Any Former Sedevecantists? I'd like to hear your experiences with Sedevecantism

[Tori_12345]

Hello, I am new to this forum.
I grew up and was raised sedevecantist. Until recently, I have slowly by slowly---by the grace of God---started to drift away from Sedevecantism. I grew up having just some of the worse experiences with Sedevecantists. They have made me realize that being stuck in this 1958 bubble is not the solution to what is currently going on in the Catholic Church and in this modern world.
To summarize what I believe in a couple of sentences, we Catholics just cannot be stuck in the past. What I mean by that is living in "the good old days" known as 1958. I believe that we as Catholics need to move forward and not backwards. Obviously, that does not mean that we have to embrace and conform to modernism, but it does mean that this is 2019, not 1958. Catholics can adapt to modern times without compromising the Catholic Faith that Jesus taught us.
I just want our Holy Mother Church to be healed. I just want peace and unity. I just want to know what to do. I just want to heal from my nasty experiences. I just want to know what God would want me to do, because, right now, I am so confused with what is going on in the world. Your prayers would be appreciated as I go on this difficult and emotional journey of discovering what God asks of me.

I will gladly share my story with anybody who is interested in hearing about it. I will also explain later on about what I believe and think in further detail if anybody is interested. (because I am aware that my summary probably leaves room for a lot of unanswered questions LOL) And I would also like to hear your stories as well about why you left Sedevecantism. I also have a lot of questions and concerns as well, because I am, after all, transitioning from being anti-pope to being pro-pope.

And, please, let us be cordial in our discussions and dialogue. I will not tolerate any fighting, name-calling, or anything of that sort. I have already dealt with so much of that in the sedevecantist community. I do not want to see that here. Thank you for your understanding.

 

[zippy2006]

Hello, I am new to this forum.

Welcome.

(because I am aware that my summary probably leaves room for a lot of unanswered questions LOL)

It does!

Your post makes me imagine what it might be like to be a Sedevecantist. I will offer a preliminary suggestion: could you give a brief description of Sedevecantism for the people on this forum who have never heard of it? It isn't a household name for many Christians, and even for many Catholics.

...but your post makes me imagine what it would be like. It does sound rather terrible, truth be told. I have often encountered people who have 'converted' to Sedevecantism, but rarely those who were raised into the belief. It is apparently one of those dark consequences of theological liberalism.

I just want to know what God would want me to do, because, right now, I am so confused with what is going on in the world.

It is probably a particularly difficult time to abandon Sedevecantism. May God grant you even more courage than you already have--and I gather that you have a lot!

 

[Not David]

Hello, I am new to this forum.
I grew up and was raised sedevecantist. Until recently, I have slowly by slowly---by the grace of God---started to drift away from Sedevecantism. I grew up having just some of the worse experiences with Sedevecantists. They have made me realize that being stuck in this 1958 bubble is not the solution to what is currently going on in the Catholic Church and in this modern world.
To summarize what I believe in a couple of sentences, we Catholics just cannot be stuck in the past. What I mean by that is living in "the good old days" known as 1958. I believe that we as Catholics need to move forward and not backwards. Obviously, that does not mean that we have to embrace and conform to modernism, but it does mean that this is 2019, not 1958. Catholics can adapt to modern times without compromising the Catholic Faith that Jesus taught us.
I just want our Holy Mother Church to be healed. I just want peace and unity. I just want to know what to do. I just want to heal from my nasty experiences. I just want to know what God would want me to do, because, right now, I am so confused with what is going on in the world. Your prayers would be appreciated as I go on this difficult and emotional journey of discovering what God asks of me.

I will gladly share my story with anybody who is interested in hearing about it. I will also explain later on about what I believe and think in further detail if anybody is interested. (because I am aware that my summary probably leaves room for a lot of unanswered questions LOL) And I would also like to hear your stories as well about why you left Sedevecantism. I also have a lot of questions and concerns as well, because I am, after all, transitioning from being anti-pope to being pro-pope.

