Pope, Papacy and the Vacant See in a Text of Saint Antoninus of Florence and in the Thought of Bishop Guérard Des Lauriers
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POPE, PAPACY AND THE VACANT SEE IN A TEXT OF SAINT ANTONINUS OF FLORENCE AND IN THE THOUGHT OF BISHOP GUÉRARD DES LAURIERS BY FATHER FRANCESCO RICOSSA TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY SEMINARIANS OF MOST HOLY TRINITY SEMINARY, FROM THE FRENCH VERSION IN SODALITIUM N° 66, p. 4-24. PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. N THE CONSISTORY OF FEBRUARY 11, resignation could indeed serve as a concrete 2013, Benedict XVI announced his example to help us understand the distinction “resignation from the office of Bishop of between the man elected to the Papacy, the Rome, Successor of Saint Peter”. He specified Papacy itself, and the accidental union2 between I the See would be vacant effective this person and the Papacy, which depends also February 28, at 8 p.m. On (although not exclusively) March 13, Jorge Mario on a human act elicited by Bergoglio was elected in the will. For if Benedict XVI Joseph Ratzinger’s place, was Pope,3 he was Pope presenting himself to the only until February 28 at 8 world as the new “Bishop of p.m., and the next instant he Rome”. Our views (for what would have absolutely they are worth) were ceased to be Pope, putting expressed in two press to an end by a single act of releases: one of February 11, in which we foresaw “the night would get darker 2003), in a response to La Tradizione cattolica on the subject still”; the other on March 15, in which we saw in of sedevacantism. Bergoglio’s election the realization of a forecast 2 What is meant by ‘accidental union’? For the reader’s understanding, it should suffice to point out the difference made all too easily. In this article, I do not plan between an unum per se and an unum per accidens. An unum to zoom in on Bergoglio’s actions (I cannot say per se is the union in a subject of two things which have to be one by the very essence of the subject, in such a way that, government), for these are seen by everyone. if the union is broken, the essence of the subject is lost. E.g., Rather, we will review what is a Sovereign body and soul together form an unum per se which Pontiff in the Church, especially in the process constitutes the essence of man. At death, body and soul are separated, and the essence man is lost: there remains only a by which a man who was not born as Successor corpse and the separated soul. An unum per accidens, on the of Peter and Vicar of Christ becomes or ceases to other hand, is the union in a subject of things which go be one, or finds an obstacle to become one. In together, but not essentially or necessarily, in such a way that, if the accident is separated from the subject, the short, I will once again treat of the election to subject does not lose its essence. E.g.: the color of a wall. If the Sovereign Pontificate, a topic our review the color is changed, the wall will still be a wall. The union of the Papacy with a man is also an unum per accidens, for a already touched upon in the past, albeit from man retains his human nature with or without the Papacy, other points of view.1 Joseph Ratzinger’s regardless of whether he is Pope or not. (T.N.) 3 “If he was Pope,” Benedict XVI would have ceased to be Pope by his resignation. But since Benedict XVI was not – 1 Sodalitium has dedicated itself on several occasions to the formally – Pope, but was pope only materially, he did not topic of papal elections: e.g., in issue 54 (December 2002) cease to be Pope (for he has never been it), but he only with an article entitled The election of the Pope; in issue 62 canonically ceased to be the elect of the conclave and the (May 2009), when we asked the question Is Episcopal canonical occupant of the Apostolic See, which became Consecration necessary to be Pope?; in issue 55 (November completely vacant at that moment. – I – his will that special relation in his person to ST. PETER, FIRST SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, WAS Christ in which the Papacy formally consists, as ELECTED IMMEDIATELY BY CHRIST we shall discuss shortly. An interesting text of Saint Antoninus of First, let us recall the difference between Peter Florence will come to our aid. The text is taken and his successors with regard to the election: from his Summa Sacræ theologiæ,4 to which our Peter was elected Pope directly by Christ, attention was brought by one of our mindful whereas all other Popes were elected by the readers.5 Antoninus Pierozzi of