Bishop Schneider: A confusing doctrine is more grievous than a pope living immorally. It does greater harm because it undermines the foundations of the faith in the people of God. We have had only rare cases of doctrinal confusion arising from the wrong attitude of a pope. The first was in the first century, during the Arian crisis, when Pope Liberius yielded and signed an ambiguous formula of faith. It was not a direct theological error, thanks be to God, but ambiguity always causes confusion. Therefore, Liberius was the first pope in the history of the Church who was not canonized. All his predecessors, from St. Peter to him, were canonized as martyrs or confessors of the faith. He also abandoned St. Athanasius and consented to his excommunication.
The other doctrinal problem occurred in the 14th century. From the first century to the 14th century, there were no doctrinal problems in the Holy See itself. There were moral problems. It was Pope John XXII who, in his ordinary Magisterium, in speeches and homilies, de facto spread a heresy, saying that saints and souls who were purified after purgatory, or already purified here on Earth, would not have the beatific vision until Christ comes again at the Last Judgment, when God will create a new heaven and earth. Only then would they enter the beatific vision. This is wrong. Jesus said to the good thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” yet he spread the opposite idea. Some resisted, but the clergy mostly did not, fearing for their careers. Only one cardinal resisted, and mostly lay people resisted.
Among them was the King of France, who said, “This is wrong teaching. We cannot accept this.” The Sorbonne University also condemned it. It is said, though I do not know if it is true, that the King of France declared that if the Pope came to Paris and did not repent, he would be burned as a heretic. Regardless, it shows that lay people were concerned about this wrong teaching. How can we imagine that the saints are not with God, contemplating Him now? Thanks be to God, the pope repented before he died, retracted his errors, and called the College of Cardinals to repentance.
Michael Matt: I interrupt for a question. When John XXII fell into heresy and even preached heresy, did he lose his office?
Bishop Schneider: No, temporarily, no. It was not a formal heresy because the Church had not yet proclaimed as dogma that all who are justified will immediately enter the beatific vision of God. Formally, it was in Holy Scripture, of course, but there is no question that he was a formal heretic. To be a formal heretic, one must also be obstinate. This is a requirement: a person must remain pertinacious in error despite admonitions. That was not the case here. He may have been obstinate at first, but he repented, and thanks be to God. The cardinal who admonished him was elected his successor, Benedict XII, who formally proclaimed as dogma the truths undermined or denied by his predecessor.
It was a rare case, and we see a similar situation today in the 21st century. Even in our grievous times, God will intervene as He did in the past. We must admonish the pope persistently and pray for him. Lay people and bishops should accompany admonitions and appeals with prayer and acts of reparation, because we are one family, one body. When one member suffers, all suffer. Today, the head of the Church, the visible head, is in some way sick, and the entire body feels it. The supernatural circulation of grace in the Mystical Body of Christ reaches these ill parts of the head, which is the Holy See. In our time, we must offer prayers and make reparations.