And, please, let us be cordial in our discussions and dialogue. I will not tolerate any fighting, name-calling, or anything of that sort. I have already dealt with so much of that in the sedevecantist community. I do not want to see that here. Thank you for your understanding.

Welcome! Did you used to watch "vaticancatholic.com"?

 

[KarlKarlingIII]

Hello, I am new to this forum.
I grew up and was raised sedevecantist. Until recently, I have slowly by slowly---by the grace of God---started to drift away from Sedevecantism. I grew up having just some of the worse experiences with Sedevecantists. They have made me realize that being stuck in this 1958 bubble is not the solution to what is currently going on in the Catholic Church and in this modern world.
To summarize what I believe in a couple of sentences, we Catholics just cannot be stuck in the past. What I mean by that is living in "the good old days" known as 1958. I believe that we as Catholics need to move forward and not backwards. Obviously, that does not mean that we have to embrace and conform to modernism, but it does mean that this is 2019, not 1958. Catholics can adapt to modern times without compromising the Catholic Faith that Jesus taught us.
I just want our Holy Mother Church to be healed. I just want peace and unity. I just want to know what to do. I just want to heal from my nasty experiences. I just want to know what God would want me to do, because, right now, I am so confused with what is going on in the world. Your prayers would be appreciated as I go on this difficult and emotional journey of discovering what God asks of me.

I will gladly share my story with anybody who is interested in hearing about it. I will also explain later on about what I believe and think in further detail if anybody is interested. (because I am aware that my summary probably leaves room for a lot of unanswered questions LOL) And I would also like to hear your stories as well about why you left Sedevecantism. I also have a lot of questions and concerns as well, because I am, after all, transitioning from being anti-pope to being pro-pope.

And, please, let us be cordial in our discussions and dialogue. I will not tolerate any fighting, name-calling, or anything of that sort. I have already dealt with so much of that in the sedevecantist community. I do not want to see that here. Thank you for your understanding.

I used to be interested in Sedevecantism. It’s an attempt to have the papacy (they hold the office isn’t occupied) but eat it too, as the individual Sedevecantist decides which popes are Catholic and which are not.

 

[redleghunter]

My wife’s aunt (married to her maternal brother Uncle) raised her family in a Sedevacantist church after Vatican 2.

Her uncle remained Roman Catholic and it divided the family. Her aunt was all in as she sent her children to a private school which taught their doctrines.

Had some interesting conversations over the years with her aunt. Sweetest woman in demeanor, but staunchly against Vatican 2 and modernism.

Here’s a Wikipedia article.

Sedevacantism - Wikipedia

Here is a link to a Sedevecantism site:


Why Benedict XVI cannot be a true pope nor even a faithful Catholic (CMRI's sedevacantist position)

 

[Dave-W]

Welcome to the forums!
I had to do a google search to find out what you were talking about. (The vacant seat) Interesting reading to say the least.

 

[Tori_12345]

Welcome! Did you used to watch "vaticancatholic.com"?

No, I have not heard of that. What is it?

 

[Tori_12345]

I used to be interested in Sedevecantism. It’s an attempt to have the papacy (they hold the office isn’t occupied) but eat it too, as the individual Sedevecantist decides which popes are Catholic and which are not.

That is one of my problems with Sedevecantism. They elect their own popes, thinking that they are the ones in the right, and that others have to obey them and not the real Vicar of Christ. It completely frustrates me how these so-called "traditionalists" think that they are the correct ones, they are the ones with the true teachings, they are the ones of the "right faith". To me, that seems a form of pride that Jesus condemned. These people think they are better than the Holy Mother Church. That's what bothers me.

 

[Tori_12345]

I used to be interested in Sedevecantism. It’s an attempt to have the papacy (they hold the office isn’t occupied) but eat it too, as the individual Sedevecantist decides which popes are Catholic and which are not.

