A reader writes:
I don’t know much about the Eastern Catholic Rites. Are there Eastern Cardinals? Are they eligable to become Pope? Would they then switch to the Latin Rite? If not, what would it mean for the Church?
In order: There are Eastern Cardinals. They are eligible to become Pope. What would happen regarding the different churches sui iuris within the Catholic Church if one were elected pope is unknown. Most likely the gentleman would maintain membership in two of the Churches sui iuris: his own and the Latin church.
It is unthinkable that he would quit his own and join the Latin church. The election of such a cardinal would be the finest moment of his native church, and it would be inconceivable for him to say "Now that I’m pope, I’m outta here. See ya later. I’m a Latin now."
Another reader writes:
I have heerd that a lay man can be elected Pope…Is this true or was it ever true?
You heerd right! In principle, a layman can be elected pope. Canon law requires that if the person elected pope is not yet a bishop that he be consecrated a bishop immediately, upon which he becomes pope (him having already accepted his election to the papacy prior to being consecrated a bishop).
The odds of this happening are about three billion to one.
Pointless but interesting question of the day:
Say the Pope gets canonized. Say you took a live picture of the Pope at some point. Would the camera (having touched photons that touched the Pope) be a 3rd or whatever class relic? Would the photo or negative be a relic?
Maureen, not a possessor of any photos of the Pope
The dicate that Cardinals be bishops is relatively recent. In the past, laymen were Cardinals, too.
The last non-bishop elected Pope was Gregory XVI in 1830. He was a Camaldolese Benedictine.
The last layman elected Pope was Callixtus III in 1455.
The last non-Cardinal elected Pope was Urban VI in 1378.
Comment to Liam:
The last non-bishop elected Pope was Gregory XVI in 1830. He was a Camaldolese Benedictine.
&
The last non-Cardinal elected Pope was Urban VI in 1378.
Contradict each other. (Unless the Camaldolese was a Cardinal)
The Camaldolese was a Cardinal. That was the point of my first sentence: “The dicate that Cardinals be bishops is relatively recent. In the past, laymen were Cardinals, too.”
Ah….I see
The odds of this happening are about three billion to one.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!
Jimmy, with your wide and deep proficiency in languages and apologetics, what are the chances that you could be elected Pope?
Having a bishop of Rome who is also an Eastern Catholic is just about the only thing that could possibly equal having an African bishop for sheer coolness. The Eastern Churches would love it, and it would sure push the envelop in dialogue with the Orthodox.
Aw, you should have included some Trivia Bonus Points if you could name one of the times a layman was elected Pope. Thanks to a homily I heard in sixth grade (or so) on his feast day, I know one: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05742d.htm
Actually, for most of the first millennium, it was unheard of for someone already a bishop to be elected Pope — that did not happen until the last century of that period, and there was great controversy over it because many felt it violated canons that were by then ancient.
For a long time, it was fairly common for senior deacons to be elected, inasmuch as they were more familiar with administration than the presbyterate.
I would love to see the old canon against transferring sees revived in modified form. If a bishop is married to his diocese, as is often said, then most of them should stick to one wife…. I would make an exception for mission territories and for someone being chosen as archbishop of his metropolitan province, and patriarch above that, et cet. I guess having seen how the bishop mill worked in the Boston archdiocese, I think we have overlooked some of the wisdom of the older tradition.
I’m with Steven – I would love to see an Eastern Rite bishop elected Pope. Or even a Chaldean or a Malabar Rite bishop. (Are there any Cardinals among the Malabar?)
It would make the point that the real centers of Catholicism in the world are tending south and east. And it wouldn’t hurt to remind the North Americans and Western Europeans that it isn’t all about them. There are certain Irish-Americans among my in-laws who don’t even realize that there are rites besides the Latin one.
How can a non-cardinal be elected pope if no non-cardinals are permitted into the Sistine Chapel for the conclave?
