[boatbums]

What I find so astounding - ok, there are MANY such things on this subject I find astounding - is that threads such as this one are left to be argued between non-Catholic Christians and what must be a small number of whatever-they-call-themselves-today "Tradionalist" Roman Catholics. Here we are, a few former Catholics who know what that religion bills itself as, up against those who would further subdivide their much ballyhooed One, True Church expecting them to explain how they can defend past ex cathedra declarations from "infallible" Popes while declaring in their own uninfallible way that the past 60 years of modern Popes don't count.

The astounding part is that there haven't been ANY FRoman Catholics countering them! Are ALL Freeper Catholics now on the same page? Aren't there any who would defend Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI or Pope Francis as "legitimate" and at least some of their writings as relevant and binding? Have they ALL burned their modern Catechisms that make reference to Vatican II? Do they all now attend Latin Mass churches with their priests' backs to them and their women wear headcoverings? Should we assume every Catholic Freeper is in full agreement with these Sedavacanist/Traditionalist Catholics? I don't think that's true, but where is everyone and why don't they speak up?

My guess is that they know they have a serious contradiction on their hands and no real way to get out of admitting it. Either that or they just don't want to have another Catholic telling them they are heretics and really Protestants at heart - especially not these Catholics that are protesting the loudest.

[Mark17]

Here we are, a few former Catholics who know what that religion bills itself as

You are correct BB. Don't forget Old Yeller and Knarf also.
I was attracted to the TRUE Christians, due to their clean living, where I knew I was a trashed out sinner. I wanted what they had, something I was 100% sure I DIDN'T have. At that time in my life, if someone asked me if I was a Christian, I would have said no, I am a Catholic. I don't know what others have experienced, but that is my experience. 👍

[Elsie]

... they just don't want to have another Catholic telling them they are heretics and really Protestants at heart - especially not these Catholics that are protesting the loudest.

[BlueDragon]

...but where is everyone and why don't they speak up?

Good question, though upon occasion there is a little bit of it that I've seen on this forum.

The growing dislike of Bergoglio is likely part of why we're not seeing knock-down drag-outs between the factions? Or is that serving more simply to embolden the "sed's"?

What I don't get, is how in the heck a sedevacantist could imagine there is still God's own guidance there, yet not see that the exceptions and qualifiers to the idea that the Lord would 'not allow the Church to fall into error' would apply at least theoretically 10,000% just as well among nominally Protestant congregations, as it would themselves, and almost anybody...albeit mileage (and velocity, too) would vary.