Quaestio
Whether sedevacantism is a heresy.
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Objectiones
Objection 1.
It seems that sedevacantism is not heresy. For heresy consists in the denial of a revealed dogma, whereas sedevacantists profess all dogmas of the Catholic faith and claim only that certain men were not true popes. Therefore, sedevacantism is not heresy.
Objection 2.
Further, the Church teaches that a heretic cannot be a member of the Church, much less its head. But sedevacantists hold that the claimants to the papacy were heretics. Therefore, they conclude logically that the Roman See is vacant, which does not appear heretical.
Objection 3.
Further, St. Robert Bellarmine teaches that a manifest heretic is ipso facto deposed from ecclesiastical office. Therefore, to assert a vacancy due to heresy seems to follow Catholic doctrine rather than contradict it.
Objection 4.
Further, extraordinary evils may occur in the Church, as during the Arian crisis, when many bishops fell into error. Therefore, it seems possible that the papacy itself could be absent for a long time without this implying heresy.
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Sed Contra
On the contrary, St. Augustine says (Against the Letter of Parmenian):
> “The succession of priests from the very chair of Peter, to whom the Lord after His resurrection entrusted the feeding of His sheep, is a most certain proof of the Catholic Church.”
But sedevacantism denies that this succession remains a reliable, visible rule of faith.
Further, St. Irenaeus says (Against Heresies III.3.2):
> “With this Church, on account of its more excellent origin, it is necessary that every Church agree.”
But sedevacantism asserts that the universal Church can adhere to Rome and yet be in error for decades, which Irenaeus excludes.
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Respondeo Dicendum Quod
It must be said that sedevacantism, taken as a doctrinal position and obstinately held, is heretical, because it denies or destroys truths that the Church has always held as revealed or necessarily connected with revelation, as taught by the Fathers, the Doctors, and the Scholastics.
This is shown under four points.
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I. On the Nature of the Church According to the Fathers
The Fathers unanimously teach that the Church is:
1. Visible
2. Perpetual in her essential structure
3. Unified under the Roman See as a living principle of communion
St. Cyprian (On the Unity of the Church):
> “The episcopate is one, each part of which is held by each bishop in its entirety.”
St. Augustine consistently appeals to visible communion with Rome as a criterion distinguishing Catholics from heretics.
A position that holds:
that the Church can lack a pope for generations,
that no universally recognizable hierarchy remains,
and that the faithful must determine the true Church by private doctrinal comparison,
contradicts the patristic doctrine of the Church itself. Since the Church’s visibility and continuity are de fide or proximate to the faith, their denial constitutes heresy.
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II. On Indefectibility and the Scholastic Tradition
The Scholastics unanimously teach that the Church is indefectible, not merely in doctrine, but also in essential governance.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches (ST III, q.8, a.3) that Christ governs His Church as a living body through a visible head.
Cajetan and John of St. Thomas teach that jurisdiction is essential to the Church’s existence as a society.
Sedevacantism necessarily implies that:
the Church can lose her supreme jurisdiction indefinitely,
Christ can fail to provide a visible head,
and no divinely instituted remedy exists.
This is incompatible with indefectibility as understood by the Scholastics and therefore heretical.
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III. On the Rule of Faith and Private Judgment
According to the Fathers and Doctors, the proximate rule of faith is not abstract doctrine, but the living teaching Church in communion with Rome.
St. Augustine:
> “I would not believe the Gospel unless moved by the authority of the Catholic Church.”
Sedevacantism reverses this order by asserting:
that the individual judges the Church by tradition,
rather than receiving tradition through the Church.
This principle is condemned by the Fathers as the method of heretics. To deny the Church as the proximate rule of faith is itself heretical, even if the material doctrines are verbally retained.
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IV. On Bellarmine and Loss of Office
St. Robert Bellarmine does teach that a manifest heretic cannot be pope. However:
1. He presupposes manifest, notorious heresy
2. He presupposes recognition by the Church
3. He does not grant authority to private persons to declare the fact
The Scholastics are unanimous that juridical facts in the Church are known through ecclesial judgment or universal reception, not private determination.
Thus, to appeal to Bellarmine while rejecting the Church’s universal acceptance of a pope is to abandon Bellarmine’s ecclesiology. This error concerns the constitution of the Church and therefore pertains to heresy.
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Replies to the Objections
Reply to Objection 1.
One may verbally affirm dogmas while denying their necessary implications. To deny the Church’s visible continuity and indefectibility is to deny Catholic dogma materially, even if the formulas are retained.
Reply to Objection 2.
That a heretic cannot be head of the Church is true. But who is a heretic in the juridical sense is determined by the Church, not by private judgment. To deny this is to deny the Church’s authority.
Reply to Objection 3.
Bellarmine does not teach private deposition of popes. Sedevacantism removes Bellarmine’s thesis from its ecclesial context and thereby distorts it.
Reply to Objection 4.
Extraordinary confusion does not destroy essential structure. During the Arian crisis the papacy remained, communion with Rome remained decisive, and no Father claimed the Roman See had ceased.
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Conclusio
Therefore it must be held that sedevacantism is heretical, because it:
Denies the Church’s indefectibility in her essential governance
Undermines her visibility and continuity
Replaces ecclesial authority with private judgment
Contradicts the doctrine of the Fathers, Doctors, and Scholastics
The Church may suffer from bad popes, weak popes, or sinful popes;
but she cannot cease to have a pope without ceasing to be the Church Christ founded.