Tag Archives: UDG

‘Pope Francis’ Confirms ‘Saint Gallen Group’ Claims, Says He Would Have Spurned Laws & Is Disingenuous.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 4, 2024

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Click to ENLARGE. Story on left from ‘AP‘, the other from ‘NCR‘. Find them on ‘Google‘.

Much of the ‘Pope Francis‘ news for the last 72-hours have been taken up with these conclave disclosures and whether he violated conclave secrecy. All to do with some interviews he did and his new book.

First and foremost, he did NOT violate conclave secrecy. I can assure you of that.

Popes can divulge what happened in conclave. They are the only ones that can do so — legitimately. Plus, a pope, within the Vatican, is ABOVE ALL LAWS! So, you can’t break any Church laws IF you are pope.

But, it goes further. conclaves, as of 1996, have been governed by an Apostolic Constitution known as ‘Universi Dominici Gregis‘ (UDG) — & some amendments to it. USG is THE LAW when it comes to conclaves.

UDG Clause 71 permits, explicitly, for a pope to permit the EXACT voting that took place within the conclave. That is the law.

Other popes, including ‘Good Pope’ John XXIII, have talked about what happened at their conclaves.

So, on the secrecy count, Francis is OK.

As for the 2005, Francis has basically CONFIRMED, word for word, the ‘Saint Gallen Group‘ account of their machinations. Wow. So we no longer need to skeptical as to whether they were being truthful. THEY WERE. Wow. Bravo.

But, now Francis, as ever, goes ROGUE.

He says he would have REFUSED the papacy, in 2005, if he got the votes.

That would have been NAUGHTY. He would have been SPURNING the law! He wasn’t pope at that juncture. He was still just another cardinal. Not above the law. He needed to obey the laws.

UDG Clause 86 states: “I also ask the one who is elected not to refuse, for fear of its weight, the office to which he has been called, but to submit humbly to the design of the divine will.”

But, Francis says he would have refused. Very arrogant of him.

Plus, I do NOT believe him for a minute! His ego would NOT have permitted him to REFUSE. He would have jumped in with both feet.

Per the Saint Gallen Group account, Francis (then Bergoglio), asked his peers to STOP voting for him. Very different. He had not got close to being elected. So, that is that.

NOW COMES THE PART WHERE FRANCIS IS BEING DISINGENUOUS.

He is doing this because he, prior to becoming, pope MIGHT have violated the laws, TWICE — both in 2005 & 2013.

This would make his 2013 election illegitimate!

So, he is not going to risk that.

What is he lying about.

Per the Gallen Group, post 2005, Francis knew ALL ABOUT THEM! So, he knew they were trying to get him elected. For Francis to have been a part of this is ILLEGAL. He is actually an antipope!

So, Francis says he had NO IDEA what the group was doing in 2013. Poppycock.

He confirms, word for word, what happened in 2005, and then has the gall to say he didn’t know anything about what they were doing in 2013.

Francis, like his buddy Trump, is dealing in ALTERNATE FACTS.

Francis should be deemed an antipope — an illegitimate pope.

IF The ‘Dean’ Was Precluded From Attending The Pre-Conclave ‘General Congregations’.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 8, 2023

Click to ENLARGE & view here. ‘Page 156 ‘Appendix B‘ of MY ‘The Conclave‘ book.

Right now as I dealt with yesterday, the Vatican is denying — with unnecessary vehemence — that there are no moves afoot, whatsoever, to modify the Conclave protocols. This follows the speculations a few days earlier that ‘Pope Francis‘ planned to changes the rules for ‘General Congregations’ — in the MAIN to preclude the over-80, non-elector cardinals from participating. As I then pointed out, that this change would not be that drastic — though, of course, the over-80s would resent it bitterly.

But, I got thinking about this on my daily 4-mile ambles in the morning.

The only change of SOME CONSEQUENCE to such a change would be that the DEAN, if over 80, will no longer be able to Preside over the General Congregations (GCs) as he has always done — even after the over-80 rulings.

I have often wondered whether this was good or bad. This is one of the anomalies, albeit not that great, in the current set of protocols.

An over-80 Dean presides over GCs (& most other matters that involve the entire College), BUT is NOT permitted to attend the Conclave.

The supposed Francis change (if it holds water) will fix that.

There will be continuity if the Dean is over 80. The same Cardinal Bishop who will Preside over the Conclave will also preside over the GCs. In a way that is good.

The Dean (albeit these days elected for 5-year (renewable) terms) invariably (though no longer as a guarantee) has a ton of experience & expertise in Vatican/Church matters & will know how to get stuff done. In 2013, ‘Angelo Sodano‘, though over-80, played quite role in pre-conclave happenings.

