8.213. Why do traditional Catholics reject canonizations of modern popes and saints like John Paul II or Paul VI?
The canonization of a saint in the Catholic Church is traditionally regarded as an infallible act of the papal magisterium, declaring with certainty that a person lived a life of heroic virtue and now enjoys the Beatific Vision in Heaven. However, traditional Catholics—particularly those holding the sedevacantist position—reject the canonizations of post-Vatican II figures such as John Paul II, Paul VI, and others for several profound theological reasons.
1. Canonization Requires a True Pope
First and foremost, infallibility in canonization presupposes a valid pope possessing the authority to teach and bind the universal Church in matters of faith and morals. Sedevacantists hold that the Vatican II claimants to the papacy—beginning with John XXIII and continuing through Francis—lack legitimate authority, due to manifest public heresy and rupture with traditional Catholic doctrine.
Canonizations conducted by non-popes are not protected by the charism of infallibility. As such, any such declaration is null and void, regardless of external appearances or ceremonies.
2. The Process Was Radically Altered
The traditional process of canonization was lengthy and judicial, often taking decades or even centuries. It involved:
A Devil’s Advocate (Promotor Fidei) rigorously arguing against canonization.
Multiple confirmed miracles and heroic virtue proven beyond doubt.
Verifications that the candidate upheld all Catholic doctrine without deviation.
Paul VI dismantled this process in 1969, replacing it with a more streamlined and subjective approach that removed the Devil’s Advocate, reduced the number of miracles required, and greatly shortened the timeline.
This reform, in conjunction with the new Vatican II ecclesiology, opened the floodgates to canonize individuals who would not have met the traditional standards.
3. Modern “Saints” Promoted Error and Scandal
The “saints” canonized by the post-Vatican II church are often deeply problematic by traditional standards. A few notable examples:
John Paul II kissed the Koran, took part in Assisi interreligious prayer gatherings with pagans, praised false religions as means of salvation, and was an architect of the New Evangelization, which downplays conversion and doctrine.
Paul VI promulgated the Novus Ordo Missae, a Protestantized rite of Mass, and implemented Vatican II, which undermined the dogmas of the Faith. He also allowed rampant liturgical abuses and doctrinal confusion.
Such actions are not merely personal failings but public acts that contradict the Faith. According to Pope Benedict XIV (a valid pre-Vatican II pope), a person cannot be canonized if there is public and ongoing doubt about their orthodoxy.
4. Canonizations Now Serve a New Theology
In the past, saints were canonized to confirm the Catholic Faith and to propose their lives as models of orthodoxy and virtue. Today, canonizations have become vehicles to validate the Vatican II revolution.
Canonizing Paul VI or John Paul II is, in effect, canonizing Vatican II itself.
The new saints reflect ecumenism, modernism, and the post-conciliar redefinition of holiness—more psychological and activist than ascetical and doctrinal.
This reversal of criteria means these acts are not reliable signs of sanctity.
5. Saints Must Confirm, Not Confuse
Saints are meant to be clear signposts of Catholic Faith and life. If someone canonized taught heresy, sowed confusion, or scandalized the faithful, their elevation to the altars misleads souls, which is impossible under true papal infallibility.
Thus, faithful Catholics are not being disobedient or uncharitable in rejecting these canonizations; they are preserving the integrity of sainthood, as understood by the Church throughout history.
As Fr. Cekada noted:
“The ‘canonizations’ of the Vatican II sect are the natural fruit of a new religion. They are not binding on Catholics, and should be rejected as part of the deception.”
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Vatican II / Novus Ordo View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canonization Process | Lengthy, judicial, miracle-based; required heroic virtue and doctrinal purity | Streamlined process, reduced miracles, subjective virtue criteria | Traditional canonizations ensured theological orthodoxy and public cult |
| Papal Infallibility | Only valid popes can canonize infallibly | Assumes modern claimants to be true popes | If modern claimants are not true popes, their canonizations are invalid |
| Purpose of Canonization | To confirm doctrine and provide models of sanctity | To validate Vatican II and promote ecumenism | Modern canonizations often serve a political or ideological goal |
| Examples of Saints | St. Pius V, St. Alphonsus, St. John Vianney—doctrinal clarity and penitential life | John Paul II, Paul VI—interfaith gatherings, ecumenism, liturgical revolution | Many traditional faithful cannot recognize sanctity in these figures |
| Faithful Response | Canonizations to be believed when issued by a valid pope | Must accept post-conciliar canonizations or be seen as disobedient | Traditional Catholics reject false obedience when it endangers the Faith |
Summary:
Traditional Catholics reject the canonizations of Paul VI, John Paul II, and other post-Vatican II figures because these acts do not meet the standards of true Catholic canonization. The primary reason is jurisdictional—only a valid pope has the authority to infallibly canonize. Since the Vatican II claimants are public heretics and therefore not true popes, any canonizations they perform are null and void.
Moreover, the modern process of canonization was drastically altered. Paul VI and John Paul II dismantled the rigorous judicial norms in favor of quick, politicized ceremonies designed to promote a new definition of holiness. This new standard downplays doctrine and ascetical life in favor of activism, popularity, and modern ideas.
The saints of the past were clear doctrinal lights, often defenders of orthodoxy during great crises. They promoted penance, sacrifice, and obedience to the unchanging truths of the Faith. By contrast, the newly “canonized” figures have publicly participated in scandalous ecumenical events, downplayed the need for conversion, and even promoted heretical propositions, such as religious liberty and indifferentism—both condemned by popes like Pius IX and Leo XIII.
Furthermore, canonizations today often function as a “stamp of approval” for the Vatican II revolution. By canonizing the men who implemented these changes, the Novus Ordo church seeks to bind the faithful to its counterfeit religion. Traditional Catholics rightly reject this. Canonizing someone like Paul VI—who promulgated a rite of Mass that obscures the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist—would have been unthinkable in the pre-Vatican II Church.
The Catholic Church teaches that true saints edify, not confuse. Infallible canonizations must be both true in doctrine and safe for the faithful to venerate. If the canonization leads souls astray or elevates a heretic as a model of the Faith, it cannot be infallible.
In conclusion, the rejection of modern “canonizations” is not an act of rebellion, but one of filial fidelity to the unchanging Catholic Faith. Sedevacantist Catholics are not denying the communion of saints; they are preserving it from corruption. True saints remain our helpers and intercessors, but we must be cautious of false lights elevated by a counterfeit church.