Posted on 04/04/2005 5:37:56 PM PDT by wagglebee
VATICAN CITY – What happens to the mystery cardinal the late Pope John Paul II selected in 2003 but never publicly identified?
Will the world ever find out who was picked?
Vatican watchers wondered Monday whether there was still a way in accordance with Church law for this unidentified "prince of the Church" to take his place among the cardinals and, if he is young enough, vote for the new pope.
When John Paul created new cardinals in 2003, he announced that he was keeping one name secret, or "in pectore," meaning "in the heart." This is a formula that has been used when the pope wants to name a cardinal in a country where the church is oppressed.
Vatican watchers have speculated that the prelate could be from China, where only a state-sanctioned church is recognized.
But Polish Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, 65, John Paul's longtime private secretary who was at his bedside when he died, has also been mentioned as the possible secret cardinal.
The Rev. James Conn, a professor of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, said that if John Paul identified the man in writing in some authenticated document before he died, the man would be a cardinal.
"I think that any means of publishing the name of the cardinal that was previously not revealed, including in some testimonial that was authenticated, would be acceptable," Conn said.
Canon law says only that the pope has to make his name public. But it doesn't say whether that has to be done orally, he said.
Once the name is made public, the cardinal "is bound by the same duties and possesses the same rights" of the other cardinals, including the right to vote for a new pope if he is younger than 80, canon law says.
There are now 117 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave to elect John Paul's successor.
John Paul has named three other "in pectore" cardinals whose names were later revealed, including Marian Jaworski, archbishop of Lviv, Ukraine, for Catholics who follow the Latin rite, and Janis Pujats of Riga, Latvia.
Both Ukraine and Latvia formerly belonged to the officially atheist Soviet Union.
The third was Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, an elderly Chinese bishop who spent 30 years in Chinese prisons for defying attempts by China's communist government to control Roman Catholics through the state-run church.
While in prison in 1979, he was named "in pectore" by John Paul in the first group of cardinals named by the pontiff.
His name was made public in 1991, nine years before he died in Connecticut at the age of 98.
I believe the mystery cardinal is from Red China. If anyone reveals him, he'll be murdered.
If he could make it out of China (or whatever country) and be named at before the conclave, a position could be provided for him in Rome.
Idunno, I hope he can give them bullpen support.
I think China or North Korea
But then again, once the red Chinese steal all our know-how, and make everything by themselves, would they really need our money? And would we be too dependent on them for our clothes, shoes, electronice, and cars that we would be in any position to do anything about it?
But, let's give it a break shall we, until at least after the funeral and the man is given his proper burial? Thanks!
Could this be related?
"The Vatican said yesterday that Chineses authorities have carried out a new series of arrests of officials from China's illegal Roman Catholic Church.
The most recent arrest occurred Wednesday, when a priest was picked up in Hebei, the same diocese whose bishop was arrested Jan. 3.
In a prepared statement, the Vatican said security forces also detained the 86-year-old bishop of Wenzhou, Monsignor James Lin Xili, on March 20 and, two days later, a lay offical of the diocese.
China broke ties with the Vatican in 1951 and demands that Catholics worship only in churches approved by the state-controlled church group. Government churches do not recognize the pope's authority, although they acknowledge the pope as spiritual leader.
Many Chinese Catholics remain fiercely loyal to Rome and risk arrest by worshipping in unofficial churches and private homes."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1376711/posts
Trivia for all: Do you know why the dude stopped doing Fr. Guido? Public pressure? Nah, come on.
Apparently, he stopped doing it . . . because he lost the hat.
TS
(btw, I saw Fr. Guido one more time after I read that -- wearing a pill box cap.)
Yes, just because the Pope, we need to reveal this guy's name so he'll be killed.
Stupid people.
a bit full of ourselves .....are we?
a bit full of ourselves .....are we?
i hope he/she takes it off.
He won't be killed if he can make it safely to Rome.
It's the Vatican version of "a player to be named later".
... or North Korea, with the same consequences.
If there are more than 117 votes, I will suspect a democrat conspiracy.........
Re: Terri Schiavo, for example,
"To: Diogenesis, She's smiling? Gimmie a break, you could wave poo on a stick in her (Terri's) face and shed still have that look on he face...whats your point?" 134 posted on 03/26/2005 8:18:15 PM EST by stuck_in_new_orleans [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
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