Where is the Catholic Church Today?
If the reader has concluded, as I have, that the current occupants of the Vatican are not the authentic hierarchy of the Catholic Church, that, of course, begs a critically important question: where is the Catholic Church today?
It is certain that Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church and made it the sole source of eternal salvation: "Extra Ecclesium Nulla Salus" (Outside the Church there is no salvation). Considering this, one immediately recognizes the importance of properly identifying the authentic Church established by Christ. In times past, identifying the Catholic Church was not too terribly difficult to do. Today, however, that is no longer the case, and that is why this article has been written, i.e., to provide the reader with a sound theological basis whereby one may safely and securely determine which, if any, of the many the different sects claiming to be the Catholic Church today are actually it.
It should be noted at the outset that this article does not peddle any particular sect as being the authentic Catholic Church. That determination is one for the reader to make, not me.
The Contenders
The different groups, sects, and individuals claiming to be the true Catholic Church, or the authentic clergy of it, are legion. Examining and trying to sort out their many contrary theological and sometimes hostile positions can make one's head spin. Here is a sample of what one will discover:
This list is not all inclusive, but gives the reader an idea of the many discrepancies, doctrinal and otherwise, which currrently infest "traditional Catholicism." Now, the question has to be asked: Can all those who hold to this litany of divergent beliefs all belong to the same Church? That is, can they all belong to "the" Catholic Church, the Church founded by Christ? The answer, of course, is no.
"The Church is one because its members: 1. Are all united under one government. 2. All profess the same faith. 3. All join in a common worship." (Catholic Encyclopedia, The Church, Notes of the Church, Unity. 1908)
So how does one go about determining which one, if any among this vast group, is actually the Catholic Church or at least possesses authentic members of the Catholic clergy? It's actually not that hard to do, provided that one is willing to expend a little bit of effort.
The Church's Attribute of Indefectibility
The attribute of indefectibility teaches that the Church will exist until the end of time, and further, that it will always remain substantially the same until the end of time.
"Among the prerogatives conferred on His Church by Christ is the gift of indefectibility. By this term is signified, not merely that the Church will persist to the end of time, but further, that it will preserve unimpaired its essential characteristics. The Church can never undergo any constitutional change which will make it, as a social organism, something different from what it was originally. It can never become corrupt in faith or in morals; nor can it ever lose the Apostolic hierarchy, or the sacraments through which Christ communicates grace to men. The gift of indefectibility is expressly promised to the Church by Christ, in the words in which He declares that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Catholic Encyclopedia, The Church, Indefectibility of the Church, 1908)
We know, therefore, that the Church must exist somewhere on the face of the earth, substantially unchanged.
The Church's Attribute of Visibility
The Church is a visible society.
"In asserting that the Church of Christ is visible, we signify, first, that as a society it will at all times be conspicuous and public, and second, that it will ever be recognizable among other bodies as the Church of Christ... that in all ages the true Church of Christ will be easily recognizable for that which it is, viz. as the Divine society of the Son of God, the means of salvation offered by God to men; that it possesses certain attributes which so evidently postulate a Divine origin that all who see it must know it comes from God." (Catholic Encyclopedia, The Church, Visibility of the Church, 1908)
So we know that not only will the Church exist until the end of time, but also that she will exist as a visible society until the end of time. A society that is not only recognizable, but "easily" recognizable:
"[T]he Church of Christ is a society necessary for all men for salvation, and this society must be so visible that it can easily be recognized as the true Church and distinguished from all false churches." (The Defense of the Catholic Church, Doyle, 1927, The Church of Christ of Visible, p. 227)
As Fr. Doyle pointed out above, if the Church is necessary for the salvation of all, then all must have the ability to distinguish her from all the false claimants. In short, one does not need to be a theologian to figure this out. This is something well within the grasp of the average Catholic, provided that they are willing to put forth a little bit of effort.
"He [Christ] founded a Church... that Church is visible. It can therefore be clearly and easily recognized... so easily known that all men, even the unlearned, can find it with certainty if they use diligence which a prudent man uses in serious matters of life." (The Defense of the Catholic Church, Doyle, 1927, Finding the Church of Christ, p. 229, 230)
Please note, however, that while Church doctrine states that the Church is visible, it does not state that she is visible to all people, in all places, at all times. In other words, so long as the Church is visible to us, we can positively identify her as the one and only Church established by Christ. If she is not visible to us, then identifying her becomes more problematic.
