Part I here
Once you discover tradition, and you are intent on pursuing it, eventually you will join one of the traditional camps. In this post I'll give and overview of the three main groups.
The first group, which may be smallest in number, are those who believe that all the popes since the death of Pius XII in 1958 are false popes. This is not as crazy as it sounds as there have been nearly 40 anti-popes throughout the history of the Church as listed in the Catholic Almanac. This conclusion is arrived at by applying some Catholic principles to what has transpired over the last 50 years. The reasons for there lower numbers is that they are furthest removed from the mainstream church and their position is viewed by some as being the most extreme which is not to say that they are incorrect. This group is known as sedevacantists, sede means seat, and vacante means vacant. They believe the Chair of Peter is vacant. The largest organization of sedevacantists is the CMRI, Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen.
Closely related to the sedevacantist is the sedeimpedist. A sedeimpedist is of the opinion that the true pope was prevented from taking office in 1958. That true pope is believed to be Cardinal Siri of Genoa who would have become pope on the first evening of the 1958 Conclave when a clear white smoke signal emitted from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and reports went out around the world that a new pope had been elected only to be retracted later that evening. Footage of that fateful evening here
The second group would be the SSPX, Society of St. Pius X. The SSPX was founded by the French archbishop, Marcel Lefebvre. The Society existed for many years alongside the Vatican even though they refused to perform the new rite of mass. Then in 1988 as Archbishop Lefebvre was getting older and the Pope John Paul II was having inter-religious prayer meetings in Assisi and kissing the Koran, the Archbishop consecrated 4 bishops against the will of the Pope and was subsequently excommunicated. Those 4 bishops along with 500 or so priests constitute the SSPX today. They have a global presence but are most active in the US and France. This group acknowledges the Pope as the true successor to St. Peter but believe he is in error. They are regarded as extremists by mainstream Catholics while sedevacantists criticize them for acknowledging the Pope yet being disobedient which they see as inconsistant.
It's important to note that one of the four Bishops, Bishop Williamson, was expelled from the SSPX and formed the SSPX of Strict Observance and has taken a number of priests with him on the grounds that the superior of the society Bishop Bernard Fellay was not remaining true to the principles on which the Society was founded.
The last group are the conservative/traditional people from the mainstream church. This group ranges from folks that think the new popes are fine and think that both the old mass and the new mass have equal value to those who think it is best to fight for tradition from within the mainstream church. The latter position has some merit. The most prominent group within this group is the FSSP, The Priestly Society of St Peter. Michael Voris also deserves mention as he has done as much as anyone to awaken everyday Catholic, a former CBS producer, anchorman and reporter, Voris brought the media know-how that many well meaning and sincere Catholics lacked in their efforts. His media outlet is St Michael's Media
That's a basic overview. Feel free to contact if you have further questions.
sarniatraditionalcatholic@yahoo.ca
May I ask how you divided the "camps"? It is a truism that having the Integral Catholic Faith is what makes someone Catholic. There are no "liberals" or "conservatives." There are Catholics and heretics, schismatics, infidels and pagans.
ReplyDeleteOn my blog I use the designation "Traditionalist" as a True Roman Catholic, i. e. One who rejects the errors of Vatican II and maintains the Integral Faith. The problem lies with Vatican II. It was heretical and set up a counterfeit sect posing as Roman Catholicism.
Hence, sedevacantists and sedeprivationists are True Catholics. The only thing upon which we disagree (and are allowed to have such disagreement) is in how the Church got in this state and can get back a true pope. Sedeimpedism is either sedevacantism, since Siri is dead with no successor, or a form of conclavism, adhering to some false "secret pope." Since conclavists hold to an equally false pope, they are not Catholic anymore than those who adhere to Antipope Francis, including the FSSP.
The SSPX I call pseudo-Traditionalist since they acknowledge Francis as pope but reject his errors and those of Vatican II. They're really sedevacantists who don't realize it yet! They are Catholic, but sorely mistaken. They reject Vatican II heresy and are not in communion with Francis.
I think these are the demarcations that make sense.