Mike - last week I had a coffee catch with an old friend / fellow Catholic. It was a good opportunity to determine his views on the papacy. Having formed the view some years ago that Francis is the anti-pope, my friend has been a Benevacantist of sorts. With the passing of BXVI, I asked for his assessment. In summary, my friend is now a self-declared sedevacantist, is not prepared to accept JP II was a valid Pope, let alone Paul VI ...... I asked him whether JXXlIII was valid and he demurred .... I reminded him that he had once told me (some years ago now) that sedevacantism was a ‘dead end’ for the spiritual life. He shrugged and looked away. I also know of a young man who to get around the problem of valid orders / succession etc is of the view that Paul VI is still alive in some frozen form!!!
Mike - last week I had a coffee catch with an old friend / fellow Catholic. It was a good opportunity to determine his views on the papacy. Having formed the view some years ago that Francis is the anti-pope, my friend has been a Benevacantist of sorts. With the passing of BXVI, I asked for his assessment. In summary, my friend is now a self-declared sedevacantist, is not prepared to accept JP II was a valid Pope, let alone Paul VI ...... I asked him whether JXXlIII was valid and he demurred .... I reminded him that he had once told me (some years ago now) that sedevacantism was a ‘dead end’ for the spiritual life. He shrugged and looked away. I also know of a young man who to get around the problem of valid orders / succession etc is of the view that Paul VI is still alive in some frozen form!!!