www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Can American be POPE? but why?

I don't think an American should be Pope. Not just because I'm not impressed with our current batch of Cardinals, but because I think the American religious experience is too difficult to be detached from - and that experience is often not compatible with the practice of the universal Church.

For example, note how few saints this country has produced. We are a Protestant country, and that makes it difficult for Catholics to really move out of that mindset completely. This way of viewing the faith infects all Americans - even Cardinals.

Note that I include myself in the above criticism. I grew up Protestant and have been Catholic for 12 years, but I know that I still have many non-Catholic impulses that are difficult to overcome in my practice of the Faith. Even cradle Catholics are not immune to this.

I hope for a pope from a country with a strong Catholic tradition - one that has produced many saints. But I will leave it up to the Holy Spirit, ultimately, because He can use anybody!

By Theist Gal:

Thanks for thinking of Francis Cardinal George of Chicago.

And if the Conclave Cardinals begin thinking outside of the College of Cardinals, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke of St. Louis, and Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley of Boston come to mind!

Don't you?

Amado

Well stated.

Randy, the Church believes in repentance and forgiveness. Do you have proof that Cardinal Law has not expressed contrition for his sins and has not received forgiveness? If not, then I think you ought to give the Church the benefit of the doubt. The demotion from archbishop to pastor of a parish in Rome is quite a punishment.

I ask that you refrain from posting news stories and then issuing judgment. If you have an opinion please express it clearly and completely. This means including an analysis of Church Teaching on the subject and why you believe your opinion is the one that should be agreed with.

Admin

According to electoral process, any Catholic male could be elected the Bishop of Rome. So theoretically, the cardinal-electors could select someone outside the College of Cardinals. The CIC and Universi Dominici Gregis certainly anticipate that this could happen:

(emphasis mine)

Charles Bransom,

are you familiar with the norms of the Ordo Rituum Conclavis ?

This is an interesting opinion. Can you provide some background as to how you arrived at such a condemnatory conclusion? It seems to me that the idea of a universal pastor is very compatable with American society. I can think of many priests and bishops who are excellent pastors to their parishes and shepherds to their dioceses. Why do you think that such a ministry makes them ill-equiped to be pope?

Shhh!! Don't jinx it!!

Good afternoon, Father Deacon John.

I do not yet have a copy of the Ordo Rituum Conclavis . Through the kindness of one of my priest friends, one of his friends who left for Rome on Sunday will be getting me a copy, but I will not have it until probably late next week. I assume (often a dangerous thing) that the Ordo will follow, in broad terms, the sequence of events contained in Universi Dominici Gregis .

VIS published the following notice: "At 4.30 p.m. on Monday, April 18 the entry into conclave and the oath for the election of the new Roman Pontiff will take place in keeping with the norms laid down by the "Ordo Rituum Conclavis." The cardinal electors, preceded by the Cross and the Book of the Gospels, and accompanied by the singing of the Litany of the Saints, will enter in procession from the Hall of Blessings to the Sistine Chapel where, after singing "Veni Creator," they will pronounce the prescribed oath.

In addition to the cardinal electors, others participating in the procession include the secretary of the conclave, the master of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, the secretary of the cardinal dean, the ecclesiastic who will preach the meditation, masters of ceremonies, the dean, ministrants, and the "Cappella Musicale Pontificia."

At 4 p.m., the note concludes, the following people may access the Sistine Chapel: the substitute of the Secretariat of State, the secretary for Relations with States, the prefect of the Pontifical Household, the two religious who supervise the sacristy, the priests charged with hearing confessions and the commander of the Swiss Guard. There will also be authorized personnel from the Swiss Guard, the healthcare authorities, the floreria (a Vatican office in charge of furnishings), photographers, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Television Center, and the Holy See Press Office." OCL/MASS ELECTION POPE:CONCLAVE/... VIS 050412 (420)

I will see if I can find any additional information and if I can, I will post it post haste.

Peace,

Charles

Francis Cardinal George is at the top of my list for Americans as well. Or Chaput, of Denver. But really, somehow the presence of Francis Cardinal George reminds me of JPII. He is not a divisive man, very humble. I heard him speak years ago, and have been impressed with his words ever since.

And of course we have the morally courageous Bishop Sheridan of Colorado Springs. And even though he's not from the US, I thought I'd mention another fine prelate, Bishop Henry of Calgary.

Each Cardinal I know does speak at least one other langague.

My own Bishop, Cardinal Maida speaks Italian and Polish (and some Spanish)

Most of the others know at least Spanish and\or Italian.

Seems to me that this discussion contains a built-in guarantee of a failure to edify. Here's the problem:

a) there is no question but that in principle the Cardinals are not impeded from electing an American to be Pope;

b) there could be a question as to whether any American Cardinal is properly qualified to become Pope; and

c) unless a red hat is concealed under a pseudonym, there is no Cardinal participating in this discussion.

As a result, nobody taking part in this discussion is entitled to a voice, let alone a vote, in the up-coming conclave. That puts all of us in a position of "irresponsibility" - meaning that we cannot be held responsible for the decision which the Cardinal-Electors will make. To make the discussion even less realistic, there is the temptation to purport to judge people whom we may not have even met.

So this is my first and last contribution to the thread. By the way, I am most emphatically not a Cardinal, nor have I the slightest reason to think that I shall ever be a Cardinal! It is, after all, better to be blessed than to be eminent.

Incognitus

Oh - now there is a clue to your identity

If I see a cleric hiding under [ oops -- wearing ] a red paper bag . or tiered bags it is NOT Incognitus.

That should help to narrow it down a bit :p .

Back to the packing :p

Anhelyna

The cardinals would never pick an American pope; the US dominates the world politically, militarily, and economically. The conclave wouldn't want to even give the impression that it also dominates the Church. Indeed, when my non-Catholic friends ask me who I think the new pope will be I say I have no idea, but the one thing I am sure of is he will not be an American.

So you're not a Cardinal, but one of the beati?

My apologies to incognitus, I did not mean to infer that he was posting from Abraham's bosom as a beatus. I intended to write since he is not a Cardinal (eminent/Eminence), he must be a Patriarch/Primate (blessed/Beatitude).