Exactly! What bothers me about these Sedevecantists is that they think they have the supreme authority to decide who is a true pope and who is not. And because these Sedevecantists are notorious for fighting and never coming to an agreement with one another, every opinion is slightly different, and each individual thinks that he/she are the ones in the right

 

[Tori_12345]

My wife’s aunt (married to her maternal brother Uncle) raised her family in a Sedevacantist church after Vatican 2.


Her uncle remained Roman Catholic and it divided the family. Her aunt was all in as she sent her children to a private school which taught their doctrines.


Had some interesting conversations over the years with her aunt. Sweetest woman in demeanor, but staunchly against Vatican 2 and modernism.

Here’s a Wikipedia article.

Sedevacantism - Wikipedia

Here is a link to a Sedevecantism site:


Why Benedict XVI cannot be a true pope nor even a faithful Catholic (CMRI's sedevacantist position)

My family attend the CMRI. They do not know that I am no longer Sedevecantist, so I also attend the CMRI, for the sake of keeping the peace in my family, because if they found out that I no longer hold Sedevecantist views, there will be trouble in the family. And I'm afraid of telling my family what I now think because they are so staunchly anti-pope and anti-Vatican 2. This time in my life is very agonizing. I feel like my faith is being put to the test.

 

[Tori_12345]

So, to anybody new to this forum, let me do some explaining.
Sedevecantism is a belief held by traditional catholics stating that Vatican 2 and all the Popes of Vatican 2 are false and invalid and evil. For Sedevecantists, the last true pope was Pius XII in 1958. They believe that 1958 was the last good year, so they make sure that everything was as it were in 1958 in terms of Mass, religious practices, and so on.
This is basically Sedevecantism in a nutshell. If anybody would like to add to what I just said, please feel free to do so!

 

[Tori_12345]

Welcome.



It does!

Your post makes me imagine what it might be like to be a Sedevecantist. I will offer a preliminary suggestion: could you give a brief description of Sedevecantism for the people on this forum who have never heard of it? It isn't a household name for many Christians, and even for many Catholics.

...but your post makes me imagine what it would be like. It does sound rather terrible, truth be told. I have often encountered people who have 'converted' to Sedevecantism, but rarely those who were raised into the belief. It is apparently one of those dark consequences of theological liberalism.



It is probably a particularly difficult time to abandon Sedevecantism. May God grant you even more courage than you already have--and I gather that you have a lot!

Sedevecantism is just not the solution to what is going on in the world. I feel like right now, my faith is being put to the test, but I know that I have to trust God and let His Will be done.
It truly is a difficult time to abandon what I was raised to believe in all my life. Sometimes I even wonder if I am doing the right thing at all. I hope I have that courage to do what God would want me to do, but sometimes it is difficult to know what exactly God wants of me.

 

[Not David]

No, I have not heard of that. What is it?

An sedevecantist channel but he also criticizes Protestant interpretations.

 

[Tori_12345]

An sedevecantist channel but he also criticizes Protestant interpretations.

I just opened the website. It seems like...a website with nothing but conspiracy theories

 

[KarlKarlingIII]

So, to anybody new to this forum, let me do some explaining.
Sedevecantism is a belief held by traditional catholics stating that Vatican 2 and all the Popes of Vatican 2 are false and invalid and evil. For Sedevecantists, the last true pope was Pius XII in 1958. They believe that 1958 was the last good year, so they make sure that everything was as it were in 1958 in terms of Mass, religious practices, and so on.
This is basically Sedevecantism in a nutshell. If anybody would like to add to what I just said, please feel free to do so!

Sedevacantists are a reaction to Rome’s convoluted messages as of late in my opinion.
They dislike the Novus Ordo mass and ecumenism.

Since they have no clergy and no sacraments, many filter out into Orthodoxy or something else.

 

[zippy2006]

Since they have no clergy and no sacraments, many filter out into Orthodoxy or something else.

