Post by Catholicinagodlesscountry on Jun 20, 2023 14:33:35 GMT -5
Hello. I wonder how one can convince a near family member, who is a member of the Vatican 2 Sect, about the truth about this heretical Sect. I live in the middle of the overwhelmingly atheistic Norway and it seems to me that there are no validly ordained priests where I live, whether of the sedevacantist or the SSPX kind. I have been trying recently to convince my mother, who intends to be Catholic, that the V 2 Sect is not the true Catholic Church, but a heretical counterfeit Church. She has, however, quite unfortunately not taken my arguments seriously. I started by telling her of various heretical, anti-Catholic statements made by Bergoglio, and how it is impossible for a pope to utter heresy and remain pope. Consequently, Bergoglio could not possibly be pope.
I also tried to explain to her that, as the documents from V 2, which had been approved by all V 2 "popes" contained various heresies, not least in relation to non-Christian religions, it could not possibly be valid documents from the Church. She admitted that these documents could be heretical, but despite the fact that I have been referring to some passages from Scripture and papal encyclicals from the true popes from before the days of "pope" Roncalli, she refuses to consider the "church" of Bergoglio to be a heretical, counterfeit church. I also tried to tell her that the V 2 church in her native city (which still admittedly is very close to where I myself live today) can't be the Catholic Church, because it goes against the Catholic faith, by the fact that it in reality promotes not true, Catholic doctrine, but V 2 heresies.
I have not gone into any detail on this point, but I have pointed out to her how the "priests" in this local, V 2 church has given "communion" (or more precisely what the priests there claim to be so) to so-called Nordic Catholics, which is a heretical, Old Catholic sect. She seems somewhat skeptical of Bergoglio, but she refuses to acknowledge him to be a heretic or an apostate, at least so far. Besides, she seems to amazingly enough think that she ought to remain a "Catholic" (which in her mind for the time being means staying in the V 2 Sect), while at the same time thinking it not important to worry about what the Pope does, but that one instead should "focus on God".
I have tried to explain to her that as a self-identified Catholic, she absolutely ought to be interested in what the person she believes to be Pope says and does, as (a real) Pope not only leads the Church hierarchy on behalf of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but also protects the Church from heresy and dangerous error. Sadly, it does not seem to have made much of an effect. Perhaps I explained it badly. I am after all, far from a theologian by education. Besides, it is still quite recently that I discovered the truth about the V 2 Sect, and my grasp of Catholic theology is still quite rudimentary, although I feel (is that pride?) that I now understand (most of) the basics of the Faith.
Also, keep in mind that when I now ask for advice, I don't have the luxury of getting her to speak to a sedevacantist priest or bishop, since there are no such clergy in the city where she lives. She travels a lot, so I suppose I at the very least could get her to speak to some sedevacantist priest when she travels, but of course this would not be possible unless she is willing to meet such a person while she in a foreign country. And her religious convictions are one thing. But she is also not very good in English. So in a lot of cases, it would be difficult for a sedevacantist priest to speak to her in a language she understands.
She is Polish by birth and upbringing, so I suppose a Polish sedevacantist priest could perhaps explain how sedevacantism is essential if one wishes to be Catholic these days far better than I. But then I would at the very least have to properly convince her of the heresy of the V 2 Sect beforehand, for otherwise she would probably think such sedevacantist clergy to be "schismatic" and/or "heretical". Sorry that this has been so long. I was trying to explain the situation, but I am afraid I have fallen into mumbling. But I wonder whether any of you have any further advice to convince those near to oneself about the Truth. And before anyone asks, I daily pray that God may let my mother, and many others who have been blinded as to the truth about the Church, that they be given light so that they can see and acknowledge the Truth.
I also tried to explain to her that, as the documents from V 2, which had been approved by all V 2 "popes" contained various heresies, not least in relation to non-Christian religions, it could not possibly be valid documents from the Church. She admitted that these documents could be heretical, but despite the fact that I have been referring to some passages from Scripture and papal encyclicals from the true popes from before the days of "pope" Roncalli, she refuses to consider the "church" of Bergoglio to be a heretical, counterfeit church. I also tried to tell her that the V 2 church in her native city (which still admittedly is very close to where I myself live today) can't be the Catholic Church, because it goes against the Catholic faith, by the fact that it in reality promotes not true, Catholic doctrine, but V 2 heresies.
I have not gone into any detail on this point, but I have pointed out to her how the "priests" in this local, V 2 church has given "communion" (or more precisely what the priests there claim to be so) to so-called Nordic Catholics, which is a heretical, Old Catholic sect. She seems somewhat skeptical of Bergoglio, but she refuses to acknowledge him to be a heretic or an apostate, at least so far. Besides, she seems to amazingly enough think that she ought to remain a "Catholic" (which in her mind for the time being means staying in the V 2 Sect), while at the same time thinking it not important to worry about what the Pope does, but that one instead should "focus on God".
I have tried to explain to her that as a self-identified Catholic, she absolutely ought to be interested in what the person she believes to be Pope says and does, as (a real) Pope not only leads the Church hierarchy on behalf of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but also protects the Church from heresy and dangerous error. Sadly, it does not seem to have made much of an effect. Perhaps I explained it badly. I am after all, far from a theologian by education. Besides, it is still quite recently that I discovered the truth about the V 2 Sect, and my grasp of Catholic theology is still quite rudimentary, although I feel (is that pride?) that I now understand (most of) the basics of the Faith.
Also, keep in mind that when I now ask for advice, I don't have the luxury of getting her to speak to a sedevacantist priest or bishop, since there are no such clergy in the city where she lives. She travels a lot, so I suppose I at the very least could get her to speak to some sedevacantist priest when she travels, but of course this would not be possible unless she is willing to meet such a person while she in a foreign country. And her religious convictions are one thing. But she is also not very good in English. So in a lot of cases, it would be difficult for a sedevacantist priest to speak to her in a language she understands.
She is Polish by birth and upbringing, so I suppose a Polish sedevacantist priest could perhaps explain how sedevacantism is essential if one wishes to be Catholic these days far better than I. But then I would at the very least have to properly convince her of the heresy of the V 2 Sect beforehand, for otherwise she would probably think such sedevacantist clergy to be "schismatic" and/or "heretical". Sorry that this has been so long. I was trying to explain the situation, but I am afraid I have fallen into mumbling. But I wonder whether any of you have any further advice to convince those near to oneself about the Truth. And before anyone asks, I daily pray that God may let my mother, and many others who have been blinded as to the truth about the Church, that they be given light so that they can see and acknowledge the Truth.