- Purpose of this Article
The Apostolic Constitution 'Universi Dominici Gregis' (UDG) promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 22 February 1996, concerns the lawful Apostolic succession of the successor of Peter, the Roman Pontiff. The document establishes new rules for the election of subsequent Popes. The current Pope, Benedict XVI, was elected under these rules. Certainly, he has the authority to change the rules for the election of his successor, but as long as he does not do so, the rules established by Pope John Paul II remain in effect.
This article will explain certain problems in this document, especially with regard to the election of the second Pope after Pope Benedict XVI. This article does not claim that any provision or norm within the document is contrary to faith or morals, nor illicit or invalid, nor generally unwise. Rather, the article asserts that some norms within the document will be impossible to follow in certain circumstances, and that other norms would be harmful to the faithful if followed in certain circumstances, and that these norms may be substantially revised by the Cardinals, for grave reasons, once the See is vacant.
Furthermore, the article argues that certain statements within UDG, which present this norms as if they were irreformable except by a subsequent Pope, are not binding to the extent of preventing the Cardinal electors from substantially revising these norms in grace circumstances. For example:
“Wherefore, after mature reflection and following the example of my Predecessors, I lay down and prescribe these norms and I order that no one shall presume to contest the present Constitution and anything contained herein for any reason whatsoever.” (UDG, n. 92, promulgation)
The above statement contains an inherent contradiction. Infallible teachings are irreformable; no one may contest such a teaching for any reason whatever, because such teachings are Divine Revelation. But no norm is irreformable. A norm is a set of rules or guidelines based on both prudential decisions about temporal matters and on a prudent application of the teachings of the Church on faith and morals. Decisions of the prudential order by the Church are never infallible and never irreformable. The teachings of the Church can be applied to temporal circumstances in any number of different ways, each of which would still be in accord with faith and reason. Such an application may change substantially if the circumstances change substantially. Therefore, these norms can be contested and altered, by the Cardinal electors of the Church, if they have grave reasons to do so, after one Pope has died and the next Pope has not yet been elected.
The need of the Church to have a Pope outweighs any particular set of norms for his election. If the Cardinals are faced with a choice of being unable to elect a Pope according to these norms or of leaving the Church without a Pope indefinitely, then they can and must substantially revise these norms and elect a Pope.
- What Would Jesus Do?
Now I know that certain Pharisees in the Church will inevitably put temporal regulations above Love, Mercy, Judgment, and the Will of God (as if temporal regulations could ever fully express the ineffable truths of Faith). But Christ himself dispensed with temporal rules whenever these conflicted with the weightier matters of the Law, such as love and mercy.
[Luke 6]
{6:1} Now it happened that, on the second first Sabbath, as he passed through the grain field, his disciples were separating the ears of grain and eating them, by rubbing them in their hands.
{6:2} Then certain Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbaths?”
{6:3} And responding to them, Jesus said: “Have you not read this, what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him?
{6:4} How he entered into the house of God, and took the bread of the Presence, and ate it, and gave it to those who were with him, though it is not lawful for anyone to eat it, except the priests alone?”
{6:5} And he said to them, “For the Son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”
{6:6} And it happened that, on another Sabbath, he entered into the synagogue, and he taught. And there was a man there, and his right hand was withered.
{6:7} And the scribes and Pharisees observed whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might thereby find an accusation against him.
{6:8} Yet truly, he knew their thoughts, and so he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up and stand in the middle.” And rising up, he stood still.
{6:9} Then Jesus said to them: “I ask you if it is lawful on the Sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? To give health to a life, or to destroy it?”
{6:10} And looking around at everyone, he said to the man, “Extend your hand.” And he extended it. And his hand was restored.
{6:11} Then they were filled with madness, and they discussed with one another, what, in particular, they might do about Jesus.
- Historical Needs of the Moment
“…the Supreme Pontiffs have deemed it their special duty, as well as their specific right, to establish fitting norms to regulate the orderly election of their Successor. Thus, also in more recent times, my Predecessors Saint Pius X, Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII and lastly Paul VI, each with the intention of responding to the needs of the particular historical moment, issued wise and appropriate regulations in order to ensure the suitable preparation and orderly gathering of the electors charged, at the vacancy of the Apostolic See, with the important and weighty duty of electing the Roman Pontiff.” (UDG, prologue)
Notice that, despite presenting these norms as if they were irreformable, Pope John Paul II notes that numerous previous Popes have established different norms for the election of successors, “each with the intention of responding to the needs of the particular historical moment.” He also refers to these norms as “appropriate” and “suitable” for “the important and weighty duty of electing the Roman Pontiff.” Clearly the duty to elect a successor outweighs what was judged to be appropriate and suitable by a past Pope in a previous historical moment. This passage implicitly teaches us that grave changes in the needs of the historical situation can render these norms reformable, based on the grave duty to provide the Church with continuous Apostolic succession.
