Reigning and “Emeritus.” The Enigma of the Two Popes

Chiesa Online ^ | 9/15/14 | Sandro Magister

[marshmallow]

It is an unprecedented innovation in the history of the Church. With many unknowns still unresolved, and with serious risks already in play. An analysis by Roberto de Mattei

ROME, September 15, 2014 – That the figure of “pope emeritus” is an unprecedented innovation in the history of the Church, “instituted” by Benedict XVI himself in his act of resignation, has been recognized by Pope Francis himself, during the press conference on the airplane that brought him back from Korea to Rome last August I8.

This does not change the fact that from both the juridical and the doctrinal point of view it is by no means established that this new figure in the Catholic hierarchy has any real foundation.

“Time will tell if it is right or wrong, we shall see,” Francis said prudently, although he is personally an enthusiast of the innovation.

Among theologians and canonists, in fact, the viewpoints continue to be highly discordant.

Just two days after the announcement of the abdication, Manuel Jesus Arroba, a professor of canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University, warned against the use of the title: “Juridically there is only one pope. A ‘pope emeritus’ cannot exist.”

But it was above all a leading light of canon law and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Jesuit Gianfranco Ghirlanda, who refuted the legitimacy of the figure of “pope emeritus” in a long and thoroughly substantiated article published on March 2, 2013 in “La Civiltà Cattolica” and therefore - as for all the articles of this magazine - printed after review and authorization by the Vatican secretariat of state:

[Cry if I Wanna]

Wasn’t there a time when there were three popes at once?

[wideawake]

It is an honorific, not an office.

I don't see what the big deal is.

[wideawake]

There was a time when there was an actual pope (Gregory XII) and two false claimants to the papacy (the so-called John XXII and the so-called Benedict XIII).

Then there was a time when Celestine V resigned as pope and effectively became a retiree while Boniface VIII took the office.

[wideawake]

Sorry, the first false claimant was the so-called John XXIII.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Not three legitimate popes. One pope: two false claimants.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Widewawake is speaking, I believe, of Antipope John XXIII (Baldassarre Cossa, 1370 – 1419).

The fact that Angelo Roncalli (of the 20th century) took as his papal name "Pope John xxiii" indicated that he agreed ---- along with all church historians--- that the 15th century "John xxiii" was not legitimately elected.