Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known throughout the world as Pope Francis, has finally decided to just come out and admit he intends to “make a different church.” Clearly, this different church he refers to is an Antichurch, built on the ruins of the Roman Catholic Church he thinks he destroyed. This is the preternatural version of the Build Back Better campaign currently raging in the secular world.
It is high time we as faithful Catholics reply in-kind, just man-up, and admit publicly with courage and conviction what we all really know: Francis intends to make a different church and isn’t the Pope.
And the best part of taking a stand in defense of Christ’s Church and objective reality is that it does not make you schismatic or a protestant. Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. Accepting that Bergoglio cannot possibly be the Pope if you believe in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church as handed down to us since the time of Christ will free you from the awful task of trying to make four plus four equal five. It will free you from having to bang your head against a brick wall trying to make sense of the nonsense emanating from the Vatican, literally on a daily basis now. It will free you from apostatizing against Christ’s true Church as so many self-proclaimed “traditionalists” are starting to do now because they cannot believe a true Pope would purposefully destroy the Church and deposit of faith.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.
Why doesn’t this make you schismatic or protestant? It doesn’t so long as you do not reject the Office of the Papacy or the authority of the Pope. It doesn’t as long as you assent to the entire deposit of faith. It just means you reject the man who is illegally occupying Peter’s Chair—a usurper to the throne, so to speak—not the office or the deposit of faith.
Does that make you a sedevacantist who denies there is a current living and valid Pope since Pius XII? Not at all. In fact, if you take some time and effort to look into this, you will see pretty clearly that Pope Benedict XVI, the duly elected Roman Pontiff, is and always has been the sole occupant of the Chair of Peter since April 19, 2005 and remains to this day Christ’s Vicar on earth.
The purpose of this post is not to prove to you that Benedict never validly resigned the Papacy, which means the purported 2013 conclave that allegedly elected Bergoglio was invalid—void ab initio. That has been explained well in many other places. Check out Dr. Edmund Mazza’s interview with Patrick Coffin to get the basics and and his website along with Ann Barnhardt’s videos or the Non Veni Pacem blog to get a deeper dive. If you’re really into canon law, read Benedict XVI: Pope “Emeritus” written by canon lawyer Estefanía Acosta to see the legal proofs.
My goal here is simply to confirm what most Catholics already know in their heart but so many are afraid to admit—Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is not now and never has been the Pope. By taking this initial step, you can then dive into the details of the events of 2013 when Bergoglio was illegally allowed to seize the Papal throne following an invalid conclave.
If you still feel dirty even thinking about this, don’t. I went through the same process myself and it took me several years to accept this disturbing reality. I used to think Francis was Pope too. But canon law not only gives you a right to consider who is the true Pope but imposes a duty on you to do so. We still believe in canon law, don’t we?
“All persons are bound to seek the truth in those things which regard God and his Church and by virtue of divine law are bound by the obligation and possess the right of embracing and observing the truth which they have come to know.” Canon 748 §1
Rest assured, you are well within your rights to research, analyze and think about this topic. It is EXTREMELY important that we get this right, our spiritual and earthly lives depend on it.
The Identity of the Pope Matters
This topic, this elephant in the room, has simply been ignored for eight straight years. The new editors at One Peter Five still refuse to even have the conversation. They simply will not discuss it. Yet, this is the key to understanding not only what is happening to the Church but how to combat it.
Holy Scripture tells us that Christ built His church on the “rock” of St. Peter and his successors. This fact means there is only one Church with St. Peter and his successors as the principle of that unity—a unity consisting of the same FAITH and the same COMMUNION governed by one hierarchy with the Pope at the top. The Primacy of the Pope guarantees both the unity of faith and communion. In other words, the Papal Office must serve as a bulwark against schism. See Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, §15 (Baronius Press, 2018).
“A bulwark against schism”—did you get that? The entire Church is unified at the top in the Papal Office. The unity hinges on the office of the Papacy, therefore, we need to make sure we know who is the real Pope. How in the world can traditional Catholics claim to want to “unite the clans” and in the same breath refuse to even discuss the rightful occupant of the Chair that is the bulwark against schism? We need unity but we can’t discuss the principle of unity?
If the man claiming to be the Pope is a false Pope, i.e. an Antipope, then the unity of the Church is going to be shattered if the problem is not eventually addressed and fixed.
Reviewing Fundamental Principles of the Papacy
In order to maintain this unity, Christ gave St. Peter and his successors special divine protections. For example,
“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18.