- The Temporal Authority of a Deceased Pope
“As determined above, I hereby declare abrogated all Constitutions and Orders issued in this regard by the Roman Pontiffs, and at the same time I declare completely null and void anything done by any person, whatever his authority, knowingly or unknowingly, in any way contrary to this Constitution.” (UDG, n. 92, promulgation)
This declaration would seem to prevent the Cardinals and Bishops, after the death of a Pope, from altering the rules for electing the next Pope. Certainly, an infallible teaching of a Pope cannot be changed, even by subsequent Popes or by the entire body of Bishops. But a set of temporal norms is not an infallible teaching. The reason that a Pope cannot bind the Church forever to any particular temporal norms is that the authority of the Church in spiritual and temporal matters cannot diminish over time. If each successor to Peter could make irreformable rules for the Church in subsequent generations, then subsequent Popes, Cardinals, and Bishops would have ever less authority. Since Christ gave the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to Peter, each successor of the Apostle Peter has the same kind and degree of authority, without diminution. And since the Bishops are the successors to the other Apostles, who were given roles as true Apostles under Peter's authority, leadership, and guidance, they too cannot have their Apostolic authority lessened with each passing generation.
Now historically, several Popes have tried and failed to bind the Church forever to a particular temporal decision or norm or regulation. Pope Sixtus V, after completing his version of the Latin Vulgate Bible, issued a Papal Bull, Aeternus ille, which forbid changing the Sixtus V edition of the Vulgate: “not even the smallest particle should be altered, added or removed” under pain of “greater excommunication.” Yet Pope Clement VIII did substantially change the edition; the resultant Clementine edition was used by the Church for hundreds of years afterward. Pope Sixtus V lacked the authority to bind the Church forever to one particular edition of the Bible. For the temporal authority of a deceased Pope is limited, and his temporal decisions are not irreformable.
In the Papal Bull 'Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio,' of 15 February 1559, Pope Paul IV tried to make a set of rules which would not only govern the elevation of the clergy to various positions of authority in the Church, but would nullify elections of subsequent Popes under certain circumstances.
“Adding that if at any time it will be found that some bishop, even conducting himself as an archbishop or patriarch or already mentioned cardinal of the Roman Church, even, as shown, a legate, or even a Roman Pontiff, before his promotion or assumption as cardinal or as Roman Pontiff had deviated from the Catholic Faith or fallen into some heresy, before his promotion or assumption as Cardinal or as Roman Pontiff, that promotion or assumption concerning him, even if made in concord and from the unanimous assent of all the cardinals, is null, void and worthless….” (CEAO, n. 6)
“…with this Our Constitution to be valid in perpetuity…. By these words We at least specifically and expressly repeal all those things whose tenors are in proportion to the present things expressed and all of the other contrary things whatever…. Therefore, it is permitted to no one to impair this page of Our approval, renewal, sanction, statute, wills of repeal, of decrees, or to go contrary to it by a rash daring deed. If anyone moreover will have presumed to attempt this, he will incur the wrath of almighty God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.” (CEAO, n. 3, 8, 10).
The problem with this norm is that it would call into doubt each and every subsequent Pope's legitimacy, because although the Pope cannot fall into heresy while he is Pope, he is not prevented from the sin of heresy during the period of his life prior to his election. Since we cannot know, throughout the entire life of any Pope, whether or not at some point in the past he might have been an occult heretic, this rule would undermine every subsequent Pope. It would also leave it to the judgment of each individual to decide if the Pope was ever a heretic and was therefore not a valid Pope.
Although Pope Paul IV tried to word this set of norms so that it would be remain in force in perpetuity, he (like all Popes) lacked the authority to bind subsequent Popes, and the Church in general, to temporal norms, in perpetuity, after his death. Therefore, these norms were valid and licit during the reign of Pope Pius IV, but they do not bind or apply to subsequent Popes. If a subsequent Pope was once a heretic (or was once a Protestant), and later he repented and afterward was elected Pope, his election would still be valid and licit, despite the attempt of this document to establish a binding and irreformable temporal norm over the election of subsequent Popes.
