Sede Vacante and Sede Vacantism--Anti Popes and Anti Christs

Explaining Sede Vacante and Sede Vacantism--Anti Popes & AntiChrists The definition of Sede Vacante is not defined correctly. It is an adopted word to explain an empty chair as a result of a death or resignation of a pope. The problem with this definition alludes to the state of the church to be headless. Our Lord said "Thou art Peter . . . . and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." This implies that no matter what happens to the pope there will always be someone to act in the place of the pope who will run the church until another pope is elected. Hence we have the term "perpetual successors". The Church has always taught that St. Peter's successors to be in an unending, an unbroken chain. So up until the Vatican II Council, there has never been a break in the line of successors (Vatican Council I). What I wish to state is up until the Vatican II Council, the proper understanding of Sede Vacante is really Sede Transition for, as I pointed out, the Church is never without its delegated authority. Sede Vacantism explained. As many of you know the results of the Vatican II Council propagated by Paul VI caused a split in the Catholic Church, the split was caused by what appeared to be a legally elected pope? Paul VI instituted into Church teaching (ex-cathedra to the whole church) decrees which have been previously condemned by other dogmatic councils. As a result of this action Sede Vacantism was perpetuated among many of the traditionalists, while the other groups continued to hope for a turn-around. Being a Sede Vacante in this present form cannot be related to its past meaning because in the past, again, the church maintained its formal jurisdictional authority. Today Sede Vacantists do not have formal jurisdictional authority, even if, to explain this dilemma, they tried to explain it away by saying that we are going through just another interregnum. If you accept this position then who's in charge of the Church and why are they not trying to elect a true pope? An interregnum means a break between popes; but these Sede Vacantists have no jurisdictional way to elect one -- or if they did, why haven't they? The problem here is unless they can find a way to elect a pope, the line of successors (popes) has been broken in violation of Church teaching. I will cover this problem in the next two subjects. Anti-Popes and AntiChrists These are two different meanings. To begin with an antipope is someone who is opposed to another legally elected pope. Now, as many of you know we have had plenty of antipopes all through the centuries. You will find however, that, an antipope can still be a Catholic and continues to belong to the church. As a matter of fact the first antipope actually became a Saint, St. Hippolytus of Rome (217-235 AD). During the western schism, which really wasn't a schism, we had three popes for about thirty years. To begin with this was more about politics and not matters of faith. So we had two antipopes and one true pope at this time. Once the division came to an end all the participants remained in the church, therefore, you could not call these antipopes 'AntiChrists.' Defining Anti Christ The true definition of an AntiChrist is a God against God or someone in place of God and in our case, it's someone in the place of Christ. St. John the Apostle is the only one to use the word AntiChrist.The first true AntiChrist that St. John is referring to in the Apocalypse was the High Priest Caiphas who sat in the chair of Moses and had Christ killed (The Synagogue of Satan). In the future the chair will become the chair of Peter of whom the AntiChrists will take over and be accepted as true Popes by most of the world.(1). St. Paul referred to him as the 'man of sin' or the 'son of perdition.' The generic term for AntiChrist can be used for any sinner but mostly those with authority who go against Christ. The AntiChrist spoken of in the Great Apostasy (schism) or in the end times are specific individuals generally related as 'each' or as 'one person each.' Our Lord makes it very clear in speaking about the 'abomination of desolation' . . . "for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets [many] in so much as to deceive the elect." Matt 24:24 My friends, traditionalists are the elect. Our Lord makes it clear that many of these AntiChrists in the end times will be followed by the elect. What this means is, those who remain as Sede Vacantists will be saved and those who compromise with these AntiChrist popes will be lost. So you have it my friends of the truth. The line of successors has been broken without any acceptable way to mend it. According to most Doctors of the Church the Great Apostasy lasts about 40 to 50 years and we are in the 42 year which concludes with Our Lords Return. (1) The Book of Destiny, Fr. Herman Kramer. Pg. 321 Grace be with you, In Christ, Joseph