Replies

Rome is not the Church. The Church is comprised of all true believers in the Catholic Faith as taught before Vatican II. Just like those in the diocese of St. Athanasius in the 300s is the best example of what I'm talking about. Over the course of nearly twenty years St. Athanasius, their Bishop, was exiled a good bit of that time. They kept the faith and essentially were the Church during that time period. St. Athanasius had taught them well and so they were able to keep their faith intact, and in fact succeeded in passing it on to succeeding generations. They simply accepted their responsibility as the Church. They had no contact or liaison with Rome. In fact they didn't have all the advantages that we have, i.e. a Bible in their language, or a Missal in their language. The Holy Spirit got them through it. He can do it for us too. After all, He's the One that Jesus said would remind us of all that He (Jesus) had taught us. We have to be very careful not to be derelict in our duties toward God because of others. If they can do it without Rome, and even without a Bishop, so can we with our Bible and our Missal in hand. If you can't trust your priest, go to Mass, get your Sacraments, go home. Pray and study, and pass on the Good News of the Gospel, and live the Gospel. God be with you and tighten your grip.

TradBishop,

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but as bad as it was, even the Arian Crisis doesn't come close to the Crisis of the last 50 + years. Even during the Arian Crisis the hierarchy of the Church along with the pope did not teach and profess heresy to the universal Church as the hierarchy and popes have done since Vatican II. We are in unchartered waters.

Having said that, St Athanasius did say that "Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ."