Dear Readers,
Please see two new posts at the bottom of the articles list on the consecration of bishops during an interregnum. These two articles should be read in conjunction with the article above them concerning Cekada’s defense of consecration without a papal mandate. The gist of the two new posts is that while Traditionalists are experts at twisting and misinterpreting the law and dispensing themselves from the law, they have no real intent to FOLLOW the law and in fact do everything in their power to avoid its proper observance.
This is especially the case when it comes to establishing a solid basis for their operations according to Canon Law, and justifying their claims that they may violate the law at will in order to perpetuate the episcopacy and priesthood. That they have taken the law into their own hands contrary to every existing law does not phase them because they are not interested in being accountable – or Catholic, for that matter. To a novice or one not well-versed in the faith, their arguments seem sufficient to constitute what would in law be considered a plausible case. But we are not dealing here with civil law, but with laws issued by a divinely-established institution.
It is a pre-requisite for membership in the Church that one obey Canon Law, for no one can claim to belong to a society as a functional member without observing the rules for membership. This is especially true of Canon Law, which comes primarily from the ecumenical councils and the pope, and therefore contains an element of the sacred lacking in civil law. We must remember that the role of Christ’s Vicar on earth is to teach in His stead, with the assistance of the Holy Ghost, until the end of time. In Canon Law, in all the papal documents extant today, this teaching continues even though the see is vacant. It continues, that is, as long as we observe their laws and teachings.
In writing his constitution on papal elections, Vacantis Apostolica Sedis, Pope Pius XII set the law in stone during interregnums, infallibly defining that no one can attempt to change the law, correct it or dispense from it until a new pope is elected, and if they do the attempt is null and void. As proven in these two new articles, the laws of the Church were bypassed, essentially dispensed from, by Traditionalists so that any writings justifying their actions – any laws they quote to appear to be following Canon Law without having actually obeyed it as the law itself directs – are null and void, as are their actions. This is an invalidating and incapacitating law and epikeia cannot be used to excuse from it, especially considering it is made using the pope’s Supreme Authority. Canon Law itself declares this, since it requires consulting the mind of the lawgiver in a matter of doubt (in this case Pius XII) who makes it crystal clear what his intentions are in this specific situation. Please look for the posting of this papal election constitution in its entirety soon.
Had validly and licitly ordained priests leaving the false church in Rome following the debacle that was Vatican II carefully followed the opening laws of the 1917 Code of Canon Law in laying out a plan of action, the unity of the Church could have been preserved. It even could have functioned in a limited way, with the faithful enjoying the fruits of the Holy Sacrifice offered for them, but not attended by them. But instead the new Traditionalist church did the exact same thing it was condemning the church in Rome of perpetrating – it gave in to the “needs” and demands of the faithful for a church of their own desires, not the Church Christ indicated should exist in these times, as made known through the laws and teachings of His vicars on earth.
Time after time, the writings of these Traditionalists have indicated that they are incapable of serving the faithful as true Catholic clergy because they do not follow the laws of the Catholic Church, demonstrating that they left Her membership long ago. These articles are only further proof of the vicious circle of error these ministers have created, and the hapless victims they are dragging to perdition within their pernicious orbit.
T. Benns