In my opinion that doesn't function as an internal motive, for many such communities believe themselves to have clergy and sacraments. The fact of the matter may differ from community to community, and from interpretation to interpretation, but this isn't a perceived problem for many sedevecantists, at least in the short term.

 

[Deade]

Hello Tori,

welcome to CF.

I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.

 

[Tori_12345]

Hello Tori,

welcome to CF.

I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.

View attachment 266145

Thank you so much!

 

[Tori_12345]

I have a question: how would I stay true and faithful to the Catholic Church, especially during the crisis and the scandals that have arisen in the Church? The vibe I get from Sedevecantists is: "since X happened or is happening in the Church, therefore it is a false/evil/heretical/phony Church that fell into apostasy."
I cannot justify doing that. I cannot just abandon Holy Mother Church in her most desperate time of need. That would show how little loyalty I have towards the Church that Jesus established. How do I remain a good Catholic in these times? And most importantly, how do I explain to my family that, even though bad things are happening in the Church, Sedevecantism is not the answer?

This is really testing my faith. I love my Catholic faith. I love the Catholic Church. I love God, the Blessed Mother, and my Savior Jesus Christ Who loves me and Who died for me. I only want to do God's Will. I only want to follow Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I know I have to trust God and his promises when He said that the gates of hell shall NEVER prevail against the Church, and that He will always be victorious over evil. But nevertheless this is truly a difficult time for me, because I am renouncing something (Sedevecantism) that I grew up with all my life. Sometimes, I feel like I am doing the right thing, but sometimes I don't. Sometimes I wonder why God would permit such bad things to happen to us, the world, and especially the Church.

I can't explain the confusion that is going on in my head. On one hand, I am surrounded by ultra-conservatives who glorify the past excessively, bash Vatican 2, downright belittle and insult the post-Vatican 2 Popes, and refuse to move forward. And on the other hand, I have ultra-liberals who want to distort Jesus' teachings, disseminate evil doctrines, and get rid of God and everything that is beautiful and meaningful from our world.

Do you guys think that there should be another Counter-Reformation, or something like that, in the Church? Personally, I think so. I think that, to a certain extent, the Church should move forward with the times, but NOT in a way that contradicts what Jesus taught us. I feel like that, with Sedevecantists, they hold on to traditions and conservative ways so much that it becomes excessive. Don't get me wrong; I love maintaining traditions and traditional practices, but I believe that people can go overboard with them. Like I mentioned earlier, this is 2019, not 1958. 1958 will never come back, no matter how badly we may wish for it. Change is okay. Change is not inherently evil. Change can be a good thing. Obviously, that cannot go overboard (e.g changing dogma and God's Word and stuff like that). But a healthy balance should be maintained between preserving tradition and moving forward.

Your thoughts? I'd like to hear your opinions on this!

 

[Tori_12345]

Vatican 2 wasn't as bad as the Sedevecantists make it out to be. I don't like how they downright insult Vatican 2 and the Popes from John XIII to our current Pope Francis. Obviously, these are not perfect men, but God put them in Saint Peter's seat for a reason.

I've had Sedevecantists who hate Francis for a myriad of reasons, but one of the reasons that they put forward which I can't understand are: that he is pro-migrant.

Look. Here is my opinion. You are welcome to respectfully disagree with me, but I see nothing wrong with supporting migrants. "Migrants are first of all human persons”, Pope Francis said, “they are the symbol of all those rejected by today’s globalized society”. That is true. I feel like the world is not doing enough to help those who are suffering and escaping from wars, poverty, and other hardships. "The weakest and most vulnerable must be helped," the Pope also added. And Sedevecantists hating on the Pope for saying this is, in my opinion, unreasonable.

I know this seems like I brought on a random topic about Vatican 2, Pope Francis, and the migrant situation, but I would also like to hear your thoughts and opinions about this! I like hearing other people's points of views. Like I mentioned earlier, I ask that any discussions and debates be cordial and respectful!