Florence (1389- Church.8 It was Christ Himself who, after Peter’s 1459) was a Dominican (1405) and founder of the divinely assisted confession of faith in His convent of San Marco in Florence. He was divinity,9 gave to Simon the name Peter.10 Christ consecrated a Bishop of his home town in 1446, also explained the meaning of this name: “Thou and was canonized in 1523.6 The reader will art Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church”.11 become aware of the fact that the famous Jesus Christ is Himself the stone which is the distinction materialiter-formaliter in the Papacy, ‘head of the corner’ on which the building has to adopted by Bishop be built,12 the Guérard des unshakable rock on Lauriers, was which to build the already found in house,13 and He the writings of the promises that great Simon would be commentators on this Rock with St. Thomas, such Him. Christ as Cardinal Cajetan promises the keys and John of St. to the Kingdom of Thomas,7 and that Heaven which is it was well-known the Church, and to both St. the power to bind Antoninus as to and loose.14 After Agostino Trionfo, who was a contemporary of the Resurrection, Christ fulfilled His promise in St. Thomas. His first apparition in Galilee. Christ is the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for His sheep: there 8 Cajetan, De Comparatione Auctoritatis Papæ et Concilii, 4 Eximii Doctoris Beati Antonini Archiepiscopi Florentini, #269, 284, 563, etc. Ordinis Prædicatorum, Summæ Sacræ Theologiæ, juris pontificii 9 “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). St. et cæsareii (tertia pars, titulus XXI, § 3). Peter confessed with divine assistance, in the name of the 5 Patricio Shaw, to whom we are very grateful. whole Church, faith in the messianic mission (Thou art 6 In the relevant passages, St. Antoninus naturally quotes Christ) and in the divinity of Jesus (Thou art the Son of the the Augustinian Agostino Trionfo d’Ancône (1243-1328), living God). It should be noted how Caiphas the High Priest, who was ordered by John XXII to write the Summa de condemned Our Lord to death as a blasphemer for the same Potestate Ecclesiastica (1324-1328), against the errors of reasons: “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if Marcillius of Padua. In another writing, Trionfo also thou be the Christ the Son of God” (…). The Sanhedrin of defended the reasons and memory of Boniface VIII. the Jews thus opposes itself to the Church, as Peter to 7 Thomas de Vio, better known as Cajetan (1468-1533), was Caiphas, and as God the Father, who revealed to Peter a Dominican, and Superior-General of the Order (1508). He Jesus’s divinity, opposes Himself to the Father of Lies, of became Cardinal in 1517 and wrote his De Auctoritate Papæ whose side Caiphas and the Jews are (cf. John 18:14). et Concilii in 1511 (last edition: Rome, Angelicum, 1936). A 10 Jn. 1:42; Lk. 6:14. long citation of this work can be found in chapter XX of 11 Matt. 16:18. Bishop Donald J. Sanborn’s De Papatu Materiali (ed. Centro 12 Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17-18; Acts 4:11; Romans Librario Sodalitium). John of St. Thomas (1589-1644), a 9:31; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Peter 2:4-8; cf. Ps. 117:22. Dominican Portuguese, treats of this question in his Cursus 13 Matt. 7:24. Theologicus; Tractatus de auctoritate Summi Pontificis, disp. II. 14 Matt. 16:19. – II – would be one fold, under one Shepherd, Who is THE MATERIAL ASPECT OF THE PAPACY: THE Jesus Christ.15 By becoming a single thing with ELECTION Christ, however, Peter also receives the care over Christ’s fold: “Feed My lambs, feed My sheep.”16 Since we chose to quote Saint Antoninus, Thus, it is only in the case of Peter the Apostle let us see what the Dominican bishop writes on that both the formal aspect of the Papacy the subject matter: “Such power remains in the (“Behold I am with you” and “Feed My lambs, feed Church and in the College with respect to that which My sheep”17), and the material aspect (the is material in the Papacy, since after the death of the designation and the election) come immediately Pope the College is able, through election, to determine from Christ “Tu es Petrus.”18 a person to the Papacy, that it be such or such a one”; “if by the term ‘Papacy’ one means the election and the THE SUCCESSORS OF PETER, ON THE determination of the person, this is what constitutes in CONTRARY, ARE DESIGNATED BY THE CHURCH the Papacy the material element”; “(…) as to the election and the determination of the The other Popes after person, this is like to the material St.