The Catholic Legate

The Catholic Apologetics section of The Catholic Legate is dedicated to providing our visitors with conventional Catholic Apologetics, including biblical, theological, and historical issues surrounding the Catholic Faith. Each topic-page is divided into sub-categories: articles, dialogues, debates, and Q&A. Visitors who are interested in suggesting an article or asking a question are encouraged to e-mail us their request. Should you wish to dialogue with one of our staff on an apologetics subject, please be sure to read our Limited Confidentiality Policy beforehand.

Our staff canon lawyer, Pete Vere, breaks out with his first major apologetic work, More Catholic Than the Pope: An Inside Look at Extreme Traditionalism. Co-authored with Envoy's Magazine's Patrick Madrid, this book represents the first comprehensive published work to rebut the claims of ultra-traditionalism. It is the only book that examines and critiques the claims of seven aggressive, aberrant Traditionalist groups that have proven so effective in luring Catholics from the Church. These are the sects that relentlessly argue the pope has "lost the Faith" and "abandoned Tradition." The ones that boldly claim or strongly imply they are "more Catholic" than the current Vicar of Christ on earth because they - and not he - have remained faithful to Traditional Catholicism.

My Journey Out of the Lefebvre Schism
Pete Vere surveys some of the excuses that followers of the SSPX use to justify their rebellion against Rome. After years as a Traditionalist, Pete provides us with his inside view of the machinations of the SSPX. (Vere - 28KB - 04.08)

Libertas Humanae
John Pacheco reviews the Church's teaching on religious liberty, and shows, despite what some Ultra-traditionalists might think, there is no separation between a civil right and a moral right. (Pacheco - 15K - 04.06)

A Canonical History of the Lefebvrite Schism
Pete Vere's comprehensive account of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's break with Rome and the canonical implications of the split. A very enjoyable, yet disturbing, account of the legal and political power plays between Rome and Lefebvre. (Vere - 126KB - 04.05) Currently unavailable

Did Paul VI Compromise the Real Presence?
Contra the claims of some ultra-traditionalists, Pope Paul VI upheld the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. In this article, Pete Vere, examine's Paul VI's Mysterium Fidei, which sought to reaffirm Catholic teaching on the Eucharist (Vere - 18KB - 04.03)

What Makes Us Catholic Traditionalists
Shawn McElhinney and Pete Vere, JCL discuss why a traditional Catholic is one who adheres to Catholic Tradition. They examine five criteria from Catholic Tradition to define who are authentic Catholic Traditionalists. (Vere/McElhinney - 12KB - 04.03)

The Gruner Chronicles

Fr. Gruner has been officially suspended by the Vatican, but it seems that he believes that his particular suspension is unjust and refuses to submit to his superiors. Of course, how many sad cases in the Church's history have not hosted similar pretenses as an excuse to disobey? Pete Vere sets the record straight, gives everybody a reality check on this situation, and explains how Fr. Gruner is hardly a persecuted martyr for Fatima.

Objections to Rigorism
Objections to the Rigorist view of the absolute and exceptionless necessity of water baptism for salvation. Comprehensive citations of the Councils and the Fathers. (Pacheco - 117KB - 01.12)

Salvation Outside the Church?
It is a difficult path to walk: on the one part, insisting on the Church’s divine institution and the “extrinsic” necessity of belonging to her versus rejecting the absolute intrinsic and formal necessity of belonging to the Church on the other part. It is clear, however, that both the indifferentist position and the rigorist position pose serious problems from a moral and theological.perpective. The former finds its foundation in protestantism and modernism while the latter attempts to quash the former with theological extremism. Neither of them witness to the truth. (Pacheco - 35KB - 00.11)

The Sacrificial Emphasis in Eucharistic Prayer 2
A cogent defense of the Pauline Mass's Second Eucharist Prayer contra Traditionalist objections about its lack of sacrificial character. (Sippo - 9KB - 00.00)

The Angels of Genesis 6
Mark Bonocore dialogues with a fellow Catholic over Genesis 6 and the theological consequences of the literal interpretation of angels mating with humans. An interesting exchange. (Bonocore - 14KB - 04.07)

The SSPX and Sacramental Validity
An interesting discussion between Mark Bonocore and another Catholic on the similarities and differences between the Orthodox and the SSPX (Bonocore - 34KB - 04.07).

Religious Freedom and the Underlying Moral Right To A Civil Right
From their discussion on religious liberty, this side dialogue features John Pacheco issuing a bold challenge to Robert Sungenis to defend his novel teaching which attempts to separate a civil right from a moral right. Find out the very precarious position Sungenis finds himself in. If you are a Traditionalist, you should let Robert know that he has a big problem. (Pacheco - 118KB - 03.08)

Cross or Crown? A Neo-Conservative reponds
Some time ago Dr. Thomas Woods challenged James Likoudis to provide some "neo-Catholic" answers to his 8 challenges. Mr. Likoudis declined the challenge, but our director decided to give it a go. It seems Dr. Woods found something of interest in my answers since he has recently written a rebuttal in The Remnant to Pacheco's piece. (Pacheco - 43KB - 03.07)

Religious Freedom & Assisi
Ever since the Second Vatican Council, religious freedom has been an intensely contested and debated issue. In this ongoing dialogue, John Pacheco and Robert Sungenis discuss whether the inter-religious gatherings at Assisi can be justified by Dignitatis Humanae. (Pacheco - 308KB - 03.07)

Romans 11 and the Jewish Return
Robert Sungenis and John Pacheco dialogue on Romans 11 and the conversion of the Jewish nation to the Catholic Faith. The original is rather long and comprehensive. New insights and presuppositions are exposed in the sequel.

Eight Answers to Thomas Woods [and other neo-Traditionalists
Have you ever been to Camelot and seen King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Well, here's your chance. See how our traddy friends like to see the current "regime" at the Vatican as "against Tradition" while assuming that Sir Lancelot and King Arthur had everything under control in the Kingdom before Vatican II. (Pacheco - 59KB - 03.05)

Has the Old Covenant Been Revoked?
Not according to the Catholic Church it hasn't (CCC,121). In their continuing discussion on the salvific mystery surrounding the Old Covenant, our Director John Pacheco and CAI's President Robert Sungenis square off about the place and role of the Old Covenant in New Covenant theology. (Pacheco - 121KB - 03.05)

Religious Liberty and Dignitatis Humanae
Religious Liberty and Vatican II are discussed in this exchange with a traditionalist. Some misconceptions are cleared up. (Sippo - 9KB - 00.00)

Feeneyism Exposed
An exploration and debunking of a contemporary heresy. (Sippo - 13KB - 00.00)

Religious Liberty Defined
A discussion on religious liberty and some of the excesses of the traditionalist position. (Sippo - 19KB - 00.00)

Religious Liberty: Discussion with a Sedevacantist
Art takes out a Sedevancantist. He clarifies the Catholic understanding of religious liberty in light of Vatican II's Dignatitis Humanae. (Sippo - 32KB - 00.00)

The Challenges of Vatican II
A number of challenges confronted the Church after Vatican II. Read up on the health and status of the Church beforehand to get a better perspective on the current crisis. (Sippo - 27KB - 98.02)

Ultra-Traditionalism

The Gruner Chronicles