The Four Marks of the Church
"Since the Church is a society that may be recognized by all, it must have certain visible characteristics, so distinctive that they cannot be found together in any other society." (The Church of Christ, Berry, 1955, Properties of the Church, p. 45)
These "visible characteristics" by which one can identify the true Church of Christ, as well as eliminate all false contenders, are known as the Four Marks of the Church. They are found in the Nicene Creed: "I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" and consequently they are a dogma of faith. Any church not possessing all four of these marks cannot be the Catholic Church.
"[A]ny Church lacking a single one of these marks cannot be the Church of Christ, and any Church possessing all of them must be the true Church of Christ." (The Church of Christ, Berry, 1955, Marks of the Church, p. 83)
A pretty simple formula. Any church lacking all four marks is not the Catholic Church. Below is a brief description of each of the four marks, taken from The Straight Path or Marks Of The True Church, M. J. Phelan, S.J., 1915:
The Mark of Oneness
"In those passages of Sacred Scripture which describes the Church of Christ, if there is one characteristic that stands out more prominently than another, it is her unity. If the inspired writers wished to engrave in characters of light one idea more deeply than another it is that:
The Mark of Holiness
"The true Church should be holy -
The Mark of Catholicity
"The word Catholic is in itself a general term meaning universal. This universality or Catholicity was to be another of those great distinctive marks by which the true Church could be singled out from the multitude of false claimants. She was to be endowed with a triple Catholicity.
The Mark of Apostolicity
"[I]n casting a glance over the various Christian bodies today, no Church has a claim on our allegiance that cannot produce her diploma bearing the triple seal of Apostolicity.
If she fails in any of these three she cannot be recognized as the true Church." (Emphasis in original)
This is obviously a very cursory explanation of the four marks and I would encourage everyone to gain a better understanding of them as they are able to do so. Understanding them as the Church understands and defines them is an important step to ensuring their proper application.
Burden of Proof
Before delving into the four marks, it is first necessary to take cognizance of a fundamental principle, i.e., those making claims have the burden of proving them, not vice versa. If some sect is claiming to be the Catholic Church, then the burden is on it to irrefutably prove that claim by demonstrating that it possesses all four marks of the Church. If it possesses all of them, then its claim is valid; if it is lacking in any one of them, in whole or in part, then its claim is false and it must be rejected. If any sect is unwilling to prove its claim, then turn around and walk away, because it is not the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church, contrariwise, is proud of her heritage and never hesitates to prove that she and she alone possesses all four marks and consequently is the only true Church established by Christ.
It should be noted that not a few sects stake their claims on assertions of supernatural phenomena. While authentic supernatural phenomena certainly has an important role to play in Catholicism, many false religions also lay stake to the same claim. It is not a means of identifying the Catholic Church, as Christ Himself made very clear:
"Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:22-23)
The Mark of Apostolicity - Apostolicity of Succession
If the readers' circumstances are such that they have the ability to apply the four marks to a particular sect or two, then this is certainly doable. But applying these marks to the myriad of divergent sects out there would essentially be an impossible undertaking.
"Few indeed are the men who in search for the Church, could discover which among the many Churches, teaches the doctrines of Christ and His Apostles. This would require learning and ability, leisure and years of study. Hence for most Christians apostolicity of succession is the touch-stone of apostolicity of doctrine. In other words, to know whether a certain Church teaches the doctrines of Christ and His Apostles is to find out whether its ministers can trace their descent back through the ages to the Apostles and to Christ, and have received their commission from Him." (Sermons Delivered Before Mixed Congregations, Fr. Henry B. Altemeyer, 1930, Apostolicity of the Church, p. 136)
This "touch-stone" of apostolic succession, i.e., to find an authentic successor of the Apostles, is the approach that will be taken here, for as the axiom runs: "find a successor of the Apostles and you've found the Catholic Church."[1]
But first a clear understanding of what constitutes an Apostolic successor is needed, for not all bishops, even Catholic ones, are successors of the Apostles.
Which Bishops are Successors of the Apostles?
The reception of episcopal Holy Orders will make a validly ordained priest a bishop, but Holy Orders alone do not constitute a bishop a successor of the Apostles. Many heretical and schismatic sects possess validly consecrated bishops, but these men, being outside of the Catholic Church, cannot be successors of the Apostles. What is needed in addition to valid episcopal Holy Orders is the fullness of episcopal jurisdiction.
