Faith, Heresy, and the Church, by Rev. Nicolás E. Despósito
Summary
The sermon is based on Luke 17:11-19, where Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one—a Samaritan—returns to give thanks. The speaker interprets this event allegorically, arguing that the ten lepers represent the ten principal sins, with a particular focus on heresy, the first and most dangerous of these spiritual illnesses.
Rev. Nicolás E. Despósito discusses the nature of faith, drawing from the Catechism, First Vatican Council, and Council of Trent. He emphasizes that faith is a supernatural virtue that must be whole and unbroken. Any rejection of a revealed truth, no matter how small, destroys the entire virtue of faith.
The sermon then condemns modernism—a heresy condemned by Pope Pius X in Pascendi Dominici Gregis—which treats faith as a subjective religious experience rather than a supernatural assent to divine revelation. The speaker asserts that Vatican II is a rupture from Catholic tradition, introducing religious liberty, ecumenism, and changes to doctrine, discipline, and liturgy—all of which contradict previous magisterial teaching.
The papacy of Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio) is called into question. The speaker lists multiple public heresies that Francis has promoted, such as:
Teaching that Muslims and Catholics worship the same God.
Stating that Jews still have a valid covenant with God.
Suggesting that atheists should simply follow their conscience.
Expressing that he does not believe in a "Catholic God."
Making ambiguous statements about moral issues, including sodomy.
Given the doctrine of papal infallibility, which guarantees that a true pope cannot teach heresy, the speaker concludes that Francis is not a legitimate pope. The sermon strongly rejects the "recognize and resist" position (held by groups such as the SSPX), arguing that one cannot claim to recognize Francis as pope while resisting his teachings, since a true pope cannot lead the Church into error.
Finally, the sermon ties back to the Gospel message, interpreting the grateful leper as a symbol of the faithful remnant—those who recognize the modernist crisis and hold fast to the true Catholic faith. It ends with a hopeful call for God to purify His Church and end the modernist crisis.
Key Quotes
On Faith and Heresy
“Any one act of heresy expels from the soul immediately the divine virtue of faith.”
“The Catholic faith must be integral, or it does not exist at all.”
“If you deny the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and retain your faith in all the other dogmas, your faith in these dogmas is not divine faith.”
On Modernism and Vatican II
“Modernism has a quite different notion of faith. For the modernists, faith is a religious experience of God which can be enjoyed by anyone in any religion.”
“Since Vatican II, we see rupture in doctrine, discipline, and liturgy.”
“Faith must be integral. It cannot be mixed with heresy or unbelief.”
On Pope Francis
“He does not hesitate to teach that Muslims and Catholics worship the same God, or that Jews still have a covenant with God.”
“Francis explicitly said that he does not believe in a Catholic God.”
“There is nothing to recognize in Francis in terms of authority. He’s merely a pope-elect.”
On the Papacy and Indefectibility
“A true Pope cannot teach a pernicious error to the whole Church because he is assisted and protected by the Holy Ghost.”
“The authority of Christ is never granted to a pope-elect who objectively intends something contrary to the end of papal authority.”
“It must be all or none, as far as the truths of faith are to be received on the authority of God.”
Analysis from a Sedevacantist Pre-Vatican II Catholic Perspective
The sermon presents a strongly sedevacantist position, rejecting Vatican II and the modernist hierarchy, and maintaining that Pope Francis is not a legitimate pope due to his public heresy. It is well-grounded in traditional Catholic teaching, particularly in its treatment of faith, heresy, and the nature of the papacy.
Faith as an Indivisible Supernatural Virtue
The sermon correctly upholds the traditional Catholic doctrine that faith must be integral—that is, one cannot reject even a single article of faith and still possess supernatural faith.
This is rooted in the teaching of the First Vatican Council, which affirms that faith is not based on human reasoning but on divine authority.
Condemnation of Modernism and Vatican II
The speaker echoes Pope Pius X’s condemnation of Modernism as "the synthesis of all heresies."
Vatican II’s ecumenism, religious liberty, and interfaith dialogue are rightly identified as contradicting pre-Vatican II doctrine, proving that Vatican II is not continuous with Catholic tradition.
The sermon exposes how modernist theology reduces faith to a personal experience rather than a divinely revealed objective truth.
The Infallibility and Indefectibility of the Papacy
The doctrine of papal infallibility states that a true pope cannot teach error in faith and morals.
The speaker correctly argues that if Francis were a true pope, his teachings—even his non-infallible ones—could not contradict Catholic faith.
The sedevacantist conclusion follows logically: Francis is a public heretic, therefore, he cannot be a true pope.
Rejection of the "Recognize and Resist" Position
The speaker condemns traditionalists (such as the SSPX) who recognize Francis as pope but resist his teachings, arguing that this position is contradictory.
The reasoning is clear: If Francis is truly pope, then Catholics must submit to his magisterium. If he teaches heresy, he cannot be pope.
The Hope for Restoration
The sermon sees the grateful leper as symbolic of those who remain faithful to the true Church, despite the modernist crisis.
There is a hopeful tone, expressing confidence that God will eventually restore the Church by ending the modernist crisis and giving Catholics a true pope once more.
Takeaways
Faith must be whole and integral – Catholic faith cannot be mixed with heresy. Denying one revealed truth results in the loss of supernatural faith.
Modernism is the root of today’s crisis – Vatican II introduced a subjectivist and ecumenical approach that contradicts traditional Catholic doctrine.
A heretical pope is no pope at all – Since Francis teaches heresy, he cannot be the Vicar of Christ. The papacy cannot defect from the faith.
Recognizing and resisting a heretical pope is illogical – If Francis were truly pope, Catholics must submit to him. Since he teaches heresy, the only conclusion is that he is not a true pope.
The Church remains indefectible – Despite the crisis, the true faith remains in the remnant faithful Catholics who reject Vatican II and hold to pre-Vatican II Catholicism.
Hope for divine intervention – Just as Christ healed the grateful leper, God will purify His Church and restore the true papacy.
Final Thoughts
This sermon presents a coherent and well-reasoned sedevacantist critique of Vatican II and Pope Francis, grounding its argument in Catholic teaching on faith, heresy, and papal authority. The grateful leper serves as an analogy for faithful Catholics who reject modernist heresies and remain steadfast in the traditional faith, awaiting God’s divine restoration of the Church.
