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While the popular priest has not embraced heresy like so many of his priestly brothers, he has taken on authority he does not have and declared the See of Peter currently vacant.

While I don't agree with Fr. Altman's perspective, I wouldn't say that he cannot declare his own reasonably drawn conclusion.

St. Vincent Ferrer backed an anti-pope during his life, Peter de Luna. While he was backing this anti-pope, he had converted thousand to Catholicism, healed many, and even raised several dozen from the dead. He had amazing charisms. He did NOT have the charism of discerning who the Bishop or Rome was at a certain time. Was he a schismatic? Was he even sinning? No, he was honestly mistaken, and that mistake did not interfere with his Faith or the use of his many, many gifts. These times call for charity towards men of Good Will, including Fr. Pavine and Fr. Altman.

It is amazing how men and women of outstanding holiness, saints, miracleworkers, can have have a blind spot here or there. Think God permits it for humility. What a great mind Augustine was and yet the Church thinks a statement or two of his on marriage go a bit too far. St. Vincent Ferrer always makes me think of St. Anthony Mary Claret who I read a biography about years ago. A great converter, a miracleworker, who they were constantly trying to kill.