"Before any man then can establish his claim to be an apostolic pastor two things are necessary. First, He must be able to trace his spiritual lineage back, in unbroken succession, to the Apostles. As in the Old Law no man dared to put his foot inside the sanctuary who could not prove his descent... so, the priest of the New Law must be able to trace his spiritual pedigree by ordination, jurisdiction, etc., back through the Apostles to Christ, the Source from which his powers are derived. Secondly, He must have received jurisdiction in all its fullness, with that completeness of power constituted by Christ as essential to the Christian priesthood, not merely valid ordination, [the] power to offer the Holy Sacrifice, but authority to preach and govern. If even one of these is absent he holds no commission." (The Straight Path, ibid., pp. 82-3, my bold)
"Obviously a man does not become a genuine successor to the apostles merely by arrogating to himself the title of "bishop," or by carrying on in some fashion a function once performed by the apostles. Neither is it enough for a man merely to possess some one, individual power, say for example, the power of orders.—The power of orders can be acquired even illicitly, and once acquired can never be lost.—What is required for genuine apostolic succession is that a man enjoy the complete powers (i.e., ordinary powers, not extraordinary) of an apostle. He must, then, in addition to the power of orders, possess also the power of jurisdiction." (Christ's Church, Msg. Van Noort, The Church's Apostolicity, p. 152)
Unlike holy orders, which some false churches possess, jurisdiction is the exclusive domain of the Catholic Church and the possession of jurisdiction necessarily encompasses valid holy orders as well, since invalid Holy Orders is an absolute impediment to the possession of jurisdiction. So narrowing down the search to valid bishops who possess the fullness [2] of episcopal jurisdiction is all that is required here, because they alone are successors to the Apostles.
How Bishops Obtain Jurisdiction
The power of jurisdiction does not reside in individual bishops, but rather it resides in the office of the bishop of a certain territory, usually a diocese. So when a jurisdictional bishop dies, the jurisdiction that he was exercising does not die with him, rather it remains in the office he held. Therefore, so long as a truly Catholic bishop lawfully accedes to an ecclesiastical office to which jurisdiction has been attached, that bishop becomes a jurisdictional bishop and hence a successor of the Apostles. He then becomes what is commonly known as a residential (or diocesan) bishop.
"The bishops are the successors of the Apostles by divine institution who preside over individual churches, which they govern in their own name, though under the authority of the Roman Pontiff... What has been said concerning the nature of the episcopal office, applies only to the office of a residential bishop. A residential bishop, as the name implies, is one who resides in his jurisdiction, or diocese, and exercises authority therein." (A Manual of Canon Law, Ramstein, 1948, Nature of the Episcopal Office, p. 229-231, italics in original)
How Does a Bishop Obtain a Diocese?
A diocese is an ecclesiastical office created exclusively by the pope.
"It belongs exclusively to the supreme ecclesiastical authority to erect ecclesiastical provinces, dioceses..., as also to change their boundaries, divide, unite or suppress them." (Canon 215)
And the pope alone can assign a bishop to a diocese and thereby make him a residential bishop.
"[T]he Roman Pontiff, as successor of St. Peter, has sole authority to accept new members into the Apostolic body, i.e., he alone has authority to constitute bishops... The very nature of the episcopal office and of the primacy proves that the Roman Pontiff has exclusive authority to constitute bishops for every part of the Church." (The Church of Christ, Berry, 1955, Primacy and Episcopate, p. 233)
This process is commonly known as a "canonical provision."
"Every candidate for the episcopate, even though elected, presented, or designated by the civil government, needs the canonical provision or institution in order to be bishop of a vacant diocese, which institution is exclusively the right of the Roman Pontiff." (Canon 332)
Further, the pope can exercise this right either directly or indirectly.
"[E]piscopal jurisdiction is not a claim that St. Peter and his successors in the Roman See have always appointed directly every other bishop within the Church of Jesus Christ. It does mean, however, that every other bishop who is the ordinary of a diocese holds his position by the consent and at least the tacit approval of the Holy See." (Episcopal Jurisdiction and the Roman See, American Ecclesiastical Review, Mgr. Fenton, April 1949, pp. 337-342)
Extraordinary Means of Obtaining a Diocese
While very rare, there is some historical precedent of bishops obtaining a diocese when a pope or a method approved by the pope for obtaining a diocese had essentially been an impossibility. During these events, other residential bishops would make the assignments themselves.
Two things need to be noted here, however. Firstly, these assignments were always done by other residential bishops, aka, other successors of the Apostles. Secondly, these assignments were always done in a diocese previously established by papal authority. During these events no new dioceses were established by these residential bishops, rather, all assignments were made to already existing dioceses previously established by papal authority.
