Vatican II: The Sadness of Disobedience - Fr. James Marshall 05-20-25

SummaryFr. James Marshall addresses why God continues to permit the Church to be without a pope for over sixty years since Vatican II. He rejects the despairing notion that God has abandoned His Church, explaining instead that every misfortune is foreseen and permitted by divine providence for the sake of our sanctification. Drawing from the Gospel, he shows that what appears as loss can become the greatest blessing, just as Christ’s departure from the Apostles brought the coming of the Holy Ghost. He stresses that sanctity consists in doing the will of God perfectly, not in multiplying external devotions or penances without fulfilling one’s duties. He identifies disobedience as the primary vice of the Vatican II religion, which has replaced obedience to Christ’s immutable teachings with a “religion of choice” and heretical ecumenism. Citing St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, he explains that the Holy Ghost is the soul of the Church and cannot animate “separated communities,” exposing Vatican II’s contradiction to the Creed’s profession of “one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.” He calls the faithful to reject Vatican II errors, cultivate virtue, and obey God perfectly, trusting in His providence.Key Quotes“Sixty years of Vatican II darkness and confusion with its false doctrines, disciplines, and worship.”“Sanctity consists in the perfect fulfillment of the will of God.” — St. Alphonsus Liguori“The primary vice that the Vatican II religion fosters is disobedience… a religion of choice.”“The Holy Ghost is the soul of the Catholic Church.” — St. Augustine & St. Thomas Aquinas“I believe in one and only one, holy Catholic and apostolic Church.”Key Points and TakeawaysDivine Providence in Trials – Every misfortune is foreseen and permitted by God for eternal good.Sanctity Defined – True holiness is perfect conformity to God’s will, not merely external devotions or penances.Vatican II’s False Religion – Promotes disobedience, religious relativism, and heretical ecumenism.Holy Ghost and the Church – The Holy Ghost cannot animate communities severed from the Catholic Church.Call to Action – Reject all forms of disobedience, cultivate virtues, trust God’s providence, and pray for a true pope.ConclusionFr. Marshall exhorts the faithful not to be saddened by the long papal vacancy or the dominance of the Vatican II sect, but to see this trial as a call to greater holiness. Vatican II’s errors on the nature of the Church, its acceptance of “freedom of religion,” and its ecumenical heresies contradict the very foundation of Catholic faith. Sanctity is found in perfect obedience to God’s will, sustained by grace and the intercession of Our Lady, regardless of the state of the hierarchy.Sedevacantist CommentaryFrom a pre-Vatican II, sedevacantist perspective, Fr. Marshall’s sermon correctly identifies Vatican II as a counterfeit religion, incompatible with the indefectible Catholic Church. His emphasis on God’s providence dispels despair, reminding the faithful that the Church’s visibility and sanctity remain in the remnant that has not defected to the Novus Ordo. The critique of “subsists in” language aligns perfectly with Pius XII’s Mystici Corporis, reaffirming that the Church of Christ is the Catholic Church, and that salvation is found nowhere else. His call for obedience to God’s immutable truth strikes at the root of modernist disobedience disguised as reform. This message is essential in sustaining the remnant through the current apostasy, keeping the focus on salvation, virtue, and fidelity until God restores a true pope.TrueCatholicFaith.com