturgy | Traditional Latin Mass: sacrificial, God-centered, unchanging | Novus Ordo: man-centered, fabricated in 1969, ecumenical tone | “Lex orandi, lex credendi”—a false worship reflects a false faith |
| Sacraments | Valid, unaltered rites with clear form, matter, and intent | Rites have been revised; many are doubtful or invalid (e.g. ordination, confirmation) | Changing sacramental form and intent risks invalidity and loss of grace |
| Papacy | Pope is the Vicar of Christ who safeguards the Faith | Modern “popes” promote errors, heresies, scandals | A true pope cannot teach heresy or give false worship to the Church |
| Magisterium | Binds the faithful to unchanging truth | Teaches contradiction in “pastoral” form; refuses to condemn error | True magisterium cannot contradict itself; Vatican II contradicts prior councils and popes |
| Mission | To convert all nations to Christ and save souls | Focus on dialogue, tolerance, and social issues | Evangelization is replaced with indifferentism and coexistence |
| Fruit | Holiness, vocations, conversions, doctrinal clarity | Apostasy, confusion, scandal, moral collapse | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
| View of Other Religions | Only the Catholic Church is the one true Church (EENS) | Other religions seen as “means of salvation” or sharing “elements of truth” | This heresy is condemned by *Mortalium Animos*, *Syllabus of Errors*, and Trent |
| Saints and Miracles | True miracles, incorrupt bodies, heroic virtue | Dubious canonizations, no clear miracles, ecumenical figures elevated | The saints of the Vatican II Church promote the errors of Vatican II itself |
| View of the World | Rejects the world’s values; prepares for eternal life | Accepts modern culture, UN goals, ecological agendas | The Church cannot conform to the world without betraying Christ (Rom. 12:2) |
| Continuity | In full doctrinal, liturgical, and canonical continuity with Apostolic Tradition | Breaks with the past in name of aggiornamento (updating) | A rupture in faith and practice = a new religion |
Summary:
Though the Vatican II Sect claims to be the Catholic Church, it no longer teaches the Catholic Faith, no longer worships in the Catholic liturgy, and no longer holds fast to the Catholic sacraments or hierarchy. It has lost the Four Marks, adopted heresies condemned by the Magisterium, and leads souls away from Christ.
The true Catholic Church continues in those priests, bishops, and faithful who reject the Vatican II errors, maintain the Traditional Latin Mass, and profess the unchanged Catholic Faith handed down from the Apostles. The Vatican II Church is a false church, and to remain within it is to risk the loss of the Faith and eternal salvation.