Here is a link to the original publication of this document, “Call for the Resignation of Pope Francis”, found at Rorate Caeli. I plan to offer a series of brief posts criticizing this Call, on several grounds. Today, I’ll discuss the introduction to the document.

The title of the Rorate Caeli webpage is: “MAJOR STATEMENT: The Crimes and Heresies of Pope Francis, Their Causes and Effects, and the Action to Be Taken”. But the PDF of the document lacks that title, and only says “Call for the Resignation of Pope Francis”. The document does accuse Pope Francis of multiple heresies as well as “crimes”, so the Rorate Caeli webpage title is an accurate representation of the document’s claims.

Here is the introductory statement in that document:

“Since 2013, the words and actions of Pope Francis have caused an unprecedented crisis in the Catholic Church, and have done great harm to the Church and the whole world. The members of the hierarchy of the Church have a duty to act in order to prevent Francis from causing further harm.”

The first claims stated include that Pope Francis caused an unprecedented crisis, has greatly harmed the Church, and has greatly harmed the whole world. These claims are the result of a very subjective and fallible interpretation of the words and deeds themselves of the Roman Pontiff and of their effects. The Pope was not put on trial by the Church (something I assert to be impossible). There was no due process of law, nor any deliberative process by a body with authority in the Church (which I assert would not be permitted). Instead, a small group of opponents of the Roman Pontiff, some of whom have vehemently opposed him for many years, usurp an authority not given to them, presume to be competent to judge the words, deeds, and effects of the same of the Supreme Pontiff, and then condemn him without a trial or process of any kind.

These signatories therefore are violating Canon Law as well as perennial Church teaching, as follows:

Canon 1404: “The First See is judged by no one.” [Current Code of Canon Law]
Canon 1556: “The Primatial See can be judged by no one.” [Previous Code]

So the signatories of this “Call for the Resignation” document are judging the Roman Pontiff in his words and deeds as head of the Roman See and of the whole Church. They are violating Canon law by issuing this judgment against the Roman Pontiff. Yet the document goes on to accuse the Pope of certain crimes by citing Canon Law.

See also these teachings of multiple Popes:

Pope Saint Nicholas I (the great), 858-867: “If anyone condemns dogmas, mandates, interdicts, sanctions, or decrees, promulgated by the one presiding in the Apostolic See, for the Catholic faith, for the correction of the faithful, for the emendation of criminals, either by an interdict of threatening or of future ills, let him be anathema.”70

Pope Saint Nicholas I: “Neither by the emperor, nor by all the clergy, nor by kings, nor by the people will the judge be judged…. The first See will not be judged by anyone….”71

Pope Clement VI, 1342-1352: “whether you have believed and do believe that the supreme and preeminent authority and juridical power of those who were the Roman pontiffs, We who are so, and Those who will be so in the future have been, are, and will be such that They and We were not, are not, and in the future will not be able to be judged by anyone; but that They and We have been, are, and will be reserved in judgment by God alone; and that it was not possible, is not possible, and will not be possible for Our decisions and judgments to be appealed to any other judge.”

Pope Gregory XI, in 1377, Condemned the Error: “An ecclesiastic, even the Roman Pontiff, can legitimately be corrected, and even accused, by subjects and lay persons.”

Then we have the teaching of Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus, chapter 3:

“8. Since the Roman Pontiff, by the divine right of the Apostolic primacy, governs the whole Church, we likewise teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of the faithful, and that in all cases which fall under ecclesiastical jurisdiction recourse may be had to his judgment. The sentence of the Apostolic See (than which there is no higher authority) is not subject to revision by anyone, nor may anyone lawfully pass judgment thereupon. And so they stray from the genuine path of truth who maintain that it is lawful to appeal from the judgments of the Roman Pontiffs to an Ecumenical Council as if this were an authority superior to the Roman Pontiff.”

The faithful cannot appeal the judgments of the Roman Pontiffs to an Ecumenical Council, as Councils are not superior to the Pope. Therefore, it is absurdly arrogant and ignorant for the 17 signatories of this “Call for the Resignation” to speak as if they have the role or authority to judge the Roman Pontiff and to accuse him of many different crimes and heresies. They have no such authority or competency. Pope Francis is the supreme judge of all the faithful, and these signatories, the original 17 or whatever the final number may be (if more signatories are added), have no ability to judge, reject, correct, accuse, or condemn any Roman Pontiff.

The “Call for the resignation” document continues, saying:

“We therefore call for Pope Francis to resign the papal office, and to repent and do penance for his actions. If he does not do this, we request that the cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church ask Pope Francis to resign the office of pope.

“If he refuses to resign or recant the heresies that he has upheld, we ask that they declare that he has lost the papal office.”

The signatories are calling for Pope Francis to resign as Roman Pontiff. So this implies that they believe him to be currently the valid Roman Pontiff and successor of Peter. Yet they soon ask the Cardinals and Bishops to declare that Pope Francis has lost the papal office. So, how can he resign or be asked for his resignation, if he had already lost his office? The signatories then call for the Pope to EITHER resign or recant his (alleged) heresies. But if he were to recant, how could he continue as Pope, if the signatories are stating that he has already lost his office. Similarly, if a Pope validly resigns, he next has no authority or ability to take up his office again, as he has not been elected a second time.

Then, finally, the signatories ask the Cardinals and Bishops to declare that Pope Francis has lost his office. They do not suggest a process of deliberation, but instead treat the guilt of the Vicar of Christ as a certitude, based on their own private judgement and that of their peers.

They also state publicly that the Vicar of Christ, successor of Peter, Supreme Judge of all the Faithful must repent and do penance, as if they had judged his very soul to be certainly guilty of grave sin.

So this “Call for Resignation” is arrogant and absurdly self-contradictory. The document cannot decide for itself whether Pope Francis is currently the Roman Pontiff or not, and they offer no proposed process of deliberation for the Cardinals or Bishops — nor is any such process found in Canon law or Church teaching.

Instead, the teachings already cited, as well as the current and previous codes of Canon Law, clearly state that the Roman Pontiff cannot be judged by anyone, and that those who attempt to judge the Roman Pontiff are condemned by the Church.

Pope Saint Leo IX, 1049-1054: “By passing a preceding judgment on the great See, concerning which it is not permitted any man to pass judgment, you have received anathema from all the Fathers of all the venerable Councils….”
…
“As the hinge while remaining immovable opens and closes the door, so Peter and his successors have free judgment over all the Church, since no one should remove their status because ‘the highest See is judged by no one.’ ”

More in future posts, I hope.

Ronald L Conte Jr