Papal Authority and the Limits of Official Theology The Lamp Magazine
Opponents of Traditionis custodes struck back. They too appealed to the papalist tradition in Catholic theology, this time not to the teaching of Pastor aeternus, but to the theology of the Counter-Reformation. Long before Vatican I many theologians already defended a papal primacy of teaching and jurisdiction, opposing appeals against papal decrees to any other authority within the Church and especially opposing appeals to a general council. These theologians included Francisco Suarez and Saint Robert Bellarmine, who in their turn cited eminent papalists preceding Trent, such as Juan de Torquemada and Cajetan. These theologians all defended something like the understanding of papal primacy taught in Pastor aeternus
As it is lawful to resist a pope if he attacks the body, so it is lawful to resist him if he attacks the soul or afflicts the state, and much more if he seeks to destroy the Church. It is permitted, I say, to resist him by not doing what he commands and by preventing the execution of his will.
For Bellarmine there was no unconditional duty of obedience to the pope.
Following Cajetan and Torquemada, Suarez insisted that a pope could even fall into schism, detaching himself from the church by legislating in a way hostile to her unity and mission. One way he could do this would be through a radical assault on the liturgy. A pope would fall into schism if he wanted to abolish all ecclesiastical ceremonies that are based on apostolic tradition. Some opponents of Traditionis custodes imply that the motu proprio and the Pauline liturgical reform that it enforces could amount to schismatic acts. But can we really use the papalist theological tradition to win the liturgy wars, either for Traditionis custodes or against it? Not in the way that either of the opposing sides intend.
Thomas Pink. I like Pink; he seems like a wise scholar.