Fr. Altman has produced a video titled “Bergoglio is not the Pope.” In his address Fr. Altman correctly states that no churchman – not even the pope – can change dogmatic teachings of the Catholic Church. He first quotes the dogmas of Trent regarding the necessity of a state of grace for Holy Communion and points out that those who teach the contrary are anathema and excommunicated. He thus draws the conclusion that the pope has excommunicated himself by asserting the contrary of Trent.
He says that this is an “open and shut case.” He asserts that non-Catholics cannot be the pope – Lutherans, Muslims, etc. – and because Bergolgio is not Catholic, therefore he is not the pope.
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He then emphasises the admonitions of Our Lord against the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” rightly condemning the pope and his “cronies” for their false doctrines. He says we can recognise the false shepherds by their fruits, which is also correct. However, he spends some time speaking of Pope Francis’s corrupt appointments and liturgical abuses mixed with doctrinal errors, with a rising crescendo of grievances against this pontificate repeating the phrase “…from the moment [Francis did X thing].”
This crescendo gives the impression that the good priest is making an emotional appeal to prove his case, which discredits the presentation. Nevertheless he says these grievances “reveal and define the incontrovertible fact that Jorge Bergoglio… is a false prophet, a false teacher… [who] has excommunicated himself from the Catholic Church[.]”
He then quotes St. Robert Bellarmine to prove his case, using the normal quotation used from On the Roman Pontiff. He then goes back to Trent which says that we can know the heresy and who is ipso facto excommunicated. He states correctly that “we are not the schismatics when we hold fast to the deposit of faith.”
Before we comment on the substance of Fr. Altman’s assertions it is important that we give credit to Fr. Altman for his stalwart defence of the Faith against the corruption of the pope and many bishops. Fr. Altman is obviously a good priest who is doing his best to defend the sheep against wolves, and for that reason every Catholic should be thankful to him for trying to work for the Faith, since he is doing more than the vast majority of priests out there.
However, having said that, we must point out a few important things about his talk.
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