4.1. I’ve heard some Catholics say there is no current pope. How is that possible, and what does that mean?
Some Catholics—called sedevacantists (Latin for “the seat is vacant”)—believe that the papal throne is currently unoccupied because the men claiming to be popes since Vatican II (1962–1965) have taught doctrines already condemned by the Catholic Church, and therefore cannot be true popes.
This position is not a rejection of the papacy itself. On the contrary, sedevacantists deeply believe in the divinely-instituted office of the pope as the visible head of the Church. But they also hold that a public heretic cannot be the pope, according to Church law and teaching (e.g. Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio, Pope Paul IV; Canon 188 §4, 1917 Code).
Because of this, sedevacantists maintain that the See of Peter has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, and that those who came after—John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV—were not legitimate popes, because they promoted a new religion incompatible with Catholicism.
This has happened before: long papal vacancies have occurred in history (e.g. the interregnum of 1268–1271), though not due to a doctrinal crisis. Today’s crisis is unprecedented in scale but not in principle. The true Church continues in the faithful remnant that preserves the traditional Catholic faith, Mass, and sacraments.
To clarify what sedevacantism actually means—and what it does not mean—see the chart below:
| Sedevacantism Is... | Sedevacantism Is NOT... |
|---|---|
| Faithful adherence to all pre-Vatican II Catholic teachings and sacraments | A rejection of Catholicism or a new religion |
| A position based on canon law and Church doctrine (e.g., heretics lose office) | A mere opinion or conspiracy theory |
| A recognition that the Holy See is currently vacant due to public heresy | A denial of the papacy or an anti-papal belief |
| A belief in the indefectibility of the true Church of Christ | A claim that the Church has failed or ceased to exist |
| Submission to the timeless Magisterium of the Catholic Church | Schism or rebellion against legitimate Catholic authority |
| Acceptance only of validly ordained bishops and priests with apostolic succession | Recognition of modernist clergy with invalid ordinations |
| Rejection of Vatican II and its heresies as non-binding and false | Rejection of all Church councils or authority |
| Charity and fidelity to truth in resisting deception and apostasy | Hatred, pride, or sectarianism |
| Grief over the crisis in the Church and hope in God’s restoration | A belief that the crisis will last forever or that all is lost |
| A temporary recognition of sede vacante during an unprecedented apostasy | A permanent or nihilistic rejection of the possibility of a true pope |
| Characteristic | Traditional Catholicism (before 1958) |
Sedevacantism (Today’s Remnant) |
Novus Ordo Church (Post-Vatican II) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded on Christ and the Apostles | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Unchanging doctrine | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (doctrine evolves) |
| Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Rite) | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (replaced with Novus Ordo Mass) |
| Valid and traditional sacraments | ✅ | ✅ (pre-1968 ordinations or from valid traditional bishops) | ❌ (doubtful rites and intention) |
| Recognizes recent Vatican II “popes” as true popes | Not applicable | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rejects Vatican II as heretical | Not applicable | ✅ | ❌ (embraces it) |
| Promotes religious liberty and ecumenism | ❌ (condemned) | ❌ (condemned) | ✅ |
| Offers valid Catholic hierarchy | ✅ | ✅ (though without a reigning pope) | ❌ (invalid bishops and priests) |
| Claims to be the true Church | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (but contradicts past teaching) |
| Continuity with the Magisterium of all time | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Accused of being schismatic or cult-like | ❌ | ❌ (falsely accused) | ❌ (majority perception) |
In Summary:
Sedevacantism is not an emotional or fringe position. It is a theological explanation—rooted in canon law and Catholic ecclesiology—for how the Church continues despite being eclipsed by a false hierarchy and false teachings. The seat of Peter is currently vacant not because Christ’s promise failed, but because His Church cannot be led by men who publicly reject her infallible teachings.
“If a future pope teaches anything contrary to the Catholic Faith, do not follow him.”