“And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32).
In addition to these promises from Christ made in Holy Scripture, the First Vatican Council taught:
“For in the Apostolic See the Catholic religion has always been preserved unblemished, and sacred doctrine been held in honor. Since it is our earnest desire to be in no way separated from this faith and doctrine, we hope that we may deserve to remain in that one communion which the Apostolic See preaches, for in it is the whole and true strength of the Christian religion (emphasis added).” Vatican I’s Dogmatic Constitution Pastor aeternus, on the Church of Christ , Chap 4, para. 2.
“For the holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles (emphasis added). Ibid., Chap 4, para. 6.
“This gift of truth and never-failing faith was therefore divinely conferred on Peter and his successors in this see so that they might discharge their exalted office for the salvation of all, and so that the whole flock of Christ might be kept away by them from the poisonous food of error and be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine. Thus the tendency to schism is removed and the whole church is preserved in unity, and, resting on its foundation, can stand firm against the gates of hell (emphasis added).” Ibid. Chap 4, para. 7.
The First Vatican Council taught that the Office of the Papacy was endowed with a special protection of the Holy Ghost to serve as a principle of unity for the whole Church and pass on the Tradition of the Church as it was received from prior Pontiffs to protect the Church from the “poisonous food of error” and to “stand firm against the gates of hell.”
Bergoglio is “Poisonous Food of Error”
With the primary purpose of the Papacy to preserve the faith and pass on the deposit of faith from one generation to the next established, let’s summarize just a few of Bergoglio’s actions and statements since 2013:
2013
Redefines Christ’s “Greatest” Commandment from loving God with thy whole heart (see Matthew 22:36-40) to loving your neighbor in the encyclical Evangelii Gaudium (note 161).
Rejects the Church’s teaching on the Sacrament of Confession: “When we go to Confession, for example, it isn’t that we say our sin and God forgives us. No, not that! We look for Jesus Christ and say: ‘This is your sin, and I will sin again‘. And Jesus likes that, because it was his mission: to become the sinner for us, to liberate us.“ (This was originally posted on the Vatican Radio website, but has since been removed.)
2014
Defends Darwinian evolution; insults the Creation account as taught in the Bible: “When we read the account of Creation in Genesis we risk imagining that God was a magician, complete with an all powerful magic wand. But that was not so.”
2015
Claims Jesus had to “beg forgiveness of his parents” in a homily.
2016
Admits that he may “go down in history as the one who divided the Catholic Church.”
Claims Luther did not err in his doctrine on justification.
Justifies adultery and receipt of sacrilegious Holy Communion by those in a state of unrepentant mortal sin (contrary to the 6th Commandment) in the encyclical Amoris Laetitia.
Justifies the use of intrinsically evil artificial contraception to prevent the spread of Zika virus.
Claims cohabiting couples (unmarried sexual partners living together) “have the grace of matrimony, precisely because of the fidelity that they have.”
2017
Defends Communists as Christians, rejects the “just war” doctrine and denies the hierarchical nature of the Church in a published book (contrary to the Council of Trent).
2018
Formally amends the Catechism of the Catholic Church to change long-standing magisterial teaching on the morality of the death penalty.
Denies the existence of Hell and teaches soul annihilation contrary to Catholic Tradition.
2019
Reported to deny the divinity of Christ (never corrected by Bergoglio).
Claims that God wills the diversity of religions (contrary to the First Commandment) in A Document on Human Fraternity.
Attempts to change the words to the “Our Father” prayer.
Discourages missionaries from trying to convert others to the faith.
Blesses pagan Pachamama idols on Vatican grounds and places pagan idol bowl linked to Pachamama on the altar at St. Peter’s during Mass after receiving it in the offertory procession.
2020
Cancelled Easter liturgies because of COVID.
Openly teaches “Mother Earth” as a form of God (i.e. pantheism): “He [God] is present in a glorious and mysterious way in the river, the trees, the fish and the wind, as the Lord who reigns in creation…” and teaches Christian have much to learn from pagans about God: “we are called to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them” (citing to himself in Laudato si.)
Drops the “Vicar of Christ” from his title and replaces it with his own name.
2021
Calls for the establishment of a “New World Order” following the 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, in which he embraces Universal Brotherhood, and “Liberty, equality and fraternity” all principles of Freemasonry condemned by the Church for centuries.
Attempts to eradicate the Traditional Latin Mass of Pope Gregory the Great (contrary to Pope St. Pius V who promised the Mass would be preserved in perpetuity).
