If the Holy Father Resigns

[JKirkLVNV]

If the Holy Father resigns (which he says he won’t do and I’m glad of that), what happens to him? I know that he is indelibly a priest and a bishop, but is he still a cardinal? The handful that have resigned went into monasteries.

 

[katherine2]

JKirkLVNV:

If the Holy Father resigns (which he says he won’t do and I’m glad of that), what happens to him?.

A clerk at a Social Security office in Poland gets a very important visitor!!

 

[Bill_A]

He would go into retirement but hes not going out. He would be a Catholic priest or cardinal in retirement.

The pope is smart enough to know sometimes very old people and ill people get better,

 

[davidc2]

The question of whether a pope that resigns is a cardinal is an interesting one. In most cases (certainly of recent popes) the pope was a cardinal before his election to the papacy. However, traditionally he loses the cardinalate title at that time.

Given that he had been named a cardinal by a previous pope, I don’t see why he could not reclaim the right to vote in a conclave (assuming his was otherwise eligible).

It should be noted that it is not an issue with the current pope for at least two reasons: 1) he had said he won’t resign, 2) he is over 80 and thus not eligible to vote in a conclave even if he was a cardinal.

In terms of what a retired pope would do: I think it most likely that they would retire completely from public life (i.e., something like find a good monastery to life in). The reason is simple: you can’t have the appearance of two active popes.

 

[Amadeus]

Dear David:

Prior to your own post, I scoured your website to find the answer to this “interesting” question but found none. Even Miranda’s site does not (or inadvertently fails) to dwell on this.

Thus, my own wild speculation.

Assuming that His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, resigns I think he should be at most referred to as “Pope Emeritus.” I know this could be the first time that this term is used but there is always a first time! ( A retired Eastern Patriarch is called “Patriarch Emeritus.”)

A Cardinal is created by decree of the reigning Pope. Conversely, a Cardinal should be subject to “uncreation” only by that original Pontiff. Since Pope Paul VI created Karol Wojtyla a Cardinal back in 1967 and Pope Paul VI is now deceased, Pope John Paul II remains a Cardinal at the very least.

Whereever he chooses to reside (active or retired), a Cardinal is not subject to the jurisdiction of the local ordinary. He remains subject only to the reigning Pope. However, he could be subject to the “rules” of a monastery if he so decides to enter into a monastic life.

Section 2 of Canon 332 of the Latin Code of Canons provides that: “. . .Should it happen that the Pope resigns from office, it is required for validity that the resignation be freely made and properly manifested, but it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone.” The Latin Code does not specify who determines that the resignation is “freely made and properly manifested.”

Very interesting. . .

 

[Bill_A]

Ive done alot of care for sick people. I belive the pope is too ill to live in a monastary. As long as he is pope, people can help him get around and he can still minister to us. As Pope he has the full care of a medical doctor at all times. The Vatican is big enough to give him full hospice care. I do not think a Monastary could afford to give him this kind of care and if I think it is his wish. He will die doing his duties or in his sleep.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Yes, I believe that he will pass while still in the saddle, as it were. We are blessed in our shepherd. I just really wanted to know what his status would be re: the cardinalate.

 

[davidc2]

Amadeus:

Dear David:

Prior to your own post, I scoured your website to find the answer to this “interesting” question but found none. Even Miranda’s site does not (or inadvertently fails) to dwell on this.

Thus, my own wild speculation.

It always nice to hear that someone finds the site useful

Amadeus:

Assuming that His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, resigns I think he should be at most referred to as “Pope Emeritus.” I know this could be the first time that this term is used but there is always a first time! ( A retired Eastern Patriarch is called “Patriarch Emeritus.”)

I agree that would likely be the title if it should ever occur.

Amadeus:

A Cardinal is created by decree of the reigning Pope. Conversely, a Cardinal should be subject to “uncreation” only by that original Pontiff. Since Pope Paul VI created Karol Wojtyla a Cardinal back in 1967 and Pope Paul VI is now deceased, Pope John Paul II remains a Cardinal at the very least.

I would have to disagree with you there. Any subsequent pope would also be capable of removing the Cardinal title and/or duties.

The interesting bit is that the Cardinal title is considered vacant (and then reassigned as needed) when one is elected pope. For example, Pope John Paul II held the cardinal title “Cardinal-Priest of S. Cesareo in Palatio” from 1967 until his election in 1978. But that title was noted as vacant from that time until 1985 when it was assigned to Andrzej Maria Cardinal Deskur (the current holder).

Amadeus:

…Section 2 of Canon 332 of the Latin Code of Canons provides that: “. . .Should it happen that the Pope resigns from office, it is required for validity that the resignation be freely made and properly manifested, but it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone.” The Latin Code does not specify who determines that the resignation is “freely made and properly manifested.”

Presumably the Pope Emeritus himself [talk about a catch-22 kinda rule ]

 

[Irish_Melkite]

davidc2:

It always nice to hear that someone finds the site useful

David,

You’re too modest. Your site is extraordinarily useful. I’d hazard a guess that I consult it more often than I do any other site on the web. Btw, I have a fair amount of historical data to send you on various of the Melkite sees and a few other Eastern and Oriental Catholic sees. Will get back to organizing it and start e-mailing it to you a bit at a time, so as not to overload.

Many years,

Neil

 

[davidc2]

Thanks Neil,
All such help is greatly appreciated. I’ve actually got about 6 months of data entry work backlogged at the moment - but I’m working my way through it

(One thing about the site - it’ll never be close to done