Can an Eastern Catholic become Pope?

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rcwhiteh said:
Not for me, I’m afraid; too many Catholic sources - even the Catholic Encyclopedia - seem to believe that the Roman Rite is the be-all and end-all of Catholicism and completely snub the Eastern Rites.

So, until someone shows me something authoritative and explicit that addresses that particular issue, I will not believe that an Eastern Rite bishop, elevated to the See of Peter, automatically becomes omniritual.
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I don’t think I said I thought an Eastern Rite bishop would become omniritual, but would become instead Latin rite.

If the pope were to appoint an Eastern rite priest to be Bishop of the Latin rite Diocese of Pittsburgh, wouldn’t that Eastern rite priest automatically become Latin rite in some sense? I mean he’s head of a Latin rite diocese, in some sense wouldn’t he have to, logically? The Diocese of Rome, which the Pope is the ordinary of, is Latin rite, just like Pittsburgh. So the same logic applies.
 
Digitonomy said:
…The pope is chosen by the college of cardinals. The Holy Spirit merely guides them.
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Using the word merely in that sentence would be the same as saying “A pregnant mother merely carries the child within her womb”.

Because In both instances, the “Holy Spirit” and the “mother” are profoundly essential in the actions being spoken of (as without either of them, nothing would/can be fulfilled).
 
FiremanFrank said:
Using the word merely in that sentence would be the same as saying “A pregnant mother merely carries the child within her womb”.

Because In both instances, the “Holy Spirit” and the “mother” are profoundly essential in the actions being spoken of (as without either of them, nothing would/can be fulfilled).
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Your view on this topic appears to differ a bit from that of then-Cardinal Ratzinger, linked above.
 
Haven’t read any preceding posts and apologies if I interrupt a discussion, but answering the question:

Yes. One of my favorite saints (Pope Saint Agatho) was Eastern Rite. But I heard that you automatically become a Roman once you’re elected since you must act as patriarch of the West and be bishop of Rome.
 
Perhaps he would, and I’m not canon lawyer enough to deny it. But whether he became Latin or not, if he chose to perform liturgies according to the Eastern Rites, nobody is going to say him nay. If Pope Benedict did it today, some easterners might complain, but no Latin would.
 
Kielbasi said:
the pope choosing the (for example) a Latin rite bishop to be Maronite patriarch.
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By deffinition patriarchs are not appointed by the pope but by the synod of the particular church they are over. As such when the Melkite patriarch dies and a new one is elevated he may stop communion with rome if he wished although none ever has in recent memory. Stoping of communion is only done when one of the particular churches is seen by the other to be in grave error.
Yes by teaching, according to catholic theology, the pope of rome is without error. But in practice, like Peter, he could screw up. As such the stoping of shared sacraments would be the way a Patriach would call the pope to repent of his bad practice.
I hope the above makes sense. It is not intended to offend.
Drift:
Once upon a time I was a Ukrainian Catholic monk and cannon law was a hoby of mine. I am now Orthodox and often cry that we cannot as of this time have sacraments together.
I hope more people will get to this point. Maybe then the bishops will get off their bums and fix the problems bishops started.
 
Kielbasi said:
How about from the Catholic Encyclopedia?

The title pope, once used with far greater latitude (see below, section V), is at present employed solely to denote the Bishop of Rome
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man if pope only aplies to rome someone should tell HH Pope Shanuda.
 
Also if I’m not mistaken isn’t any Catholic man eligible but it’s just tradition that he comes from the college of Cardinals??
 
I was talking to a Franciscan friar the other day about this, and I think he said that since the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the new Pope would become Latin Rite, or bi-ritual.
 
hamburglar said:
I was talking to a Franciscan friar the other day about this, and I think he said that since the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the new Pope would become Latin Rite, or bi-ritual.
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Yes, that is the conventional wisdom. The pope by virtue of his office has the capacity to celebrate any rite of the church.
 
Kielbasi said:
Yes, an Eastern rite Catholic could become pope.

But, the moment he was elected he’d suddenly be a member of the Roman rite. He’d have to be, as one of the roles of the pope is the Bishop of the Roman rite diocese of Rome. His duties include celebrating masses and other liturgical events in the Roman rite.

As the worldwide head of the Roman rite, he’d be a member of it, even if he was an Eastern rite Catholic before his election.
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Is that NOT Ironic thou? For the first 3 Centuries the liturgy was in Greek NOT latin in the West that is.
 
Can an Eastern Catholic become Pope?

Of course - not only is it possible, canonically & theologically, it very nearly happened: Gregory Cardinal Agagianian (d. 1971), who was Catholicos of the Armenian Catholics, was very nearly elected Pope 🙂
What would be really funny would be for the Catholicos of the Chaldeans to be elected, as he rejoices in the title of Catholicos of Babylon. 🙂
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:
What would be really funny would be for the Catholicos of the Chaldeans to be elected, as he rejoices in the title of Catholicos of Babylon. 🙂
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That would be so hilarious!! It might give the anti-Catholics more reasons to name-call, but it would be so ironic and funny.

Who is the current Catholicos of the Chaldeans? Was he the most recently one elevated to Cardinal?

Pace e Bene
Andrew
 
"XtusVictor:
Yes, that is the conventional wisdom. The pope by virtue of his office has the capacity to celebrate any rite of the church.
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Aramis said:
Apparently, Pope JP II did so on 7 July 1996… DL of St John.
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John Paul also celebrated a Byzantine liturgy in the Ukraine in 2003 or so. I posted the exact date awhile back, but it’s not yet accessible in the archives as CAF staff are still reviewing the old Eastern Christianity forum.
 
Harpazo said:
Who is the current Catholicos of the Chaldeans? Was he the most recently one elevated to Cardinal?

Pace e Bene
Andrew
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The current Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon is indeed His Most Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Patriarch Mar Emmanuel III Delly, who was very recently elevated to the Cardinalate.

Unfortunately, he is too old to participate in the next conclave. So, he will not be elected Pope.
 
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