Popes (Supreme Pontiffs) cannot be made or forced to resign. Even a decision to resign made under duress, like scandal, sickness (physical or mental over even spiritual) would invalidate the resignation.
I regret that Pope Benedict resigned and thus set the precedence for the modern papacy and also the openness of even orthodox Catholics who think they can demand the resignation of a pope they don't like.
My suggestions to Pope Francis are the following, made with the utmost humility:
1. Why is the hierarchy, your curia and rank and file Catholics so polarized by your papacy leading someone like Archbishop Vigano to ask you to resign?
2. Why don't you call Archbishop Vigano and have a pow vow with him in a public forum and anwer his questions in the most transparent way possible?
3. If what Archbishop Vigano says is true, then apologize and ask the forgiveness of the clergy and laity and try to avoid polarizing everyone the way you have by your confused papacy.
4. Don't resign but start over and do so in continuity with Pope Benedict and praise him rather than erase him.
Just my humble opinion and suggestions.
12 comments:
OK.
Can he be DEPOSED?
I vote for deposed!
Francis is way too humble for any of your suggestions to have any sort of possibility of occurring.
Depose him. Then we can start over without him, and his minions.
Since the pope is the Supreme Pontiff and no one higher than he except God, just who can organize the method to depose a pope? What authority would they have????????
Fr. AJM -
Perhaps that is a problem with the papacy that should be addressed.
Fr. McDonald,
It appears (whether rightly or wrongly) Popes have been deposed (removed). Check this out:
http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/vatican_view/the_popes_deposed_abdicated_overthrown.htm
"I regret that Pope Benedict resigned and thus set the precedence for the modern papacy and also the openness of even orthodox Catholics who think they can demand the resignation of a pope they don't like."
What, realistically, did you expect IF an elderly man (in this case the Pope) was being harassed and pressured by special interests within the Church and, was fearful for his mental and perhaps physical wellbeing?
Benedict XVI being elderly, tired and having the sniffles never seemed wholly believable to me, particularly in light of the abruptness of his departure. He had to have pulled the sleeping tiger's tail at some point and, "they" addressed the what "they" felt to be a threatening situation.
Pope Benedict was never a good Pope and his resignation proved it. Let go of Benedict. Let the entire Catholic world ask Pope Francis to resign.
chris griffin,
You sound like a judgmental, petulant, office puff. Naff off
Fr. McDonald asks: "...who can organize the method to depose a pope? What authority would they have?"
I reference the Synod of Sutri in 1046, which dealt with three rival claimants to the papacy, one of which most certainly was the true pope.
Chris Ferrera has a detailed article at The Remnant that explains what happened then, and how it relates to our current situation.
https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/4092-can-the-church-defend-herself-against-bergoglio
We are not helpless or powerless in our current situation, but it will require courage and encouragement, both of which may be lacking in our current crop of cardinals and the 'faithful' in general.
I have been around since the pontificate of Pius XII. PF is an empty suit compared to his predecessors. The Conclave which elected him must have been either witless or corrupt. FYI, I was not initially anti-PF, but he has worked very hard to make me so.
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