(Editor's Note: Below is a letter written by the Australian Gordon Bateman, formerly a "cardinal" in the obedience of "Pope Pius XIII," Fr. Lucian Pulvermacher. The letter outlines his reasons for withdrawal from Pulvermacher as pope. There are similarities in his reasoning to this author's withdrawal from David Bawden . Bateman is the brother of Devonia Mildenhall and the uncle of Heather Mildenhall. Following Bateman's withdrawal, the three created a web site and began an effort to unify the Church. That effort failed, but the Church will rise again. )

Nov. 10th 2001

My Dear Fellow Catholics,

I am writing this letter to explain my present position. I feel that if I do not write to you all I will be leading people to wonder if I have left the Catholic faith. Nothing can be further from the truth.

It all started when my sister and niece started asking why was it that a Catholic website contained much that was not Catholic. Most of you have received their email with the six attachments. I consider that anyone with the least of brains and logic can see and read that it was a serious concern to be answered and attended to. But their concerns were not answered. In fact Fr Lucian Pulvermacher (aka Pius XIII) instructed us not to answer the "hate mail". That was the reason they wrote to all of you – hoping that if some of you wrote you might receive a better hearing. My sister and niece were put down so many times because they are women, though I might add they have far more brains than any of the "leadership".

Since that mail went out we were amazed to get back from many outside sources that the same priest also cut off more than 200 families when they asked him questions, and those in the Wisconsin group who did likewise were then condemned as schismatic. I might add here that NO priest may label anyone a heretic or a schismatic (although a bishop may). Such behaviour is the unfortunate result of there being NO pope for 40 years. Many priests in the sedevacantist movement have had an unfortunate fault in that they have taken to themselves too much power – but such power is badly wielded when allowed to continue – unsupervised or controlled for so long. The faith has become hijacked and made impure by many of such priests’ actions. All they have done is to play into the hands of the Vatican II non-Catholic Church.

At the time when my relatives were writing of their concerns with the website (September and October of this year), I asked Pius XIII why the Catechism was one of the main focuses in the website. I asked this because I (in my position as secretary to the tCC website) had received so much email from people entirely ignorant of the catechism. Pius told me that the Catechism had not saved his father from joining V2. I was then castigated as a great sinner by Pius because I replied that it was perhaps Fr Pulvermacher’s father’s stubbornness that was the factor of his joining Vat.II and NOT his study of the Catechism. From that time onward I was unreasonably vilified with all sorts of wild and unfounded denigrations (and this coming from the mouth of our holy Pope).

I must add that I was taken aback by all this and then started sending questions on the validity of the election; why were so many families disenfranchised; why were so many condemned as Schismatic; and why was there no effort made to get more priests into the election. After all, if Pius had been the only realistic candidate his election would be guaranteed. I have become aware that one of the concerns for many when considering who would be a fit Pope was the fact the Fr. Pulvermacher was (and is) a serious proponent of the use of the Pendulum. This was condemned by the Holy Office since 1942 under pain of penalty, and yet here he was using it in spite of the prohibition. His "parishioners" in Antigo refused to take part in superstition so he warned them that "WHEN" he was the pope they would have to follow him. On another visit to a Nevada family he told them, "You are looking at the next pope". I will attach a paper on the Pendulum and the prohibition by the Holy Office. I might add here these papers came to me from none other than Fr. Pulvermacher aka Pius XIII. So he was well aware that it was superstition he was dabbling in.

Now such manipulation and secret agenda is appalling. I have never ever read of any Cardinal going into a conclave telling every one he was going to be the next Pope, how could he know this unless he was going to make very sure of it before hand.

Why were we so blind beforehand? One might ask why is any such person in a similar situation, blind before hand. One is told lies, or is told nothing at all — as was the fact in our case.

Pius did not even bother to look hard for a Bishop to consecrate him, although valid Bishops may exist. Instead he relied entirely on an old paper saying that a priest can ordain a priest. That being the case, why would he waste time looking for a true Bishop with the apostolic line from Pius XII. He didn’t bother – yet to have got someone outside of us to do so would have given the election better exposure and more legitimacy in the eyes of all traditional Catholics – throughout the world.

Instead he convinced an impoverished married man (myself) to leave my wife (remember the command of God, " What God hath joined together let NO man put asunder"). Obviously Fr. Pulvermacher is above such petty commands from heaven. My wife was quite angry and objected, and so she was condemned as a non-Catholic by this "pope" so he could be consecrated (As a non-Catholic, her consent or otherwise was considered irrelevant). I was not keen on priesthood and all I needed was a pleading from my wife but sadly this was not forthcoming. That was 1999 and looking back I can understand her anger as this man had treated her so shabbily and publicly humiliated her in 1994, again declaring she was not Catholic. Yet he never attempted to even try to correct her many incorrect ideas about V2. So intent was Pius on this consecration that he was already wearing the pectoral cross and the Episcopal ring long before the 4th July date for the consecration.

This all points to the character of the man. He lusted for the papal Chair.

So, after recent careful examination of the events at the time, I know now that the election was flawed. I now wonder if I am really validly ordained as a priest etc, and I certainly do not accept Fr. Pulvermacher as the pope of the Catholic Church. In fact he is well known in Europe and America as a most unconventional priest, and that is putting it charitably. It will only be when a True and Universal Pope is elected that I and the many hundreds of traditional Catholic priests and bishops throughout the world will be able to get a proper clarification on our status. And this is what we are all now working towards. No one can just sit and do nothing. Those who cannot do much, at least pray for the success of a new Conclave.

I have therefore left what I believe is a group of people who are Catholic but they are not the true restored Church. I have not left the Catholic Faith. If I stayed with the group, knowing what I know – and yet pretending it was the Church, then that would be losing the faith. I would be condoning a sham and misleading you all.

I am sorry to all of you that you too have been equally duped but then there must be a reason in all this for God only permits evil that good may come from it.

May God bless you all and help you in your decisions,

Gordon Bateman