by Anura Guruge
on June 2, 2022
Both these extracts from my ‘The Conclave‘ (2021) book.
(also see below)
This article (shown above) in the ‘NCR’ is ONLY of interest because the author is a ‘S.J.‘
The pope is STILL, per his own admission, a S.J. That is a fact. Whether he thinks that the Superior General of that order has sway over him is another matter. But, Francis’ real title should be: Francis, S.J.
Francis, S.J.
That is why this article is SCARY. The Jesuits are the ultimate fraternity. So, one way or another what is being touted in this article will get through to Francis. It is even possible that this article is echoing what Francis, S.J., is already talking about with his select inner-circle.
There are TWO issues here & Francis, S.J., could mess with either or both.
IF you are a Catholic (which also means that you prey), start preying ardently that Francis, S.J., will not touch either. IF he does he can wreak havoc — create untold mayhem.
The TWO issues are:
1/ The sacrosanct two-thirds majority for election which has NOT been diluted in over 840 years. 840 years. (The plus one was just an affectation by two very insecure popes).
2/ The RUNOFF process, just involving two candidates, after ’34’ rounds of balloting. Though it will be down to just two, the two-thirds majority still applies.
Yes, with the two-thirds requirement you can still have a protracted conclave even after the runoff process. But, that is for the good.
The RUNOFF is a new innovation, i.e., John Paul II in 1983. Yes, Benedict XVI tweaked it a bit to make sure that the two-thirds majority ALWAYS stood.
I will confess that I have problems with the runoff process. I would NOT have a problem if Francis, S.J., took that away completely. In other words, voting would carry on ad infinitum, per the usual rules, until a pope is eventually elected by a two-thirds majority. That process works — eventually. I am OK with that.
But, that is the ONLY change that will be good.
Anything else would create chaos.
Electing a pope with just a simple majority, i.e., 50%+1, will be a travesty.
It will diminish the papacy. The new pope would not have had a mandate from the cardinal electors.
This would be a mechanism to get a marginal candidate elected. With a simple majority Cardinal Tagle could be the next pope!
Reese. Yeh, typical Jesuit (there are significant exceptions–Fr. Mitch Pacqua being one example). And totally enthralled with “The Francis Agenda” — whatever THAT is — like a fan boy.
Not sure where or when the Jesuit order went off the tails and began to espouse a
“Reformist” (some would say Modernist) viewpoint. Sometime long after they were reconstituted in 1814, after their 1773 suppression, for sure…maybe post Vatican II?
Either way, generally UDG covers well-enough what COULD happen should a deadlock occur. Not that any conclave has lasted more than a few days since the dissolution of the Papal States in 1870.
My attitude (showing my Tennessee roots) is “if it ain’ broke, don’t fix it!”
Mark,
As you may recall B16 tweaked the UDG deadlock (i.e., runoff) process. JPII just wanted 50%. That would have ended the deadlock quick enough — but NOT satisfactorily. B16 went back to two-thirds. So, 1/3 can continue to block until … maybe … after 7-8 months one elector dies! You have said next conclave will be LONG. I am coming around to that. There is long & Loooonnnnggg. We can have a very long one. SMILE. Pax.