By LifeSiteNews (Faith) | Created at 2024-11-22 00:20:38 | Updated at 2024-11-23 12:53:34
1 day ago
Thu Nov 21, 2024 - 6:05 pm ESTThu Nov 21, 2024 - 4:28 pm EST
(LifeSiteNews) — Joining me on this episode of The John Henry Westen Show is Father Giorgio Maria Faré, OCD, a prominent Italian discalced Carmelite priest who recently declared in a viral sermon that Francis is not the pope because Benedict did not properly resign. We discussed the theological and canonical reasoning behind his controversial thesis, why he couldn’t remain silent, and more.
I began the episode by asking Faré why he decided to reveal his thesis, given the severe sanctions he may face. The priest told me it was a matter of conscience, and he could no longer remain silent while the truth was being denied by Pope Francis and millions of faithful were falling into error.
“The one who should be the living rule of faith cannot make ambiguous statements or worse statements contrary to doctrine. So, I asked myself, ‘If a divorced and ‘remarried’ person came to me and asked me, ‘how should I live,’ what should I do? Should I say what Jesus teaches in the Gospel, what St. John the Baptist sacrificed his life for or what Pope Francis says?’” Faré said.
The priest explained that after asking himself similar questions he came to the uncomfortable conclusion that Francis is not the pope.
“I could no longer continue this situation; I did not know exactly what would happen to me, but I imagined there would be consequences. Yet, I could not silence my conscience or deceive people just out of fear of the repercussions,” Faré said.
A bit later, I moved into Faré’s thesis asking him to explain why Pope Benedict saying, “I declare to renounce,” instead of “I renounce,” in his resignation is significant. The priest emphasized that the choice of words in a legal act is crucial.
“And in [this] specific case, the words used by Pope Benedict have a precise impact. Saying, ‘I declare to renounce,’ is not the same as saying, ‘I renounce.’ Let’s consider an example: If I say, ‘I declare to buy a car,’ this does not mean I’m purchasing the car at that moment. I am merely expressing an intention, but the actual action may never take place. Similarly, saying, ‘I declare to do something,’ in the legal context is not a definite act but merely a promise or an intention. To effectively renounce an office, one must state unequivocally that the action is taking place in the present. A correct formulation would be: ‘I renounce my office with immediate effect’ or ‘I declare that I am renouncing my office now,’” the priest said.
I then asked Faré, along the same lines, why Benedict resigning from the ministerium, or the visible execution of the office, instead of the munus, or the “office” of the papacy, is significant, and if using the incorrect terms in his resignation is really enough to invalidate the resignation. The priest noted that there has been much debate about these terms, with some canon lawyers suggesting they are synonyms.
“This is not true and there is substantial evidence to support this. Firstly, in [Canon 332 §2 of] the Code of Canon Law and the Apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus, munus and ministerium are used differently… The [1983] Code of Canon Law dedicates only one Canon to the renunciation of the Pope, Canon 332 §2. Which says, ‘If it happens that a Roman Pontiff resigns his office it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested, but not that it is accepted by anyone.”
“The Latin expression used by the canon to refer to the action of the Pope is muneri suo renuntiet, meaning ‘renounce his office.’ It is perplexing why Pope Benedict, in performing such a significant act, did not use the technical term, munus, specifically designed for this juridical act. Why choose a different word if he truly intended to renounce the papacy?” Faré said.
As to whether the use of the incorrect term is sufficient to invalidate the resignation, Faré said “yes.”
“[I]n law precision is crucial, especially for juridical acts of such importance. Imprecise or ambiguous terms can compromise clarity and render the act invalid. In these cases, the person’s intention must be clear, and there can be no confusion about what is being renounced.”
Watch or listen to my full interview to hear more from Fr. Giorgio Faré.
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John-Henry is the co-founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com. He and his wife Dianne have eight children and they live in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada.
He has spoken at conferences and retreats, and appeared on radio and television throughout the world. John-Henry founded the Rome Life Forum, an annual strategy meeting for life, faith and family leaders worldwide. He is a board member of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family. He is a consultant to Canada’s largest pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and serves on the executive of the Ontario branch of the organization. He has run three times for political office in the province of Ontario representing the Family Coalition Party.
John-Henry earned an MA from the University of Toronto in School and Child Clinical Psychology and an Honours BA from York University in Psychology.
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