Editor’s Note: I am surprised at this development, because back in December of 2022, I asked Father Altman to come to Rome and give a conference about Persecuted Priests, and his secretary told me he did not want to risk his appeal to the Roman Rota regarding his unjust severance by his Bishop. With this video, he has put himself in line for being canonically censured as a schismatic and reduced to the lay state. What can I say. He has access to all the info at FromRome.Info and his secretary is informed that it is available and that I am free to talk with him any time. But he never contacted me.
The teaching of Trent from session 13, canon 11, is a discipline not a doctrine, because all the Saints and Doctors teach, that it is possible without sacramental confession, to obtain total forgiveness of one’s sins, ex opere operantis, because the necessity of confession is for those who are not perfectly sorry; but the Holy Spirit could make some souls perfectly sorry. Therefore, Trent must be understood as a discipline. As for the excommunication levied by Trent, it was obrogated by the promulgation of the code of Canon law in 1917, and in 1983. That means, it no longer holds unless it is repeated in the Code of Canon Law. And it has not been, since the precision of the theological distinction between attrition and contrition has progressed since then.
The only difference is that only really mature souls who have great charity could obtain such non sacramental absolution. It’s a minor difference, but in juridical terms it requires that this abrogation on teaching be abolished, which it was.
As for Father’s other argument, his anger has made him blind to the fact, that whereas by faith a man can discern heresy in the actions and words of another, he cannot discern infallibly heresy in the soul of another, and therefore must have recourse to the Sacred Hierarchy, which only in Councils exercises this discernment, or in the Pope Himself. So he is falling into an exaggeration, for he should say, “I think he is not the Pope because of having lost the faith, and therefore I call for a Council to rebuke him and give him a final chance to publicly repent.”
Finally, I think his discernment of error in Bergoglio is correct; that is, I believe that Jorge Mario Bergoglio needs a solemn public rebuke to see the error of his ways, which are habitually bad and habitually misrepresent the Faith. But Father Altman is so ignorant of proper juridical procedure that he will cause great scandal if he does not correct himself immediately.
Indeed, it is very sad that Father Altman has joined, what I call, the Gay-Opposition to Pope Francis, that is, putting their talents to use in the wrong place, every wrong place, but the place where God has ordained they be put, in the observance of the proper juridical procedures for deposing heretics. This is the juridical equivalent of ecclesiastical sodomy; and yes, it is an abomination in the sight of God.
In a provincial council of the Roman Province, just as was done in Sutri in 1046, a claimant to the throne of St. Peter can be publicly rebuked and asked to recant, repent, or resign, and if he be found pertinacious in any denial of revealed truth or defined dogma, he can be declared outside of the Church ipso facto of having deviated from the Faith, in virtue of canon 1364. — But remember, Christ has promised that the Successors of St. Peter’s faith never fail, which means He will offer him an extraordinary grace to repent at such a Council. If he rejects that, the Church can declare him thus deposed. — No one, outside of a Council, however, has a right to declare that or decide that. This is how it is done folks!
What a pity.
When I pray the rosary or watch the Passion of Christ I sometimes medidate on how Christ reacted to being betrayed by Judas, rejected by the Sanhedrin or abandoned by his apostles.
He was meek to the end, without a note of anger, embracing his cross and later greeted his apostles with “Peace, peace!”.
I think Fr Altam put down his cross, and instead embraced resentment and anger about what is happening in the church. It’s not easy watching Christ’s church falling apart…. but we must continue to believe in his promise.
No, I think Fr. Altman is simply lacking proper formation in Canon Law. I think he has good will.
A Dysfunctional Francis Leaves Us At the Mercy of the Serpent
https://stumblingblock.org/?p=21444
BrB…irregardless of Vatican protocol, and even the possibility of FrA not knowing the intricacies of the fine details of Canon law in this particular situation, and also knowing your knowledge of such things , I think FrAltman is pointing out things that need to be known about the hideous situation in the Church and our hierarchy at this juncture in time. I have people in my own family who go to SunMass every Sun…and have no clue about any problem with Bergoglio. Witness: One month ago I recieved a postcard from one of these close relatives. It said, ” I am inRome. Went to see Pope Francis today at his outdoor audience. It was one of the highlights of my life.”
I was momentarily stunned.
FrAltman is a priest I would defend unto martyrdom (hopefully)*, because he has the courage of the early Roman martyrs in his soul, and the good of the whole of mankind in his heart.
Which, by the way, I think you do also. Didn’t St Peter and St Paul disagree on some of the finer points of the law?
Well, it is not a finer point of law. Father Altman even referred to the proper legal principle, but he thinks it regards the College of Cardinals, rather that the Bishops of the province of Rome. He is simply ignorant. But just as it is not good for man to be alone, As God says of Adam in the garden before Adam even knows what a woman is, so it is not good that Fr. Altman remain ignorant of the proper juridical process for removing or rebuking heretics who hold office in the Church.
What do you mean by Gay-Opposition to Pope Francis?
Who else are the other people who are part of it?
What do they say and do as Gay-Opposition to Pope Francis?
It’s a metaphor, about the misuse of talents.
Perhaps he is upset we now have prolifers being sent to the gulag for their demonstrations and protests yet we have no one in Rome requesting leniency. 🤐😥
The American Church might be starting to feel as abandoned as the Churches in China, where bishops are now selected by the state.
These are trying times here.
I appreciate your informative refutation. Priests are being asked to resign in the Diocese of Seattle so all of this is becoming a subjectively overwhelming. It is good to read a second opinion on matters.
Thank you.
I never said that Pope Francis became a Catholic, because he was elected. That’s absurd. He became a Catholic when he was baptised.
When in English, we say, X is not Catholic, or X is not a Catholic, we nearly always mean, X is not a faithful Catholic, or X is not Catholic in his thought, or heart, etc..
We rarely mean, X is not a member of the Catholic Church by reason of his personal heresy.
The first two are moral qualifications, the last one is a juridical statement.
So by confusing terms, you ask absurd questions. A person who is a baptised Catholic can be in error, as you are now. And it would be uncharitabe to respond by saying he is a heretic, because he is confused, poorly instructed, or does not know how to express himself correctly.
I treat everyone by that standard. So should you.
And since you call yourself, Think about it, I suggest you put that into practice.