Sedevacantism

Sedevacantism is a specific belief held by some traditionalist Catholics. The name comes from a Latin phrase, "sede vacante," which means "the chair being vacant."

In the Catholic Church, a "see" is the seat of a bishop. Usually, a see becomes vacant when a leader dies or leaves. This period lasts until a new person is chosen. However, sedevacantists believe the Papacy itself is currently empty. They argue that the people living in the Vatican are not true popes. They believe these leaders are actually "antipopes" who do not hold real authority.

This movement started because of changes made during the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. These changes involved new ways of worship and new ideas about other religions. Sedevacantists believe these changes go against the old, traditional teachings of the Church. They specifically disagree with the New Order of Mass started in 1969. They feel these new rules are wrong and even blasphemous. Because they believe the teachings are false, they conclude the leaders must be false too. This makes them reject the authority of the popes who made these changes.

The roots of this idea can be found in Mexico during the 1960s. A Jesuit priest named Joaquín Sáenz y Arriaga was a very important pioneer. He was part of a group in Guadalajara called Los TECOS. In 1971, he wrote a book called "The New Montinian Church." This book helped bring these private ideas into the public eye. He argued that Pope Paul VI was not a legitimate pope. Later, in 1973, he wrote another book that gave the movement its name.

Different groups within this movement have different ideas about history. Some believe the true papacy ended with the death of Pius XII in 1958. Others believe the problem started even earlier with Pope Benedict XV in 1914. To explain their views, they often look to old thinkers. Some follow the ideas of Robert Bellarmine. He suggested that a pope who teaches wrong things loses his office automatically. This means no formal process is needed to remove them. Other followers, like the Dominican faction, believe a formal council must step in.

Today, it is hard to know exactly how many sedevacantists there are. Estimates say there are between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of followers. Some very small groups have even tried to elect their own popes. These people are sometimes called "conclavists." Notable names in these small groups include David Bawden and Victor von Pentz. Most sedevacantists, however, do not follow these self-elected leaders. They remain focused on their belief that the true chair of Saint Peter is waiting to be filled correctly.