'We are the champignons, my friends' – Editors' Updates

'Some such cases could have been avoided with a simple, sober and modest explanation.'

Mushrooms springing up everywhere.

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By now, everyone will have seen that Francis recently referred to sedevacantists by name, comparing them to “mushrooms”:

“There are good people who don’t agree with each other.” A different thing are “all these ‘mushrooms’ that have sprung up now, these sedevacantists, who look for any little thing to interpret in their own way. They are not bad people, they are sad people. With a sadness of heart, I feel sorry for them”.¹

Several persons have pointed out that, given that Francis describes these “mushrooms” as looking “for any little thing to interpret in their own way”, he was probably referring to those who believe that Benedict did not validly resign.

Nonetheless, it is enormously significant that the “reigning pope” has actually acknowledged the existence of sedevacantists in public.

This acknowledgment provide us with some new rhetorical points. For instance, we can now ask:

• Can Francis really be said to enjoy a “peaceful and universal adherence” when he himself has recognised “all these ‘mushrooms’ that have sprung up now”?

• Can anti-sedevacantists condemn us as proud or as schismatics, when their own “pope” has said that sedevacantists “are not bad people”?

In addition, this moment also serves as the occasion to clarify what we actually think and why.

By referring to us as “sad” and as worthy of pity, we can clarify: