Sedevacantism is absurdity
Obedience to the pope is necessary for salvation - this is the dogmatic teaching of the Church (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unam_sanctam). However, one can never forget that the respect due to the pope is unconditional, while obedience to his teaching is conditioned by the theological rank of a given statement and has boundaries defined by the sacred deposit of faith (depositum fidei). If there was an obligation of unconditional obedience to every word of the pope, the Church would cease to exist many centuries ago.
Sedevacantism is a false theory, according to which the popes have not been popes since the Second Vatican Council, as a result of which the Petrine Throne is empty (latin: sede vacante).
If, as sedevacantists claim, there was no pope from 1958, there would also be no episcopal and priestly consecration, and the sacraments would not be valid (except for the baptism of the saint). The visibility of the Church, which is the dogma of the catholic faith, would be abolished.
Sedevacantism is an absurd and false theory. This can be easily proven and given many irrefutable arguments. Above all, sedevacantism opposes the promise of Jesus, who told the first pope:
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it (Mt 16, 18).
The first Vatican Council in the Dogmatic Constitution 'Pastor Aeternus' teaches:
That which the Prince of Shepherds and great Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus Christ our Lord, established in the person of the Blessed Apostle Peter to secure the perpetual welfare and lasting good of the Church, must, by the same institution, necessarily remain unceasingly in the Church; which, being founded upon the Rock, will stand firm to the end of the world. For none can doubt, and it is known to all ages, that the holy and Blessed Peter, the Prince and Chief of the Apostles, the pillar of the faith and foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, and lives, presides, and judges, to this day and always, in his successors the Bishops of the Holy See of Rome, which was founded by him, and consecrated by his blood (www.catholicplanet.org/councils/20-Pastor-Aeternus.htm).
For centuries it has been believed that no one on earth has the right to judge a pope who is subject to God himself. Only the college of cardinals can authoritatively confirm that a given pope has lost his office, and therefore from that moment (not because of heresy, but because of persistent persistence in heresy) he can be tried. However, this is only the theological opinion which bishop Schneider undermines (this is his theological opinion, not the teaching of the Church).
It has been practiced in the Church for centuries that no one can publicly declare a heretic excluded from the Church until the heretical speaker is instructed and reprimanded. If, despite his instructions and admonitions, he remains in heresy, he can be publicly called a heretic excluded from the Church.
What would happen if every believer had the right to judge and reject the pope according to his subjective opinion? Protestants act in this way, which is why thousands of protestant factions have arisen, and each is considered the only orthodox (the devil has a lot of fun). It is worth taking the opportunity to watch this very informative movie :)
Sedevacantists are guided by protestant subjectivism. On the basis of such subjective beliefs, in contrast to the whole Church, they claim that the pope is a heretic, hence he ceased to be pope.
This must be repeated once more: material heresy is never a sufficient reason for exclusion from the Church, while official heresy must be officially proven, which can be done authoritatively by the College of Cardinals. We do not know the intention of the Pope, so he can not be treated as a heretic excluded from the Church (at most we can say that he teaches heresy).
Very many catholics preach heresies, but do not cease to be catholics and members of the Church because they do not know the teaching of the Church, so they err unconsciously and believe that this is the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
Only formal heresy makes the heretic a heretic and excludes him from the Church. To prove formal heresy, it is necessary to prove the intentions of persistent heresy, hence there is always a need for instruction and admonition (Mt 18:15). This evangelical practice has existed in the Church for centuries.
Sedevacantists disregard the order established by Christ the Lord (Mt 18, 15-17). Without knowing the intention of the Pope, they unjustly and unlawfully declare that the Pope is a heretic and was excluded from the Church.
The lack of a distinction between formal and material heresy in connection with protestant subjectivism is the basic error of sedevacantism and the source of all other errors.