The need of the Church to have a Pope whose legitimacy is beyond question is greater than this temporal norm which attempts to automatically invalidate any future Pope's election, even if all the Cardinals were in agreement, based on a sin of heresy prior to the election. Pope Paul IV had the full spiritual and temporal authority that each valid successor of the Apostle Peter holds. But all such successors, including Pope John Paul II, lack the authority to make a temporal regulation or set of norms which would bind future Popes, or the body of Cardinals and Bishops in the absence of a Pope, to such an extent that grave circumstances and the dire needs of the Church on earth would not overrule such regulations or norms.
- Who Holds the Keys?
Now some might claim that Cardinals and Bishops do not have the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, but only the successor to Peter. There is even an erroneous idea among some Catholics that we are only to follow the teachings and temporal decisions of the Popes, and that Bishops have no role or authority other than to reiterate what the Pope has taught and decided; but this idea is heretical. Although the Cardinals and Bishops, both individually and as a group, do not have the same kind and degree of authority as the successor to Peter, they nevertheless hold the authority of true Apostles.
“For it is the duty of all bishops to promote and to safeguard the unity of faith and the discipline common to the whole Church…. Bishops, as successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord, to whom was given all power in heaven and on earth, the mission to teach all nations and to preach the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain to salvation by faith, baptism and the fulfillment of the commandments. To fulfill this mission, Christ the Lord promised the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and on Pentecost day sent the Spirit from heaven, by whose power they would be witnesses to Him before the nations and peoples and kings even to the ends of the earth.” (Lumen Gentium, n. 23-24)
In the absence of a Pope, the Bishops of the Church have a duty and a right, as the successors to the Apostles, as those who have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Episcopal degree at Ordination, “to promote and to safeguard the unity of faith and the discipline common to the whole Church.” When there is no current successor to Peter (because the previous Pope has died and the next Pope has not yet been elected), the keys to the kingdom of Heaven are held by the body of Bishops, led by the Cardinals, in safekeeping for the next Petrine successor. They cannot use these keys to exercise any authority that is solely given to the Roman Pontiff, such as Papal Infallibility, nor can they hold an Ecumenical Council without a Pope to rule over it. But they can exercise the full temporal authority of the Church, in the absence of a Pope, including changing the temporal norms used to determine the successor of Peter. Once a Pope is dead, the Cardinals and Bishops hold the temporal authority of the Church, and under grave necessity (such as war or civil disorder or schism) they can amend these rules and validly elect a true Pope, while dispensing with any or all of the requirements of Universi Dominici Gregis, as they see fit.
Pope John Paul II himself admitted the need for changes to the norms for electing a Pope:
“I have made some modifications in order to adapt its procedures to present-day circumstances…. Finally, I have deemed it necessary to revise the form of the election itself in the light of the present-day needs of the Church and the usages of modern society.” (UDG, prologue)
He also admitted that the Cardinals hold the temporal authority of the Church in the absence of a Pope:
“During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the government of the Church is entrusted to the College of Cardinals solely for the dispatch of ordinary business and of matters which cannot be postponed (cf. No. 6), and for the preparation of everything necessary for the election of the new Pope.” (UDG, n. 2)
Therefore, if it is a matter which cannot be postponed and which is necessary for the election of the new Pope, then the Cardinals have the authority of the Church to make those necessary decisions. Now Pope John Paul II also attempted to bind the Cardinals irrevocably to the norms of UDG:
“This task must be carried out in the ways and within the limits set down by this Constitution: consequently, those matters are to be absolutely excluded which, whether by law or by practice, come under the power of the Roman Pontiff alone or concern the norms for the election of the new Pope laid down in the present Constitution.” (UDG, n. 2)
But this attempt to bind the Cardinals from exercising the temporal authority of the Church, when grave reasons pertaining to the needs of the entire body of the faithful on earth are present, is itself not binding to the extent that Pope John Paul II claimed. He had the authority to bind the Cardinals under ordinary circumstances, even over and above just reasons that the Cardinals might have for altering the norms. But he lacked the authority to bind the Cardinals over and above grave reasons pertaining to the needs of all the faithful on earth. Therefore, his statement that changes are 'to be absolutely excluded' is not valid to an absolute extent; it cannot withstand grave reasons based on the needs of the entire Church on earth to have a successor to Peter to guide them.
