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 Post subject: Eligibility to be pope
PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 09:16 
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According to Church law, the only requirement to be eligible to be elected pope is to be a baptized male. So in theory, a non-Catholic could be elected pope, right?

Well, maybe. The pope must necessarily be a priest and a bishop, which have other requirements, some of which may be satisfied before he takes office. But one sticks out. A bishop cannot have been married, I eblieve. And yet we know that the first Pope, who was certainly a bishop, had been married.

Thoughts?

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 09:53 
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Someone somewhere observed that it's been a longer time since a non-Cardinal was elevated than since a Pope resigned.

While it would be interesting for any of several well-known Bishops or priests to be selected, it does seem unlikely. It would definitely need to be someone who's familiar with the Vatican and knows its ins and outs.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 09:55 
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Well, you must be a priest in order to celebrate the Mass, so I'm unsure how a "baptized Christian" would ever become Pope. They should update that rule even thought it would never happen.

In addition, I'm opposed to married priests, Bishops and Popes.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:03 
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com6063 wrote:
Well, you must be a priest in order to celebrate the Mass, so I'm unsure how a "baptized Christian" would ever become Pope. They should update that rule even thought it would never happen.

In addition, I'm opposed to married priests, Bishops and Popes.


The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, so any man selected, assuming he accepts, would need a crash course in seminary and Holy Orders.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:08 
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It would definitely need to be someone who's familiar with the Vatican and knows its ins and outs.



Why?

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:14 
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There was a time when I would have thought it doesn't matter, but in reading about some of Fr. Z's visits, and how the Vatican City really isn't as modern as the western world made me think.

I don't think a Pope necessarily needs to be a "Vatican Insider," privy to all the politics and that sort of thing, but it needs to be someone who can function in that environment.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:15 
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Jeff, Andrew, et al.

It is my understanding that any Baptized male could be selected to be Pope. If necessary that person would be then ordained Deacon, Priest, and Bishop. Logically speaking that probably won't happen. I know of no requirement that the Pope be unmarried.

We all know I'm sure of Holy men both Catholic and non-Catholic, Ordained and not ordained that could be good leaders of the church, but most everyone reading this Forum will not be sitting in the Conclave. If we believe (and we should) that The Holy Spirit guides the church, then the "right" person will be selected.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:16 
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I don't think a Pope necessarily needs to be a "Vatican Insider," privy to all the politics and that sort of thing, but it needs to be someone who can function in that environment.


I see your point I would amend it to say "or at least willing to fire everyone who give him a hard time"

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:19 
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Kardinal wrote:
The pope must necessarily be a priest and a bishop, which have other requirements, some of which may be satisfied before he takes office.

I remember reading somewhere that a baptised Catholic suffices and he need not necessarily be an ordained clergy to get elected. And on taking office, it went on, he must then be ordained. If I remember the article, it has happened at least once in the history of the Church. But I can't verify it at this point in time.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 10:20 
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Okay, Bob already posted what I wrote.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 12:58 
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Just because your handle says Kardinal doesn't mean you will be the next Pope Jeff. :)

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 15:46 
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Jeff,

As I understand it he need not even be baptised. He needs to be male.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 19:36 
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SCHULTZZKOPF wrote:
Just because your handle says Kardinal doesn't mean you will be the next Pope Jeff. :)

<laugh> The older I get, the more I realize I'm not qualified to be dog catcher, much less anything important. :)

I'm as guilty as anyone on this thread, but there've been no sources cited. I think we need to get some of those. If I were at home I would do so, but I'm on vacation a couple hours from home and not devoting enormous amounts of time to being online.

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PostPosted: 12 Feb 2013 22:41 
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I hope you have a relaxing and restorative vacation Jeff.

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PostPosted: 13 Feb 2013 05:37 
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Well I finally found one of the old threads from when JPII died and found this posted about the rules for the Election of the new Pope

UNIVERSI DOMINICI GREGIS

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