POPE PIUS IX ON THE VICAR OF CHRIST ON EARTH

Pope Pius IX on The Authority of the Successor of St. Peter as Vicar of Christ on earth. Is Lefebvre and his SSPX exempted from this Authority?

AMANTISSIMUS

ON THE CARE OF THE CHURCHES

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS IX

APRIL 8, 1862

To the Bishops of the Eastern Churches.

Venerable Brothers, Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.

Our most beloved Redeemer, Christ the Lord, willed as you well know, venerable brothers, to deliver all men from the captivity of the devil, free them from the yoke of sin, call them from darkness into his wonderful light and be their salvation. When he had blotted out the handwriting of the decree against us, fastening it to the cross, he formed and established the Catholic Church, won by his blood, as the one "Church of the living God,"[1] the one "kingdom of heaven,"[2] "the city set on a hill,"[3] "one flock,"[4] and "one body" steadfast and alive with "one Spirit,"[5] one faith, one hope, one love joined and firmly held together by the same bonds of sacraments, religion and doctrine. He further provided his Church with leaders whom he chose and called. In addition, he decreed that the Church will endure as long as the world, embrace all peoples and nations of the whole world, and that whoever accepts his divine religion and grace and perseveres to the end will attain the glory of eternal salvation.

2. To preserve forever in his Church the unity and doctrine of this faith, Christ chose one of his apostles, Peter, whom he appointed the Prince of his Apostles, his Vicar on earth, and IMPREGNABLE FOUNDATION and head of his Church. Surpassing all others with EVERY DIGNITY of EXTRAORDINARY AUTHORITY, POWER AND JURISDICTION, he was to feed the Lord's flock, strengthen his brothers, rule and govern the universal Church. Christ not only desired that his Church remain as one and immaculate to the end of the world, and that its unity in faith, doctrine and form of government remain inviolate. He also willed that the FULLNESS of dignity, power and jurisdiction, integrity and stability of faith given to Peter be handed down in its entirety to the Roman Pontiffs, the successors of this same Peter, who have been placed on this Chair of Peter in Rome, and to whom has been divinely committed the SUPREME care of the Lord's entire flock and the SUPREME rule of the Universal Church.

Let us ask then, How come the SSPX refuses to submit to the full authority of the Holy Father?