/306_Bergoglio01.jpg)
Posted on 06/05/2016 1:58:50 PM PDT by ebb tide
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, many wondered what role a retired pope might have in the Church. After the election of Pope Francis, many continued to wonder whether the presence of a retired pope would be a threat in any way to the authority of the new one.
Given those concerns, the low-profile role chosen by the pope emeritus has been quite reassuring. Similarly, Francis’ acceptance of his predecessor’s draft of his own first encyclical letter, Lumen Fidei, in June 2013, was more than a gracious gesture of civility.
Despite initial apprehensions, these developments can be seen as the first steps toward a Spirit-led unfolding of a new-style papacy for the Third Millennium.
Historically, such unfolding of the nature and exercise of the papacy has not been unusual in Church life. It was evident, though in convoluted ways, in resolving the knotty wrangle of three claimants to the papal tiara 600 years ago: Gregory XII, Benedict XIII and self-claiming John XXIII. 2017 will mark the 6th centenary of the election of Pope Martin V to replace these three claimants.
That centennial may help us further reflect on the presence of two popes today, though in far more salutary circumstances.
The Spirit manifests itself in surprise ways, and the current role of Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who doubles both as prefect of Pope Francis’ Pontifical Household and as the personal secretary of emeritus Pope Benedict, may be one such manifestation.
In a rather revealing speech at a May 20 book launch in Rome, Gänswein reflected on what he saw as a new development of the Petrine ministry. Reportedly, he commented there on Pope Benedict’s resignation and his relations with Pope Francis.
“Before and after his resignation, Pope Benedict has viewed his task as participation in the papal ministry,” Gänswein said. News media quoted him as saying that although Benedict had left the papal throne, he had not abandoned the ministry.
Instead, he has “built a personal office with a collegial and synodal dimension, almost a communal ministry,” said the emeritus pope’s secretary.
Gänswein said that since Francis’ election, there are “not two popes but de facto an expanded ministry, with an active member and a contemplative member.”
If, as yet, there has been no comment from the usually outspoken Pope Francis or his colleagues, they must be in deep contemplation of the implications of the thoughts articulated by Pope Benedict’s longtime close collaborator.
For sure, Gänswein’s analysis of an expanded papacy must be food for thought for Francis, who has repeatedly shown himself open to rethinking various aspects of the office. Was this pope of surprises, elected in 2013 after being reportedly bypassed in 2005, perhaps mulling such matters during his May 29 address to deacons from around the globe?
Those who serve must be prepared for God’s surprises, he told them.
After all, it was not too long ago that Pope Francis was heard thinking aloud about his own papacy as a limited-term affair. Hence, some of today’s Catholics may live to see three popes at once, though far different from the embarrassing scenario 600 years ago of three contending claimants!
Whether there be two, three or four popes, the Church’s concern would be more about papal roles in the Ganswein-articulated concept of an expanded ministry.
For instance, even now, there’s obviously some reciprocity between the reflective theologizing ministry of Benedict, the emeritus pope, and the actively pastoral ministry of Francis, the reigning pope. The dynamics of such a partnership may provide for further expansion of a communal papal ministry.
If so, is it possible that the multiple-pope scenario could actually open the doors of the Church to other, deeper ways of democratizing decision-making and leadership?
For instance, could such an expanded collegial dimension of the papacy, combining Petrine and Pauline ministries, gradually grow toward sharing authority and service with other layers of the Church, including the laity?
Could the already emerging synodal dimension of the papacy open new leadership roles of effective authority to bishops’ synods and conferences on a more permanent basis?
Could such inclusive moves help deconstruct other structures, and foster growth as a more open, inclusive, and ecumenical Church?
Such growth may help the papacy return to Spirit-led democratic procedures evidenced in the election of Mathias as the Twelfth Apostle – the first bishop-elect of the newborn Church.
And could Hector be a heretic?
“And could Hector be a heretic? “
Answer, Yepper!
Our Creator created Order, Thus there are rules and Guide lines to the Order of things. Men Cannot Vote to change what God has Created. They however have Free Will to Refute God to their own Demise.
God Bless
Puke. There is one Pope
One more item, The father of disorder, Chaos is Satan. Know men by their fruits.
God Bless
This is exactly what Gottfried Daneels was pushing back in 2003 - an appointed commission to govern whose members would rotate as acting head of the commission for say a six month term.
They wanted to start it with Wojtyla resigning for health reasons but that did not come off, so Ratzinger was there boy. Bergoglio said from the beginning that his would be a short ‘papacy’ - but now the heretical narcissist seems to be having second thoughts.
Daneels was one of the Cabal who got Bergoglio in, we’ll just have to wait to see what it takes to nudge him out, - but as long as he is going full steam to continue the destruction - and getting away with it - then they may let him stay. Of course the good cop - bad cop routine could then continue by installing a stealth pseudo-good guy candidate for the next round.
The enemies of Christ and His Church who directly serve Satan have done everything in their power to attempt to destroy the Church by installing their heretical puppets at the usurped helm since 1958. Now they want to symbolicly and de facto attempt to destroy the Office of the Papacy as well - only Our Lord has other plans.
Is the Pope Catholic?
Wow. The resolution of the Crisis of Three Popes was that two of them were anti-popes. Not exactly applicable in the way the author imagines.
But here’s the weird thing: Benedict seems to consider himself as still having the charisms of being Pope, as if he merely felt he needed a coadjutor Bishop of Rome, to handle the bureaucracy. You can’t have two popes. And if Benedict doesn’t believe that he’s renounced the papacy, then he hasn’t renounced the papacy, then he’s the real pope. And Francis is an antipope.
Yes, Benedict CAN surrender the papacy. But the question is DID he? He attempted to PARTLY surrender it. He either did, or he didn’t. And oddly, he could be wrong.
And despite his terrible reputation, Daneels was personally invited by Francis to his “Sin-Nods”. Yet, Cardinal Burke, who voiced his truly faithful Catholic opinion at Sin-Nod I, was not invited back to Sin-Nod II.
Or, second hypothesis, Hector may be hallucinating.
As in Pope Francis' numerous hallucinations that some "spirit" is telling him, and us, that the Church had it all wrong until he came to power?
And I thought divine revelation ceased with the death of St. John the Apostle. But I guess Humble Jorge, the Jesuit, knows better.
I would think only if Caneels has perks in the secular realm, European Union, waiting for him.
Then again Daneels is older now so others of his ilk may cut him lose as no longer necessary for the conspiracy.
Age doesn’t matter to Francis when it works in his way.
He called Kasper up out “forced retirement” to give the sole address to Sin-Nod I.
Same with Daneels.
Catholic citations from another thread on formal heresy before or after election.
Necromancing Teilhard De Chardin next?!
I don't recall Pope Francis equating Holy Spirit "surprises" with a new Public Revelation. I sure don't.
Francis rarely talks about the Holy Ghost. He only refers to some “spirit” and rarely does he preface it with “Holy”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.