The current Dean, who was the one that EXPERTLY RAN the 2013 Conclave, i.e., ‘Giovanni Battista Re‘, is now 89. So, if the rules are changed he will be sidelines.

But, this is ALL SPECULATION right now.

Plus, I am no longer convinced that we will be seeing a sede vacante anytime soon!

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It Would Make A Lot Of Sense For Pope ‘Pope Francis’ To Promulgate A Constitution That Supersedes ‘Universi Dominici Gregis’ (UDG).

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by Anura Guruge
on November 6, 2023

Click to ENLARGE & view here. Page 156 of MY ‘The Conclave‘ book.

UDG came out in 1996 — 27-years ago.

It was UPDATED in 2013 (10-years ago) — by ‘Normas Nonnullas‘ (NN).

Now, rather than making MORE updates, it would behoove Pope Francis to promulgate a brand new, UPDATED & REVISED Apostolic Constitution that reflects today’s realties.

Yes, for a start he could totally eliminate the 120 max cardinal elector proviso. Don’t bother putting a limit — whether it be 135, 150, 175 or 250.

Just state the obvious & most logical. All cardinal electors could & should attend. End of subject. Rome has spoken.

All the updates from NN can & should be included — & maybe even updated.

There are still a few inconsistencies, even with NN, when it comes to sede vacante caused by death vs resignation. Let’s get all of those eliminated once and for all. Resignations will happen in the future.

Francis should make other changes he sees fit. The speculations about changing the rules for ‘General Congregations’ fall into this. It is his prerogative.

That said, in the end it would be curial STAFF who will draw up the final Constitution. It is said that John Paul II was heavily involved, hands-on, with UDG. That might explain why it was not as watertight as it should have been. (I discuss many of the irregularities in ‘The Conclave‘.) This time around Canon Lawyers must do the final draft.

Despite today’s news that he was feeling unwell, Francis has time. The curia might already be working on it.

So, I am ALL in favor of a new Constitution. HOW EXCITING. Smile.

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IF The 120 Elector Limit Is Overridden Without A Pope Francis Edict, Can Over-80 Cardinals Revolt?

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by Anura Guruge
on June 23, 2022

Click to ENLARGE & read here. From John Paul II’s UDG, the PREVAILING LAW.
Click image to access this pivotal post from 12-days ago.

So the issue here is what would happen IF there were to be a conclave with over 120 electors on deck AND Pope Francis had NOT overridden the 120 MAX limit with an edict.

The growing consensus, that I have reluctantly come to agree with, is that ALL the cardinal electors WILL be PERMITTED to participate in the conclave IRRESPECTIVE of the 120 limit stated by THE LAW. OK. This now seems to be a given.

But have a look at Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG) — above.

The 120 max limit & the 80-year cut-off for attendance are BOTH stated in the same clause, i.e., #33.

So, what folks are saying is that the 120 limit part of clause #33 can be (casually) overridden. OK?

Then what about the over-80 restriction?

In the same clause. We override one part not the other?

I am pretty certain that some cardinals, in particular those over 80, will question that!

That really would put a cat among the pigeons.

Letting ALL of Francis’ appointees attend, irrespective of the 120-limit, strengthens the chance that the Next Pope will have pro-Francis sentiments.

But, if ALL the over 80s are allowed to attend, the Francis camp will be overrun!

The supreme irony.

Canny Paul VI instituted the over-80 rule to make sure that HIS SUCCESSOR will be like him.

Now the converse can happen.

What FUN?

Think about it.

Major Reconsideration. Pope Francis Can Override The 120 Elector Limit At Will Per John XXIII Precedent!

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by Anura Guruge
on June 11, 2022

Click to ENLARGE & read here. From page 96 of my ‘The Conclave‘ book.
Click to ENLARGE & read here. From page 153 of my ‘The Conclave‘ book.

I have been very adamant for a very long time that no more than 120 electors will be able to participate in a conclave without a new edict from the pope overriding Paul VI’s 1973 edict and the prevailing papal constitution, viz. Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG).

After a lot of thinking I have now come to the conclusion that I could have been wrong!

Why?

John XXIII, in 1958, did NOT issue an edict saying he was overriding Sixtus V longstanding 70 max cardinal limit. He just went ahead and created more than 70. Yes, things were more fluid those days. The prevailing constitution did not mention any limits as to how many cardinals could attend a conclave.

So, on John XXIII’s death, in 1963, 80 cardinals participated in the conclave. That was 10 above Sixtus V’s 70 limit.

I think the same can happen now.

The pope has spoken.

If there are more than 120 electors at the next conclave, ALL of them will probably be allowed to attend & vote — irrespective of the 120 limit in UDG!

This is BIG.