Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who has frequently criticized the statements and actions of the current papacy, has issued a letter rejecting the “desperate” argument that Pope Francis is not the true Roman Pontiff. In an essay related February 28, explaining the canonical arguments involved, Bishop Schneider argues strongly against claims that the Pope was invalidly elected, or has lost his office because of heresy. Instead the bishop calls for fervent prayer as a means of “remedying the current unprecedented crisis of the papacy.”