Final Criteria
So we've finally arrived at the final criteria - to find a successor of the Apostles, we need to find a residential bishop, i.e., a valid Catholic bishop who possesses a "canonical provision" to be a bishop of a diocese, given to him either directly or indirectly by a pope. Any bishop not possessing a canonical provision cannot be a successor of the Apostles because he would never have been constituted a residential bishop of the Church and consequently would be lacking in the absolulely necessary possession of the fullness of episcopal jurisdiction.
Summary
A recap is in order.
Equipped with this information, the reader can now safely examine which traditional sects might possess a residential bishop, i.e., a bishop in possession of a diocese which has been assigned to him by a pope, directly or indirectly. Any sect not possessing such a bishop fails in the mark of apostolicity and therefore cannot be the Catholic Church.
My Personal Analysis
Anticipating being asked my opinion on this topic regarding the various trad groups, below is a very brief summary of my thoughts on them, based upon the criteria given above, i.e., apostolicity of succession.
On the Issue of Holy Orders
The great majority of them have doubtfully valid holy orders, but not all for the same reasons. It is beyond the scope of this article to delve into this topic here. But let it be noted that doubtful holy orders would of itself destroy the mark of apostolicity, because a doubtful successor to an Apostle gives us, at best, a doubtful church, and as a necessary consequence, doubtful salvation. That obviously does not work.
On the Issue of Fullness of Episcopal Jurisdiction
Sedevacantists -
The sedevacantists claim that the chair of Peter is vacant and has been vacant for over 60 years. If that is so, then it is clear that none of the sedevacantists bishops have been constituted a residential bishop by a pope, because there has been no pope. Furthermore, I have yet to see any of them even claim to have received a canonical provision by a lawfully approved method. Inasmuch as either one of these two criteria are absent, they cannot be the Catholic Church.
Sedeprivationists -
The sedeprivationists claim that the chair of Peter is occupied but that said occupants have lacked papal authority for over 60 years. This puts them in the same camp as the sedevacantists insofar as none of their bishops have been constituted a residential bishop by a pope (for if a pope lacks papal authority [an absurdity] then he would lack the power to create a residential bishop). They too, just as the sedevacantists, make no claims to having been canonically incorporated into the Church by a method approved by the popes. They too fail.
Conclavists -
Conclavists are typically sedevacantists who choose their own popes, either by election and "divine appointment." Both methods utterly fail the test of theology (and common sense). Conclavists do not possess any successors to the Apostles.
SSPX
The SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) proclaim with their lips that there is a pope, but deny the same by their actions. None of their bishops have been constituted a residential bishop by a pope (real or otherwise). They too, as a consequence, lack the fullness of episcopal jurisdiction and therefore they cannot be the Catholic Church.
FSSP
The FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) possesses no bishops and are in full communion with the church in Rome. If the church in Rome is the Catholic Church, then the FSSP is part of the authentic Catholic Church; if the church in Rome is not the Catholic Church, then neither is the FSSP.
___________________________
[1] "[T]he rule of faith has always been: find out who are the successors of the apostles, and which society is a continuation of the Church planted by the apostles, then you will be able to receive the pure and complete doctrine taught by the apostles." (Christ's Church, Msgr. Van Noort, 1957, Marks of the Church, p. 164)
[2] The word "fullness" is emphasized here because some non-Catholic churches possess some jurisdiction in virtue of it having been granted to them in the past by the Catholic Church. This is especially so regarding many of the Eastern Orthodox churches, where jurisdiction was granted to them after their reunion with the Catholic Church. Even though this reunion was short lived, their jurisdiction was never revoked and so many of them have retained some level of jurisdiction and consequently have valid sacraments. But valid sacraments alone do not constitute a bishop a successor of the Apostles. The jurisdictional power to govern and teach must also be present, and this power is absent in these break-away churches because by virtue of their schism or heresy they automatically lost membership in the Catholic Church, and it alone possesses the jurisdictional power to govern and to teach. It and it alone can possess a successor of the Apostles.
"Outside of the Catholic Church one can have anything except salvation. One can have honor. One can have the sacraments. The 'Alleluia' can be sung. The response 'Amen' can be given. One can hold to the Gospel, and can have and preach the faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. But one can never find salvation except in the Catholic Church." (St. Augustine, Sermo ad Caesariensis ecclesiae plebem, 6. MPL, XLIII, 695)
Bishop Joseph Marie
bishopjosephmarie.org
Email: me@bishopjosephmarie.org