†Pope Pius XII was the last true pope. We are bound to obey all the teachings of the popes from St. Peter to Pius XII — the continual magisterium — even though we have no sitting pope today. This because their teachings are the authentic expression of the Deposit of Faith, revealed truth found in the Scriptures and Tradition as interpreted and taught by the Roman Catholic Church for the belief of faithful Catholics till the end of time.
†Therefore, the authority, infallibility and indefectibility of the Church remains, expressed in the Deposit of Faith as explained by all true popes throughout the ages.
2. We do not present our opinion here — all documents cited can be fact-checked on the Internet or obtained by requesting the pertinent documents from this author.
3. We are a one-owner only information site dedicated to presenting the truths of Catholic faith — nothing more. We have no ties with any political or religious organizations.
4. We are not a for-profit organization. We accept donations, but only to help with web maintenance and printing expenses. We are happy to provide anyone with a list of our annual donations and expenses on request.
Our Mission — To Help Others Find the Truth
We can only explain our mission in the words of Pope St. Pius X below, adding to what he says here the following. We no longer have a true pope to guide us. What he feared, even in writing this condemnation, has come to pass. And we have reasons to believe he knew that it probably would, since he himself predicted, in his first address as pope, that Antichrist had already been born into the world. But even in the absence of our beloved head on earth, we have not been relieved of the duty of defending the truths of Faith and fighting to keep them inviolate in these terrible times. The only way to do this is to rely solely on the teachings of the Roman Pontiffs, the Ecumenical Councils, the Sacred Congregations and the canonists and theologians loyal to the Holy See. That is what this site is intended to provide – all those authoritative sources necessary to hold fast all the traditions we have received in the Deposit of Faith.
We do not look for them from doubtful popes, those usurping the Papal See in Rome since the death of Pope Pius XII and any who recognize them, even materially, as true popes; we do not look for them from those operating outside the supervision and guidance of the Holy See as the Protestants do, i.e., all manner and shades of Traditionalists. We go only to the Vicars of Christ who speak with Him as One Voice (Unam Sanctam, Boniface VIII). What Pope St. Pius X describes below is ongoing today among the Novus Ordo and Traditionalist sects, as neo-Modernism perpetually evolves as its founders intended. That is why it is still pertinent today, and is the best possible explanation for the ongoing mission of this site.
Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 1907
The office divinely committed to Us of feeding the Lord’s flock has especially this duty assigned to it by Christ, namely, to guard with the greatest vigilance the deposit of the faith delivered to the saints, rejecting the profane novelties of words and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called. There has never been a time when this watchfulness of the supreme pastor was not necessary to the Catholic body; for, owing to the efforts of the enemy of the human race, there have never been lacking “men speaking perverse things” (Acts 20: 30), “vain talkers and seducers” (Tit. 1: 10), “erring and driving into error” (2 Tim. 3:13). Still it must be confessed that the number of the enemies of the cross of Christ has, in these last days, increased exceedingly, who are striving, by arts, entirely new and full of subtlety, to destroy the vital energy of the Church, and, if they can, to overthrow utterly Christ’s kingdom itself. Wherefore We may no longer be silent, lest We should seem to fail in Our most sacred duty, and lest the kindness that, in the hope of wiser counsels, We have hitherto shown them, should be attributed to forgetfulness of Our office.
Gravity of the Situation
“2. That We make no delay in this matter is rendered necessary especially by the fact that the partisans of error are to be sought not only among the Church’s open enemies; they lie hid, a thing to be deeply deplored and feared, in her very bosom and heart, and are the more mischievous, the less conspicuously they appear. We allude, Venerable Brethren, to many who belong to the Catholic laity, nay, and this is far more lamentable, to the ranks of the priesthood itself, who, feigning a love for the Church, lacking the firm protection of philosophy and theology, nay more, thoroughly imbued with the poisonous doctrines taught by the enemies of the Church, and lost to all sense of modesty, vaunt themselves as reformers of the Church; and, forming more boldly into line of attack, assail all that is most sacred in the work of Christ, not sparing even the person of the Divine Redeemer, whom, with sacrilegious daring, they reduce to a simple, mere man.
“3. Though they express astonishment themselves, no one can justly be surprised that We number such men among the enemies of the Church, if, leaving out of consideration the internal disposition of soul, of which God alone is the judge, he is acquainted with their tenets, their manner of speech, their conduct. Nor indeed will he err in accounting them the most pernicious of all the adversaries of the Church. For as We have said, they put their designs for her ruin into operation not from without but from within; hence, the danger is present almost in the very veins and heart of the Church, whose injury is the more certain, the more intimate is their knowledge of her. Moreover they lay the axe not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root, that is, to the faith and its deepest fires.
“And having struck at this root of immortality, they proceed to disseminate poison through the whole tree, so that there is no part of Catholic truth from which they hold their hand, none that they do not strive to corrupt. Further, none is more skillful, none more astute than they, in the employment of a thousand noxious arts; for they double the parts of rationalist and Catholic, and this so craftily that they easily lead the unwary into error; and since audacity is their chief characteristic, there is no conclusion of any kind from which they shrink or which they do not thrust forward with pertinacity and assurance.
