Hutton Gibson's July 2006 edition of The War is Now buries the Siri theory once and for all with a resounding thud of the coffin lid. And good riddance. In his July TWIN, Gibson presents letters from Rev. Lawrence Brey, an elderly priest who once cautiously supported Gary Giuffre's investigation of Siri, but who withdrew his support of Siri nine years ago. In his letters Brey denounces Giuffre's investigation as lacking in proofs and documentation and also chides Giuffre for his over-reliance on private prophecy and ad hominem arguments. In a fax sent in May, Brey also demands that his years-old letter posted to one site defending Siri be removed.

Gibson also points out the duplicity of Peter Tran Van Khoat, suggesting that Khoat's report of the trip to visit Siri and subsequent creation as cardinal consisted in nothing more than embroideries and fabrications. Khoat, a Traditionalist priest ordained by a Vietnamese bishop freshly returned from the heretical V2 council was never able to licitly offer the Holy Sacrifice, although at one time he claimed to possess a type of jurisdiction that satisfied the regulations of Canon Law. Khoat's entire interest in the Siri matter seems to hinge on his desire to succeed Siri as "pope" by hook or by crook, with strong emphasis here on crook, as in crooked.

In discounting the Siri papacy, Brey reverts to the long-held Sedevacantist stance — we shall never see another true pope and the end must be near. This, however, is disproved by the teaching of the Vatican Council and Vatican Council theologian Rev. W. Wilmers, S. J. In his "Handbook of the Christian Religion" (1891) Wilmers states: "By the consummation of the world…is meant…the end of the human race on earth, for Christ elsewhere identifies the end of the world with the last judgment," (#43, §1). The human race is still very much in evidence. Moreover, Traditionalists still have their Mass, though sinfully and illicitly, when the Fathers have unanimously agreed that the continual sacrifice will cease during the time of Antichrist. So how does one explain this doctrinal dichotomy?

Furthermore, Gibson reports that the Traditionalist newspaper "The Four Marks" has presented "all sides" of the Siri thesis, and yet none of the pertinent points raised by this author or others have been presented. From a truly Catholic perspective journalism is not the proper medium — nor has the Catholic Church ever used it as such — for presenting and refuting theological matters. The validity or invalidity of any papal candidate or election is a dogmatic fact connected to de fide truths, the discussion of which generally is limited to theological journals. Because the identity of St. Peter's true successors must necessarily be known to demonstrate perpetuity and truths of Faith, this is not a topic open to the "opinions" of all and sundry, but a matter that must be treated according to the Scholastic norms established by the Church. Had these norms been insisted upon from the outset the Siri theory would have died with Siri himself, as it should have.

All Traditionalism, not just the Siri theory, has become an intolerable manifestation of a sham religion, as demonstrated on this site and elsewhere. The proofs necessary to sound its death knell have been documented repeatedly, as a survey of this site will quickly show. And yet, like the Siri theory, it will linger on indefinitely because Catholic intellectualism and Scholasticism are hated even more than schism and heresy.

T. Benns