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Sede Vacante: The Life and Legacy of Archbishop Thục
Sedevacantism, American Catholicism’s only homegrown "new religious movement" (NRM), argues that the Catholic Church has sunk into heresy at the hands of false popes. It sits at the extremes of two growing phenomena: Traditionalist Catholicism and Independent Catholicism. The only Roman Catholic bishop ever to espouse Sedevacantism was Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô-dinh-Thục — but who was he?
ARCHBISHOP THỤC, Godfather of Vietnam’s notorious ruling clan, key CIA contact, and apologist for a brutal, failing regime. But Thục escaped, leaving behind a mysterious fortune, secret deals, abuse cover-ups, and the Vietnam War. In exile, Thục helped launch the fanatical Palmarian cult (which later canonized Franco and Hitler), inspired assorted renegades, and reemerged as the icon of a new hardline movement called Sedevacantism.
SEDE VACANTE: The Life and Legacy of Archbishop Thục painstakingly reconstructs this remarkable story: from French Indochina to the Japanese occupation; from the Communist revolution to the doomed US-backed puppet regime; from Thục’s exile to his role in Vatican II. Sede Vacante investigates the origins of the secretive Palmarian cult and analyzes the theological, sacramental, and canonical issues arising from all of Thục’s exploits; it explains why, now more than ever, Catholics and non-Catholics alike should be aware of Sedevacantism.
- GenresReligion
170 pages, Paperback
Published December 28, 2018
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May 22, 2022
This was an utterly fascinating book. As I explain elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) sedevacantism is the belief that the Pope’s chair (sede) is vacant. In other words, the current Pope is not legitimate. This idea has probably been around for a while, but mostly it occurs after Vatican II, the modernizing council of the Catholic Church. This book follows the life and career of Ngô-dinh-Thục, a Vietnamese Archbishop. And loyal brother to the authoritarian president of South Vietnam. Perhaps also indirectly responsible for the war in Vietnam.
Jarvis’ narrative is almost unbelievable. While three of Thục’s brothers were assassinated, the Archbishop fled to Rome and managed to get himself excommunicated twice. He’d lost enormous wealth with the fall of his brother’s regime, and apparently in a grasp at his glory days, started illegally consecrating bishops without approval. Even though Thục signed the Vatican II papers, he rejected the decisions of the council and began to support agitators who wanted to start their own versions of Catholicism. At least one group elected its own Pope and had teenagers as bishops.
Excommunicated for this, Thục moved around Europe and lived in poverty. Eventually he was persuaded to consecrate even more bishops illegally after his excommunication was rescinded. This led to his second excommunication. He moved to the United States where he continued his work with sedevancantists, until he died owning nothing. This story has feelers into the Vietnam War, the Roman hierarchy, the corruption of a disgruntled bishop, and a poignant sense of loss. I learned a lot from this and would recommend it without reservation.
Jarvis’ narrative is almost unbelievable. While three of Thục’s brothers were assassinated, the Archbishop fled to Rome and managed to get himself excommunicated twice. He’d lost enormous wealth with the fall of his brother’s regime, and apparently in a grasp at his glory days, started illegally consecrating bishops without approval. Even though Thục signed the Vatican II papers, he rejected the decisions of the council and began to support agitators who wanted to start their own versions of Catholicism. At least one group elected its own Pope and had teenagers as bishops.
Excommunicated for this, Thục moved around Europe and lived in poverty. Eventually he was persuaded to consecrate even more bishops illegally after his excommunication was rescinded. This led to his second excommunication. He moved to the United States where he continued his work with sedevancantists, until he died owning nothing. This story has feelers into the Vietnam War, the Roman hierarchy, the corruption of a disgruntled bishop, and a poignant sense of loss. I learned a lot from this and would recommend it without reservation.
Displaying 1 of 1 review