If the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and all Priests were wiped out in some strange disaster that targeted them all (a clergy targeting virus?) I’d presume the Catholic Church would end as a functioning entity on Earth. Since no new priests would be capable of being validly ordained. And by extension no Catholic’s sins could be forgiven via confession/reconciliation nor the Catholic Eucharist confected ever again.
My understanding is that presently, when a new Pope is being selected, not all of the eligible cardinals are present for the conclave in case of a terror attack which could kill all of those present for the election of a new Pope. I’m not certain how many of those cardinals would be absent.
The faith would continue until the last Catholic alive dies. Presumably, that would also be the end of the world since the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church. If there are no Catholics on Earth, the faith would be extinct. The faith would not become extinct until Christ returns and the need for faith will no longer be applicable.
Without the Priesthood, and in particular the bishops, there would no longer be an ability to chose a new Pope. Theoretically, the papacy could survive without the cardinals as selections of popes existed prior to the existence of cardinals.
This is a strange ‘what if’. What if the Earth were wiped off the Galaxy, is there a contingency plan in place?
Not true. Remaining Catholics would rely on Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Church of the East, and other Apostolic Churches - while persuading the clergy and hierarchs of the minor differences we find to be Truths of the Catholic faith. He’s already a validly ordained bishop, now Catholic.
No need - Jesus Christ gave his promise - the Gates of Hell will not prevail.
So you propose that the remaining Catholics could use the Orthodox and other Apostolic Churches to replenish the Catholic episcopacy and clergy? It’s a clever work around.
If all (and I presume, ALL, Orthodox included) priests (and bishops) were to be wiped off the face of the earth, there is no contingency plan. The Church collapses. For the Church to survive, we need at least one bishop.
Lets see the first one was covered in the comic book “Y” (admittedly they went the other way and all men dropped dead)
Are you concerned that this might really happen or are you just throwing it out there?
Well Christ said the gates of hell would never prevail against the church. That doesn’t preclude something like that from happening. The exercise here I think is to figure out how the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail in this theoretical situation.
Setting aside that fact that this is a virtual impossibility, the people of God, as Christ’s body, would elect a new pope and he would ordain new bishops. The office of pope doesn’t depend on him being ordained–he only needs to be a practicing Catholic man. Problem solved.
This is an interesting answer.
No, problem not solved.Setting aside that fact that this is a virtual impossibility, the people of God, as Christ’s body, would elect a new pope and he would ordain new bishops. The office of pope doesn’t depend on him being ordained–he only needs to be a practicing Catholic man. Problem solved.
I was about to say to another poster that his answer implies that the laity under no circumstance has apostolic power.Setting aside that fact that this is a virtual impossibility, the people of God, as Christ’s body, would elect a new pope and he would ordain new bishops. The office of pope doesn’t depend on him being ordained–he only needs to be a practicing Catholic man. Problem solved.
What if Hell froze over every year, because it really was in Michigan??