- Authority of the Cardinal Electors
Now even Pope John Paul II himself admitted the possible need for the Cardinals to make authoritative decisions concerning the election of a new Pope beyond what UDG prescribes.
“Should doubts arise concerning the prescriptions contained in this Constitution, or concerning the manner of putting them into effect, I decree that all power of issuing a judgment in this regard belongs to the College of Cardinals, to which I grant the faculty of interpreting doubtful or controverted points. I also establish that should it be necessary to discuss these or other similar questions, except the act of election, it suffices that the majority of the Cardinals present should concur in the same opinion.” (UDG, n. 5)
“In the same way, should there be a problem which, in the view of the majority of the assembled Cardinals, cannot be postponed until another time, the College of Cardinals may act according to the majority opinion.” (UDG, n. 6)
“In the first General Congregations provision is to be made for each Cardinal to have available a copy of this Constitution and at the same time to have an opportunity to raise questions about the meaning and the implementation of its norms.” (UDG, n. 12)
It is clear that the Pope envisioned that these doubtful points and problems which could not be postponed would be rather limited in extent, and that these would not substantially revise the norms of this Constitution. However, it is also clear that he gave to the Cardinal electors the authority to make decisions concerning these norms. Therefore, under grave circumstances, the Cardinal electors can licitly extend the authority noted in this provision of the Constitution, even to the extent of substantially revising the norms of the Constitution itself. The majority of the Cardinal electors (those who remained in communion with the most recent Pope prior to his death) can “act according to the majority opinion.” Under grave necessity, they might even revise or dispense with the entire Constitution.
- Grave Reasons
Based on the above considerations, it is clear that, once a Pope has died and the Seat of Peter is vacant, the Cardinals and Bishops hold the temporal authority of the Church, even to such an extent as to deviate from or nullify the requirements of UDG, for grave reasons pertaining to the needs of the entire Church on earth.
But what are those grave reasons?
There are several norms within UDG which, in certain circumstances, would render the Cardinals completely unable to both follow the norms and elect a successor to Peter.
1. Location
The norms of UDG require the election to take place in Vatican City. But if the Cardinals are unable to meet in Vatican City, due to war and civil disorder, they would be unable to elect a new Pope according to these norms. (cf. UDG, n. 40, 76, and numerous other paragraphs).
Now everyone in the world is aware of the present situation (as I write this in November of 2006), that Muslim extremists have, over the past several years, become increasingly violent. The threat of war between Europe and the Arab/Muslim nations of the Middle East and northern Africa does exist. But in addition, I understand from my study of Catholic eschatology and from my interpretation of the Bible that such a war will occur during the 2010's. During this war, World War III, the Arab/Muslim nations of the Middle East and northern Africa, led by extremists, will attack and conquer Europe. They will capture the successor to Pope Benedict XVI in 2012; he will die while in captivity. They will also capture and occupy Rome and Vatican City, and will lay waste to the Vatican buildings and to the Churches of Rome. Thus, the Cardinals will be unable to hold the election for his successor in Vatican City, as the norms require. (See my other articles for more details about this situation.)
2. Timing
Because of the war and the uncertainty about how to elect a new Pope if the norms of UDG cannot be followed, the election will not be able to begin with the timing required by UDG.
“I furthermore decree that, from the moment when the Apostolic See is lawfully vacant, the Cardinal electors who are present must wait fifteen full days for those who are absent; the College of Cardinals is also granted the faculty to defer, for serious reasons, the beginning of the election for a few days more. But when a maximum of twenty days have elapsed from the beginning of the vacancy of the See, all the Cardinal electors present are obliged to proceed to the election.” (UDG, n. 37)
The maximum number of days from the vacancy of the See to the beginning of the election is 20 days. The Cardinals and Bishops will not be able to meet this deadline. The successor to Pope Benedict XVI will be imprisoned in Iraq. The Cardinals and Bishops might not know the exact day of his death, or they might not find out the exact day of this death, until weeks later. Also the war and civil violence in the world will make it impossible for the Cardinals to be able to meet, in any location, within the required 20 days.
3. Electors
The norms of UDG require the electors to be the Cardinals of the Church who are under 80 years of age at the time of the death of the Pope.
