The problem with canon law is that there is no canon law stating why St. Athanatius is a canonized saint and a father and doctor of the Church. It’s theologians who say he is not in hell because if a prelate fails to condemn error as pope Liberius failed to condemn the error of Arianism by allowing Arians to be bishops in full communion with himself, the faithful have a right to withdraw obedience from him the pope as St. Athanatius did. This is a point of doctrine pointed out by theologians not Church law written in canon law!
On the other hand, Cardinal Burke has a moral obligation to be honest and point out that if Archbishop Lefebvre believed the Church was in the state of necessity even if he erred in judgement, according to canon law, he is not schismatic nor are the bishops he consecrated!
It does not help that SSPX leaders act like they are in schism with marriage deception.
It does not help that the booklet written by Michael Davis “Archbishop Lefebvre and Religious Liberty” is out of print rather then it being presented to the defenders of Vatican II by the real traditionalists to prove to them they really cannot defend Vatican II as not being heretical.
RatioMAY 1, 2020