Part 8 - Intro: Sedevacantism & Traditionalist Positions

Introduction

If serious doctrinal problems exist in Vatican II and the post-conciliar reforms, and if those problems affect the question of papal authority, then the next issue is how Catholics should understand the different traditionalist responses that have emerged.

This Part explains what sedevacantism actually means, why its adherents conclude that the Holy See is vacant, and how they understand the continued existence and visibility of the Catholic Church during an extended crisis. It will also examine the role of traditional bishops and priests, the SSPX and Recognize-and-Resist position, traditional communities that remain in communion with the post-conciliar hierarchy, and the principal objections commonly raised against sedevacantism.

The central conclusion to be examined is whether sedevacantism is a rejection of the papacy, or whether it is instead an attempt to apply traditional Catholic teaching on the papacy, heresy, Church membership and indefectibility to the present crisis.

This Part therefore turns from the diagnosis of the crisis to the competing explanations offered by traditional Catholics. We begin with the basic question: What is sedevacantism and does it reject the papacy?