Refuting the “Thesis” of Bishop Donald Sanborn.
On February 22, 2022 Kevin Davis of the Catholic Family Podcast interviewed Bishop Donald Sanborn, head of the Most Holy Trinity Seminary about his Thesis which appears to this writer as a way of saving the Novus Ordo counterfeit church as somewhat “Catholic.” What we mean is that Bishop Sanborn has come up with a thesis that somehow can “rescue” a novus ordo bishop or even the so-called “pope” of this counterfeit church as a real pope. But this is wrong. First let us explain the thesis.
The “Thesis” according to Bishop Sanborn is essentially this: The pope in matter of fact is a heretic and therefore, not the pope. The “Totalists” – as he calls them, say he’s not pope because of the personal sin of heresy, whereas Bishop Sanborn is saying he’s not the pope because of the fact that he (the false pope) is pushing his heretical teachings on all the Church. However, here is where it gets to the point of the thesis. The “Thesis” in a nutshell is this: The pope can be de facto (in matter of fact) not the pope. But he still has his election as pope, and since he hasn’t been declared not the pope, he is still pope de jure (that is, legally the pope). Bishop Sanborn explains this – just as a murderer is in fact a murderer, by law he is not until he has been convicted by a court of law.
Kevin Davis asks the Bishop, what if Bergoglio would renounce all his heretical acts and convert to a true Catholic, would he be the pope? To this Bishop Sanborn answered, “Yes, he would become a true Pope.” In other words, a false pope could become a true pope. What this means is that a Novus Ordo (New Order as in “New World Order”) pope of a counterfeit church could become a true pope of the Roman Catholic Church. We find several things wrong with this position. On the face of it, knowing the real truth, it’s absurd, nonsensical, and ridiculous.
First of all, we want to point out that Bishop Donald Sanborn has presented much truth about the sedevacantist position. We have even quoted his excellent writings on the subject. Much of what he says is very true concerning the Catholic Faith and we highly recommend it. However, on this subject, he is most definitely wrong. Here’s why:
Father Anthony Cekada, who has been on programs with this bishop, has pointed out the fact that Jorge Bergoglio never possessed the papacy in the first place. His election was invalid – so legally, Bergoglio is not the pope. [See: “Quidlebet: Bergoglio’s Got Nothing to Lose…” by Father Anthony Cekada. May 7, 2014. www.fathercekada.com and also: “An Expose’ on Jorge Mario Bergoglio by Diamond Star Research at our publications page – www.diamondstarlightbeacon.com.]
According to Father Anthony Cekada’s research, Pope Paul IV in 1559 issued a Papal Bull Cum ex Apostolatus Officio which stated the following:
“Further, if ever it should appear that any bishop (even one acting as an archbishop, patriarch, or primate), or a cardinal of the Roman Church, legate… or even the Roman Pontiff (whether prior to his promotion to cardinal, or prior to his election as Roman Pontiff), has beforehand deviated from the Catholic faith or fallen into any heresy, We enact, decree, determine and define: Such promotion or election in and of itself, even with the agreement and unanimous consent of all the cardinals, shall be null LEGALLY INVALID and void … Those so promoted or elected, by that very fact and without the need to make any further declaration, shall be deprived of any dignity, position, honor, title, authority, office and power.”
Note in this Papal Bull of Pope Paul IV that such promotion or election is LEGALLY invalid. So as Father Cekada puts it, “Bergoglio could not have been validly elected pope.” So if Bergoglio suddenly gets a conversion to the Faith (which is an impossible “pipe dream”), he would have to qualify to be elected pope all over again. He does not hold his election to the papacy de jure, that is, legally.
Furthermore, it must be understood that during the 1958 Conclave, there is absolute proof that Cardinal Giuseppe Siri was elected Pope Gregory XVII with five full minutes of white smoke and at least 5 witnesses that testified to this fact plus that Siri was threatened and forced to step aside. This is illegal according to Canon law. Also Angelo Roncalli (a proven Freemason) was invalidly “elected” so-called “pope” in his place. This and further facts concerning Masonic backgrounds of these “Conciliar popes” invalidates all these so-called elections. This means none of these antipopes – Roncalli through Bergoglio could have legally and validly been elected.
Last but not least, is the fact these antipopes worked via the Vatican II Council to overturn and transform Church institutions and structures into a false and counterfeit church. The Novus Ordo sect is a new and very different religion that does not bear the marks of the one , holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. The present hierarchy from the antipope, cardinals , bishops on down do not hold office in the One, True Church founded by Jesus Christ. But do hold office in a false and Masonic pantheistic world church creation. One is not the other.
In the above cited video, Bishop Sanborn states that the Novus Ordo is somehow “different.” It’s not like the Anglicans or the Lutherans. But this is only because the Anglicans and the Lutherans (and other sects) while they may have brought something of the Catholic liturgies and “trappings” with them, they started a whole new and separate religion not masquerading as “Catholic.” The Novus Ordo on the other hand wanted to appear “Catholic” and pretended to be the “Catholic” church but on close examination of the facts is clearly not but an imitation, a counterfeit instead.
So in the final analysis, a Novus Ordo “pope cannot become a Catholic pope for the simple reason he’s in the wrong church and is LEGALLY INVALID!