Concerning an SSPX Dossier on Sedevacantism - Novus Ordo Watch

5 th Opinion: “If he was to fall into a m<strong>an</strong>ifest heresy, the Pope would ipso facto lose his
pontificate”. Some authors say that the Pope would lose his pontificate ipso facto at the very
moment when his heresy becomes external; some others maintain that the heretical Pope
would lose his pontificate only when his heresy becomes notorious <strong>an</strong>d publicly spread.
Among the 5 opinions studied by St. Robert Bellarmine, this 5 th opinion appears to be the
most probable.
a) Let us be completely clear. Bellarmine does not say that it is the most probable. He says that it is
“true,” <strong>an</strong>d that it is the doctrine of all of the Fathers.
"Therefore, the true opinion is the fifth, according to which the Pope who is m<strong>an</strong>ifestly a
heretic ceases by himself to be Pope <strong>an</strong>d head, in the same way as he ceases to be a
Christi<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d a member of the body of the Church; <strong>an</strong>d for this reason he c<strong>an</strong> be judged <strong>an</strong>d
punished by the Church. This is the opinion of all the <strong>an</strong>cient Fathers, who teach that
m<strong>an</strong>ifest heretics immediately lose all jurisdiction, <strong>an</strong>d outst<strong>an</strong>dingly that of St. Cypri<strong>an</strong>…” 6
b) Bellarmine then cites several fathers, other doctors <strong>an</strong>d Popes, to prove that this opinion is the
const<strong>an</strong>t tradition of Holy Church.
8. Fr. Boulet proceeds at this point to open up the question of whether a Pope may teach heresy
when acting as Pope – that is, officially.
3. The heretical Pope:
3.1. C<strong>an</strong> a Pope be heretic? It has been taught by various Popes that a Pope c<strong>an</strong> teach
heresy against the Faith. Pope Adri<strong>an</strong> VI († 1523) stated that: “If by the Rom<strong>an</strong> Church you
me<strong>an</strong> its head or pontiff, it is beyond question that he c<strong>an</strong> err even in matters touching the
faith. He does this when he teaches heresy by his own judgement or decretal. In truth, m<strong>an</strong>y
Rom<strong>an</strong> pontiffs were heretics. The last of them was Pope John XXII († 1334).” Venerable
Pope Pius IX († 1878) recognised the d<strong>an</strong>ger that a future Pope would be a heretic <strong>an</strong>d
“teach […] contrary to the Catholic Faith", <strong>an</strong>d he instructed, "do not follow him". He said:
"If a future Pope teaches <strong>an</strong>ything contrary to the Catholic Faith, do not follow him." (Letter
to Bishop Brizen).
6 St Robert Bellarmine, De Rom<strong>an</strong>o Pontifice, lib. II, cap. 30.
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