“To this must be added the fact, which indeed is well calculated to deceive souls, that they lead a life of the greatest activity, of assiduous and ardent application to every branch of learning, and that they possess, as a rule, a reputation for the strictest morality. Finally, and this almost destroys all hope of cure, their very doctrines have given such a bent to their minds, that they disdain all authority and brook no restraint; and relying upon a false conscience, they attempt to ascribe to a love of truth that which is in reality the result of pride and obstinacy.
“Once indeed We had hopes of recalling them to a better sense, and to this end we first of all showed them kindness as Our children, then we treated them with severity, and at last We have had recourse, though with great reluctance, to public reproof. But you know, Venerable Brethren, how fruitless has been Our action. They bowed their head for a moment, but it was soon uplifted more arrogantly than ever. If it were a matter which concerned them alone, We might perhaps have overlooked it: but the security of the Catholic name is at stake. Wherefore, as to maintain it longer would be a crime, We must now break silence, in order to expose before the whole Church in their true colors those men who have assumed this bad disguise.”
This has been our mission for the past 35 years. It will be our mission until we leave this earth, the Church is restored, or Christ comes again in all His glory.
What We Believe
†We live in the last times; the Church has entered upon a period that will end either in the Final Judgment or a brief peace that will see Her restoration.
†Pope Pius XII was the last true pope. We are bound to obey all the teachings of the popes from St. Peter to Pius XII — the continual magisterium — even though we have no sitting pope today. This because their teachings are the authentic expression of the Deposit of Faith, revealed truth found in the Scriptures and Tradition as interpreted and taught by the Roman Catholic Church for the belief of faithful Catholics till the end of time.
†Therefore, the authority, infallibility and indefectibility of the Church remains, expressed in the Deposit of Faith as explained by all true popes throughout the ages.
†Catholics are bound to accept with a firm assent even those things taught by the popes only as certain and this includes decisions of the Sacred Congregations. Such teachings are always superior to the opinions of theologians.
†Pope Pius XII was the last true pope because John 23, as a public heretic, was ineligible for election in 1958 and never became pope — this according to Canon Law and papal law.
†Doubts raised about the 1958 election in many quarters prove St. Robert Bellarmine’s axiom, that “a doubtful pope is no pope” applies to his “election.”
†Bishops consecrated under Pope Pius XII and any remaining faithful cardinals were obligated to gather and elect a true pope once it became clear that John 23/Paul 6 were heretics. St. Robert Bellarmine in his de Conciliis, Pope Pius XII in his 1945 election constitution, also Pope Paul IV in his Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, made allowances for this. It is now impossible, however, to hold a papal election, because all those bishops consecrated under Pope Pius XII have passed away or their orders cannot be certainly verified.
†Pope Paul IV ‘s infallible bull Cum ex Apostolatus Officio (Cum ex…) and Pope Pius XII’s infallible constitution Vacantis Apostolicae Sedis (VAS) are the governing documents for these times. Cum ex… is the annotated source of the Canons regarding heresy, canons which have been called into doubt for decades. Under Can. 6 §4 this old law is to be used as the prevailing law in dealing with heresy, apostasy and schism, especially in regard to papal elections and the appointment of cardinals and bishops. VAS determines what can and cannot be done during an interregnum. Canon 147 also provides an important guidepost regarding jurisdiction.
† According to VAS, not even the college of cardinals may exercise papal jurisdiction during an interregnum. This law has been observed since the early Middle Ages. All must be left to the future pope.
† This would include, then, the issuance of the apostolic letters and papal mandate, necessary for episcopal consecration. For VAS clearly states that if anyone attempts to exercise papal jurisdiction during an interregnum, such acts are null and void. Therefore, Traditionalist consecrations and ordinations are null and void, since ordinations may take place only by a bishop who has presented the papal mandate, been validly consecrated, been assigned a diocese and has received papal permission to erect a seminary.
† VAS also renders null and void any attempt to dispense from or alter in any way papal laws, especially those governing elections. Traditionalists have violated numerous papal laws and canon laws, which have as their source papal law and the teachings of ecumenical councils, especially Trent. Hence their invocation of epikeia for jurisdictional acts is likewise null and void.
† Because Catholics who now pray at home are obedient to the Roman Pontiffs, they must consider Traditionalists now calling themselves bishops as doubtful at best, because:
1) They are members of a schismatic sect by definition, since they act outside the authority of the Roman Pontiff; and
2) They are declared by Pius XII, in VAS and Can. 147, to possess no office or authority whatsoever, because their ordinations and consecrations are null and void.
† In seeking to inform their consciences on such matters, i.e., what to do when there is no pope and no certainly valid bishops or priests, those wishing to remain Catholic follow the unanimous opinion of theologians, which states: When it comes to the Sacraments, (or matters which involve the necessary means to eternal salvation), one cannot use a probable opinion regarding their validity (see Dominic Prummer’s Handbook of Moral Theology,1957).