Would the cardinals vote for the guy without him even knowing it and then give him a phone call to tell him he’s just been elected pope?
Billy, I suppose that is possible. Just in case I think I’d better keep my cell phone with me once the conclave begins :-D.
Never tell me the odds!
The beauty of this system is that it tries to be totally open to God’s will, whatever it might be, but also allows God to manifest through normal human political processes. That shows a lot of trust in the Holy Spirit’s care for the Church.
Can a woman be elected pope? A priest today in his homily said that even a woman could become pope.
I have also heard that in the past there were young boys 11 years of age or so who were elected pope. Is this true?”
Dear Jane,
A woman cannot become pope. The canon states a catholic male. Your priest, as we say in psychiatric and philosphical technical terms is “coo-coo.” On the other hand, any catholic male who has reached the age of reason, say 7, could be elected pope. However, even strong archbishops (ABp. Martini in the conclave of John XXIII) wan’t in real contention, but got a few votes. As a practical matter, if you have not been consecrated a bishop by now, you have nothing to worry about.
Jimmy,
I’ve been reading that any baptized male that has reached the age of reason can become Pope. What about other canon law issues such as those required before one is ordained. Don’t those still apply? (e.g., must be 25 years old, can’t be married, etc.)? How can someone be ordained to priest/consecrated bishop/pope w/out these?
thanks – steve
Dispensations can be granted to get around the requirements for ordination.
I did a google search on ” eastern cathoic metropolitan voting cardinal conclave” and your wonderful website showed up .
Just some background on me: I was attending an Orthodox (Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia) between 1974 and 1976 when I was a student and then when I almost stopped believing in God (it was a crisis) I began attending a Byzantine Catholic (ruthenian) church in Orlando which was served (at that time) by a bi-ritual priest (priest who was considered ok by both latin and byzantine rites).
Over the years I did reading and researching of a personal nature on the various churches – and the Byzantine churches were truly persecuted by some of the more zealous faction of its Roman sister churches in the USA.
I’d like to echo some of the other posts and say, yes, it would be terrific if the MEtropolitian from Pittsburgh or someone of his stature were elected Pope.
I doubt it but still,it would be excellent and bring a sense of equality to the other components of what makes up the Catholic church.
The Catholic church is Catholic, not “Roman” – there is the Melkite uniate church (the official for this church is based in Newton Massachusetts), the Ruthenians (PAssiac NJ, Parma Ohio and Van Nuys California), Ukrainian (Stamford CT nationwide)…..
Most of these Byzantine churches either have married Deacons who assist with the Divine Liturgy and preach sermons (along with the reading of the Holy Gospel) or there are in fact married clergy (priests).
Our official in Newton ordained 3 married men to the priesthood within the past 5 years and he was not asked to “step down”.
Just my 2 cents, here.
Jimmy, where are you from? Are you a “good ol’ boy”?
MBW in NYC
adriaticnyc@yahoo.com
I have a couple of questions: Are there any age requirments for a pope? And are there any specific number of years of experience as a priest or a cardinal?
This would probably never happen…BUT…
just as a “what if”…what if a married
Catholic man (not a priest) were elected Pope…
would people be shocked? Would such a Pope be
likely to change laws/rules about priests (and
bishops, cardinals, etc) being allowed to be
married?
A lot of things, most likely, would change…
But it would probably never happen anyway. Darn.
The Pope is the Pope because he is the bishop of Rome. It is the fact of being bishop of that city which gives him his authority. Today the papacy is so internationalized we tend to forget that. How can an Eastern Rite Catholic be a Latin-rite Bishop, Patriarch of the West, and celebrant of the Roman Rite? The idea seems a contradiction, inless one becomes bi-ritual.
“Pope” is not some separate office. The man we call Pope is the bishop of Rome. The papacy can not be separated from the episcopacy. Therefore noone could be elected Pope who was ineligible to become Bishop of a Latin-rite diocese, Rome.