What would happen if a non-Catholic were selected as Pope by the college of Cardinals?

[Matthew_Holford]

This would assume that relevant Church regulations were suspended, such as the requirement that a candidate has to be a cardinal (if there actually is such a regulation).

There is due to practice a de facto rule that the cardinals elect one of their number; they have been doing so for centuries. The de iure rule is that they can elect any Catholic male. As far as I’m aware there’s no current regulations written down about this. The Apostolic Constitution Universi dominici gregis, setting out the election rules, doesn’t say whom the cardinals may elect.

 

[dachsiemom2]

There would be a drug analysis of all of the food and drink consumed by the Cardinals.
Anyway, i dont think the Archbishop of Canterbury would accept the position; and Billy Grahams getting on a bit.

I love this response. Won’t happen.

 

[Jim_Roberts]

RE:

I cannot believe that you asked such a question.

It makes me so angry that I refuse to answer this.

Use common sense.

 

[Fink]

I cannot believe that you asked such a question.

It makes me so angry that I refuse to answer this.

Use common sense.

Don`t be a grouch!.
It provided a bit of humour for some of us.

Seriously: keep in mind that x1980x is a non-Catholic; so his question was an honest one.

 

[Digitonomy]

"Jim Roberts:

I cannot believe that you asked such a question.
It makes me so angry that I refuse to answer this.

And yet you replied. Discussing far-fetched and absurd questions is a common practice on this forum, as liturgical nerds try to tease out the limits of rules and doctrines. The moderators have not made any policy discouraging this kind of curiosity, nor do I think they should. If reading such questions makes you angry, it may be best to avoid participating in those threads rather than criticizing members for asking questions.:twocents:
Jim Roberts:

Use common sense.

In this case he did use common sense - he admitted in the OP that it was very unlikely this would ever happen. But he was still curious as to what the rules would be if something truly bizarre were to happen.

The de iure rule is that they can elect any Catholic male.

I’m not aware of any de jure rule requiring the candidate be Catholic, or even male. Obviously if not male, the pope-elect would be unable to be ordained to the episcopal state, and thus could not assume power. If the pope-elect refused to become Catholic, I doubt the conclave would permit him to be ordained. On the other hand, they did elect him.

 

[mdgspencer]

One interesting possibility that crossed my mind–if the Orthodox agreed to unite with the Catholic Church if the Patriarch of Constantiople was elected Pope. Of course, if this would be invalid, it could not be done.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Non-Catholic could mean someone who is still validly baptized, such as someone who is Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, etc. I believe if the Holy Spirit so chooses, then it will happen. Though the likelihood of it happening is probably lower than one’s chance in winning all the US state lotteries in the same week.

The Ecumenical Patriarch or any other Orthodox Patriarch are validly ordained Bishops. If they were to become Pope for example at the end of an reunification Ecumenical Council, then there is no other special thing to do. The Ecumenical Council would have declared the Church as reunited and the Patriarch would have been Catholic at that time.