† This is solidly based on the teaching of Bd. Pope Innocent XI (Denz. 1151). Theologians teach it is a mortal sin of temerity not to follow the unanimous opinion of the theologians (Fr. Sixtus Cartechini, S.J., The Church’s Theological Notes or Qualifications, 1951).
† In order to obey the Roman Pontiffs and their decrees, since it is necessary to salvation to be obedient to the Roman Pontiff (Denz. 469); and in order to avoid mortal sin, certain Catholics resolved to pray at home rather than engage in the schismatic and sacrilegious services of Traditionalists, for “Obedience is better than sacrifices.”
† This can be best summed up by the following, taken from Life of the Blessed Virgin, by Rev. B. Rohner, O.S.B, Benziger Bros., 1897: “If you are deprived of the presence of your lawfully appointed teachers, then pray privately in your own house or in company of other faithful laity, to your divine Redeemer and ever Blessed Mother. In patience persevere in the faithful discharge of your duties till the dawn of better days in your Church affairs.”
† This has been the practice of Catholics down through the ages, including the English during the persecutions following the Reformation, the Japanese in the 1600s, The French during the French Revolution, Americans without priests on the American frontier and those forbidden to practice their faith behind the Iron Curtain. It is not a novelty, nor can it be condemned as forbidden by Traditionalists, who have no authority to command anyone to do anything.
† Those who pray at home believe that the Head of their Church is Christ joined to all the popes and bishops in Heaven, and that they are members of His Mystical Body, as Catholics have always believed. They do NOT believe the Church Herself has ceased to exist since Pope Pius XII taught infallibly that She IS the Mystical Body. They accept the undeniable fact that we are without the visible hierarchy, at least for now. They believe the Church is still visible in Her physical (lay) members, is one in Her belief, is universal or Catholic in nature, (since there are those praying at home all over the world); is holy in her doctrines and Her saints, and is apostolic in origin, doctrine, and mission.
Those praying at home perform their daily duties, have a daily prayer routine, practice mental prayer and engage in spiritual reading. They recite the Mass of St. John or the Spiritual Mass daily as well as on Sundays and holydays, they are usually involved in some service to the Church and in helping others to understand the faith, and they pray together for others. It is a very simple and peaceful life, undisturbed by the inevitable and perpetual strife that plagues those in the Novus Ordo and Traditional sects. Even when in the catacombs the early Christians had to be witnesses to their faith in performing their daily duties in the world; they worshipped in the catacombs but did not live there.
So it is with those of us living in the virtual catacombs. We wish only for others what we have experienced ourselves, that blessed peace which surpasseth all understanding. And we pray for the conversion of all sinners, Traditionalists and Novus Ordo members included, that all be granted the light to see the Truth.
May the Holy Ghost guide and enlighten you!
What We Are Not
1. We are not a “rival Traditionist sect” out to steal those attending Traditionalist chapels away to build up our own organization or collect “followers.”
2. We do not present our opinion here — all documents cited can be fact-checked on the Internet or obtained by requesting the pertinent documents from this author.
3. We are a one-owner only information site dedicated to presenting the truths of Catholic faith — nothing more. We have no ties with any political or religious organizations.
4. We are not a for-profit organization. We accept donations, but only to help with web maintenance and printing expenses. We are happy to provide anyone with a list of our annual donations and expenses on request.
5. We are NOT intimidated by the constant Traditionalist charge that we cannot be trusted because we once supported and helped “elect” a false pope, a position we abandoned in 2007. Even if we only published our opinions on this site that argument would never hold up because it is an ad hominum attack the Catholic Church dismisses as a false argument, (see poisoning the well; no endorsement of the site referenced here is intended). We long ago denounced the person “elected” and spent two years explaining the error of our ways on this website. No Traditionalists can claim the same regarding their prior support of the Novus Ordo or other Traditionalist sects.
6. We do NOT “teach” that the Church has ceased to exist and is not indefectible. Please see our statement of belief on this topic.
7. We do NOT believe that all Protestants are condemned to Hell nor do we believe the false interpretation of “no salvation outside the Church” advanced by the Feeneyites. We believe the teachings on this subject as taught by Pope Pius XII in his Mystici Corporis Christi and Suprema Haec Sacra. Sadly, Catholics baptized in the true Church calling themselves by whatever name, who reject the truths available to them regarding the faith, are in far greater danger of losing their souls than Protestants, according to the teachings of the Church.
8. We do NOT hold to the teaching, advanced as certain by many Traditionalists, that few are saved and even the greater majority of Catholics are lost. This matter has never been decided by the Church and as such, until a decision is rendered, no one my teach that either side of the question must be believed. Proofs to back this statement are available on request.
9. We are not Novus Ordo watchers, nor do we keep tabs on the Orthodox Church or the Protestant sects.
10. We cannot and will not judge or ridicule those popes reigning from Peter to Pope Pius XII, even though some may have made poor decisions, been weak or seemed to have not been strong in their faith. Only a future Roman Pontiff, canonically elected, could decide the case of those popes reigning in the first half of the 20th century. We have no reason whatsoever to believe they were invalidly elected and therefore no basis to doubt they were true popes.