Claims the 10 Commandments are not absolute.
Claims reading Holy Scripture in Mass in Latin (the official language of the Church) is offensive to God.
All of the above cited statements and actions directly relate to matters of faith and morals and indicate a strong break with traditional thought and teaching in the past. It is all perfectly consistent with Bergoglio’s recent statement indicating he intends to make a “different” church. I also cited, whenever possible, to Vatican documents (on the Vatican’s website) to prove that these statements are not taken out of context or misinterpreted. You can read them for yourself.
Whereas Vatican I taught that the Pope is guided and protected by the Holy Spirit and is called to “religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles,” clearly what Bergoglio has done is the exact opposite. At this point, it is hard to find one dogma of the Church that Bergoglio has not attempted to change or destroy. These actions are clearly and obviously contrary to the role and purpose of the Papacy that Christ established under the protection of the Holy Ghost.
Logic and Tradition Compels Only One Conclusion
We know what the First Vatican Council teaches. We know what Bergoglio believes and teaches because we now have a good, consistent record of that. Anyone who thinks through this situation logically, as I have been doing for several years, must reach one of the following conclusions:
1. Christ’s promises to preserve the Church and the First Vatican Council’s teachings on the authority and protection afforded to the Pope by the Holy Ghost was in error;
2. The Holy Ghost failed to protect the Pope in religiously guarding and faithfully expounding the revelation or deposit of faith; or
3. Bergoglio is not the Pope and therefore never received the gift of the promised divine protection.
Out of the three options above, the only one that does not require you to either call Jesus Christ a liar, reject the teachings of Vatican I, or claim that the Holy Ghost is a failure, is the third option: Bergoglio cannot possibly be the Pope.
The Heresies are Evidence Bergoglio Isn’t the Pope—Not the Cause
When thinking about the Bergoglian antipapacy it is important we keep in mind two very different concepts: evidence versus causation. Bergoglio’s heresies demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt (I have complete moral certitude) that he cannot possibly be the vicar of Christ—but those heresies and schismatic acts are not the reason he is an Antipope.
Many Bergoglio critics like to debate whether a Pope could lose the papacy because of heresy. While this is an interesting exercise, we don’t even need to go there because Bergoglio was never the Pope in the first place.
The reason Bergoglio is an Antipope is not because he is a heretic. The reason he is an Antipope is because Benedict XVI never fully and completely resign the office of the Papacy. What Bergoglio’s numerous and extensive heresies and schismatic acts do provide us is compelling evidence that he cannot possibly be the Pope.
Many contend that we should just ignore all of his statements and actions contrary to the Catholic faith because “Pope Francis” was not intending to speak “infallibly” on any subject within the narrow confines established by Vatican I for speaking infallibly. Therefore, these apologists argue, it does not prove anything other than he may just be a “bad pope” and we should just ignore him. Forget all that heresy — it doesn’t mean anything, apparently. Let’s ask the FFSP right now their opinion on just ignoring Bergoglio, shall we?
I am not claiming Bergoglio intended to speak infallibly or even in his capacity as Vicar of Christ (he rejected that title, anyway). I don’t even think he even believes a valid Pope could possibility speak infallibly—that would be too Catholic.
The purpose of recalling Bergoglio’s obvious heresies and anti-Catholic actions is to show that Bergoglio serves as a vehicle for schism and division within the Church, contrary to the promises of Christ and Vatican I that ensured the Primacy of the Papacy would serve as the basis of unity within the Church until the end of time.
Christ’s promises to St. Peter and the Holy Ghost’s protection of the Papal Office confirmed at Vatican I does not mean a true Pope will never make mistakes or is a perfect human being. Of course not. What is clear is that Christ’s promises and the protection of the Holy Ghost necessarily prevent a valid occupant of the Chair of St. Peter from using the office Christ established for the purpose of openly causing schism and changing the deposit faith or “making a different Church.”
This is why Bergoglio’s statements and actions since 2013 are NOT the cause of Bergoglio losing his office or the Papacy. These numerous examples serve as evidence of a preexisting reality that Pope Benedict XVI has always been the Pope since 2005 and Bergoglio was NEVER the Pope. Even if you don’t agree, we still must have that conversation.
While I am not going to focus 100% on this topic since others such as Dr. Mazza are capable of doing this topic much more justice than I can, expect more defenses of the Benedict is still Pope (Beneplentist) position in the future from unique angles.