AN OPEN LETTER TO TRADITIONALIST ROMAN CATHOLICSSEEKING THE TRUTH
Today Traditional Catholics are realizing that the Pope is a heretic and has been since Vatican II. The truth is that it’s been longer than that. Much longer...
To all Traditional Roman Catholics stunned by the changes of Vatican II, whohave joined one of the “Traditional Catholic” bodies, such as theSedevacantists, or the SSPX
For the past 50 years or so, many traditional Roman Catholics have come to an increasingrealization that the teachings of the Vatican are contrary to their own long held beliefsabout fundamental doctrines and practices-- doctrines and practices that they, astraditional Roman Catholics, held to be necessary and unchangeable aspects of their faith.They have witnessed this in the destruction of Rome’s 500 year old Mass rite, the adoptionof an entirely different ecclesiology, and the widespread promotion by the Vatican of asyncretistic belief system that is contrary to even the simplest understanding of ancientChristian belief. However, the reaction on the part of many traditional Roman Catholicshas, sadly, been woefully inadequate and wrong. Many have espoused the view that therehave been no popes validly elected for the past 50 years, since, they cannot imagine validand true popes endorsing the Second Vatican council. Others have adopted an erroneoussystem (most notably, the followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefrebrve and the SSPX) who say that the pope is valid, but, he has no authority to change or challenge traditional teachings,and that all his pronouncements that run contrary to their understanding of these beliefsare without legal authority.Let us examine this further. Both of these options chosen by traditionalist RomanCatholics are qualitatively true to a certain extent, but, quantitatively wrong to a massiveextent. That is, it wasn’t 50 years ago that this started, or even 100, but, nearly 900 years. Yes, for 900 years there has not been a valid holder of the Throne of St. Peter, St. Linus, St.Clement, and St. Leo.The problem facing the Traditionalist Roman Catholic today is one of
legitimate authority.
After the great schism of 1054, the structure of the Roman Church became sufficiently changed to ensure that there was no way for anyone to effectively dissent on the basis of thePatristic teaching.The modern Traditionalist Roman Catholic therefore is in a bind: on the one hand, heclearly recognizes that the teaching of modern-day Rome is heretical; on the other, he istrapped in an ecclesiological superstructure that effectively denies him the ability to defendthe truth of his faith.
The real problem is not the
intention
of the traditional Catholic, but the artificial structureRome has created over the past millenium. Rome now claims that it has the authority tochange the Mass-- but where did this come from? Few realize that the Tridentine Mass wasitself a revision-- one that was completely and unilaterally decided upon by Rome. It wasthe final culmination of the suppression of the legitimate Orthodox Catholic expressions of the Faith throughout the West. The Mass is a symbol of the path taken by Rome to thepresent day. Sadly, whereas most Roman Catholic Traditionalists see the Mass as thesymbol of what is wrong with the Roman Catholic Church, we would argue that it is only the tip of the iceberg.Therefore, what should a person in this position do? They should, first, realize that they have not been completely wrong in their Faith about the Sacraments, Prayer to the Saints,devotion to the Mother of God, and wanting to follow Scripture and Tradition. Indeed, it is because of there desire to follow these teachings, that they have been led to face off againstthe one whom they once held to be (or still hold to be) the Vicar of Christ. Secondly, they should find a Church that believes in the Seven Sacraments, the Mother of God, the saints,and the teachings of Scripture and Tradition and that follows the early Fathers. Thirdly,they should find such a Church that makes no compromise with the false teachings of the Vatican or any other false teachings (that is, a church which is against ecumenism andmodernism). Fourthly, when they find such a Church, they should seek to join it by any means necessary. So, what is this Church? Well, it is the Orthodox Church.This may come as a shock to many Traditionalist Catholics, but the Orthodox Churchconsiders the Western history of the first ten centuries to be Her own. We consider thePopes of those first centuries to be our Popes, and we consider the Western saints of thosetimes to be our Saints. Though over the past centuries, we have been largely considered an“Eastern Church”, we have always considered ourselves the True Catholic Church of Christ,confessing the creed unchanged. And we write this today, not only as those who know the True Faith to those seeking topreserve it, but as Westerners who understand where you are and why you are trying to do what you are doing. We respect your efforts, but we must state at the outset that they arefundamentally misguided. From a disinterested outsider’s perspective, the processTraditional Catholics are going through now is a common process. It is the same process wesaw with the Gallican movement in the 1800’s, which became the Old Catholic movement.It is the same process we even see in Protestantism and other reform attempts: each is anattempt on the parts of conflicting bodies to enforce their interpretation of Scripture andthe Fathers upon the other. But Scripture and the Fathers, in the Church, are not open tointerpretation. It is for this reason that virtually all these movements had to importthemselves into Orthodox lands: the concept of “how this Father should be read” is alien tothe Church. The Church Fathers must be read as they wrote.
Let us reveal another shocking truth, except to the astute observer of history: A thousand years ago, there were local Churches throughout the West: of Spain, of England, Milan, andothers. Each of these local Churches operated with the full authority of the Church,requiring no Papal sanction or fiat, as later revisions of Western history would findincomprehensible and delete. Yet until it can be clear that the structure of the Church in the West was not, and is not, the structure of the Roman Catholic church for hundreds of yearsnow, the truth will remain forever elusive.The structure of the Catholic Church as She has always been can only be found inOrthodoxy.“But, wait,” many traditionalist Roman Catholics will say, “Isn’t the Orthodox Church alsoecumenical? Don’t they always have prayer services with the Pope, and don’t they participate in the accursed World Council of Churches? I might as well become a Greek Catholic and be in a little bit better (but not much) situation. After all, aren’t theseOrthodox patriarchs in communion with, or seeking some sort of communion agreement with the false Vatican? How does that help me? And isn’t the Moscow Patriarchate aSoviet, communist front?” Well, these are good questions. First, we would say that, “No;the Orthodox Church is not ecumenical, and has nothing to do with godlessness in any form, most notably communism-- that is, the
True Orthodox Church,
not the falseOrthodox Church which is composed of ecumenist/modernists who have seized control of all the Patriarchates, and thus, they seek this union with the false Rome. There are many Orthodox bishops who have never recognized these activities as legitimate, and have cut off communion with those patriarchs that did this. You see, for Orthodox ecclesiology (whichis the traditional Christian ecclesiology, prior to the massive changes wrought in the 11thand 12th centuries in the west), all you need are Orthodox bishops, clergy, and laity, whohold the True Faith. Millions of True Orthodox Christians exist throughout the world. Mostare in Orthodox countries, defending the faith against the innovators there present.” We, however, blessed by the True Orthodox Church of Greece to restore the ancient Churchof the West to Her former glory, instead reach out to those Christian people trapped in thisanti-Catholic system centered in Rome and reach out to them to return to the Church.Indeed, with the changes of the Second Vatican Council, many Traditionalist RomanCatholics, searching for legitimate authority, came to Orthodoxy. Many, sadly, joined theMoscow Patriarchate, and as ecumenism took hold, lost their parishes and went intoconfusion. But many others joined the True Orthodox, and have found peace and solitudein the power of Christ’s True Catholic Church. As the saying goes, actions are up to us, results to God. So, the true Orthodox do not runinto the problem Roman Catholic encounter, since, we do not invest authority in onecentre; thus, we have no issues about criticizing patriarchs as wrong or as being in heresy.If they refuse to renounce heretical views, according to the Canons of the Holy ChurchCouncil, Church Fathers, and Saints, we are obligated to end communion in prayer and
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An Open Letter to Traditionalist Roman Catholics on the True Orthodox Church
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