Question 67 – Can You Give Us Some History About Papal Resignations?

Transcript:

Pope Benedict XVI is no longer the Pope. We have to simply use our common sense and not invent conspiracy theories that are against reality. Pope Benedict has repeatedly said that he is no longer the Pope and has taken the title of Pope Emeritus, and I pleaded with you to pay attention to what he is saying. He also publicly assured the Cardinals that he would obey and submit to the new Pope that they would elect. The fact that Pope Benedict is no longer the Pope is quite evident. Moreover, he did not nominate a bishop or elevate a cardinal during his pontificate for more than eight years. Hence, the church did not even consider the possibility that Pope Benedict XVI might remain in office.

He did not lead the church for these eight years, so it would not be governed by anyone. Without the government, the church would actually exist only in abstraction. This goes against the church's incarnational element and visibility. Pope Benedict refrained from doing any acts of governance, even though the Church must be controlled by such acts. So, I ask you to use your common sense and, with it, the Catholic definition of the church.

In this case, all the Cardinals and Bishops who were appointed by Francis, who you have considered a fake Pope, would not be legitimate appointments. So, because Pope Francis, whom you have deemed to be a fake Pope, appointed Cardinal Muller, would you consider that appointment to be invalid? Furthermore, any appointment made by Pope Francis in which he appointed two-thirds of the College of Cardinals would also be invalid.

All bishops who were appointed would have no faculties because they were all appointed by a fake pope. This is in contradiction with the visible structure of the church. This opinion is close to sedevacantism, and this is a heresy. The Church cannot be, for a considerable amount of time, without a visible head.

Otherwise, this is an agnostic sect of an invisible church that has not been governed for eight and a half years. It is de facto sedevacantist. The Church not being governed for a couple of years is against the entire tradition of the Church.

Of course, there have been periods when the Holy See has been sede vacante, the longest being two and a half years. This occurred in the thirteenth century. The Cardinals were unable to select a candidate for the papacy during this time; hence, there was neither a Pope nor an Antipope. Therefore, we cannot continue ad infinitum with an ungoverned church. Taking into account a few historical precedents, there have been numerous antipopes but always a legitimate Pope. These popes are listed in the Holy See's Annuario Pontifico. This is the criteria to see if a Pope is the real Pope, and the antipopes are included in this list. The Holy See is the last church that is always governed by a true pope, not a group of theologians or laypeople. The Holy See is the last church to know who was a true Pope and who was not a true Pope. The Popes listed are all located outside the wall in the Basilica of St. Paul. Their succession and names are shown. Saints who supported the fake pope during the Great Schism in Avignon included St. Vincent Ferrer. St. Vincent Ferrer rejected the Pope at Avignon and recognized the Pope in Rome as a result of the confusion. This merely shows the enormous confusion that we must take care to not repeat. As a result, you must recognize Pope Francis as the one and only legitimate Pope. Whether you think he is or not, he is still the Pope at the moment. The current Pope is not eternal; God will send another Pope who will defend the truth.