“The right to elect the Roman Pontiff belongs exclusively to the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church, with the exception of those who have reached their eightieth birthday before the day of the Roman Pontiff's death or the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant. The maximum number of Cardinal electors must not exceed one hundred and twenty. The right of active election by any other ecclesiastical dignitary or the intervention of any lay power of whatsoever grade or order is absolutely excluded.” (UDG, n. 33).
Certain circumstances will occur which will make adherence to this provision harmful to the Church, if not entirely impossible. During the reign of the successor to Pope Benedict, the great apostasy will being. The Pope will require the faithful to believe and practice the true Catholic faith, and many Catholics will leave the Church as a result. Most lay persons, very many religious, many priests, and even a significant number of Bishops and Cardinals will leave the true Church. This crisis will reduce the number of voting Cardinals.
Also, because of the war in Europe and the civil disorder around the world, many Cardinal electors will be unable to travel to meet for an election. Others, although able to travel, will be uncertain as to where the election should take place, or under what circumstances it should occur. Some will not be willing to participate in an election that is not in accord with UDG; they will want to wait until after the war. These conditions will very substantially reduce the number of Cardinal electors participating in any election.
But there is even a more grave condition threatening such an election.
Some of those Catholics who will leave the Church during the great apostasy will next, under the leadership of certain schismatic Bishops and Cardinals, attempt to set up their own Church. When the successor to Pope Benedict XVI dies, and the election cannot take place in Vatican City because of the war, they will attempt to elect their own Pope. Thus, two elections will take place, one of a true Pope and the other of a well-meaning but misguided antipope. But neither election will be able to adhere to the provisions of UDG, so there will be doubt among the faithful as to which is the true Pope. Some will even claim that neither is the true Pope.
Because there will be two elections for the Pope, one held by those who departed (publicly or secretly) from the Church, it will be of grave importance to have a sufficient number of electors who are representative of the universal Church. Otherwise the faithful would be seriously harmed by not knowing who to believe and which pope to follow. I am not certain which election will be held first, the true one or the false one. But it will be clear to the faithful Cardinals that there has been or will soon be an election by these schismatics.
Therefore, for all of the above reasons, the faithful Cardinals will have to expand the eligible electors to every Bishop and Cardinal who has remained faithful to all the Popes, from the Apostle Peter up to and including the controversial successor to Pope Benedict XVI, regardless of age. This contradicts the requirements of UDG, but since the temporal authority of the Church rests with the Cardinals and Bishops, and since the need of the faithful for a Pope during this difficult time in human history is dire, the Cardinals and Bishops must dispense with these requirements of UDG and instead allow some faithful Bishops, as well as all faithful Cardinals, to elect a true and valid Pope. For example, they could allow only faithful Bishops who are also local ordinaries (in charge of a diocese), along with Cardinals of any age, to be electors.
- Which Pope is the True Pope?
After these two elections occur, the faithful will be confused as to which is the true Pope. There will, of course, be three main opinions on this matter. First, some of the faithful will have the correct understanding as to which Pope is the true Pope and which is the false pope. The true Pope will be the one elected by those Cardinals and Bishops who remained faithful to all of the Popes, including Pope Benedict XVI and his successor.
Second, some will unfortunately hold to the opposite view, incorrectly thinking that the true pope is the false one and vise versa. This view will be prevalent among Catholics who disagreed with the Pope who succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, mainly liberal Catholics and some misguided conservative Catholics.
Third, some will be of the opinion that neither Pope can be a validly-elected true Pope, because the norms of UDG were not followed. These idiots would rather leave the Church without a Pope, than allow that the Cardinals and Bishops, who are the successors to the Apostles, merely to revise a set of temporal norms which were never intended to account for every possible circumstance. Pharisees! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels. They would permit the faithful to be without a Pope, even during a time of crisis in the Church, merely to conform to a set of rules. They have abandoned “the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith.” Many of these persons do not even think of the individual Bishops as the successors to the Apostles; they follow only the Pope, ignoring all other Bishops, and also ignoring Tradition and Scripture. These are more lost than those who mistakenly think that the antipope is the true pope.
- Electing the second Pope after Pope Benedict XVI
Principles
1. The norms of UDG are not irreformable; all statements within UDG which claim that these norms are irreformable are themselves null and void.
2. The Cardinal have the authority and the duty to substantially revise the norms of UDG for grave reasons.
3. The Bishops of the Church, by virtue of Episcopal Ordination, are the successors of the Apostles.
4. The Bishops have a duty to care for, not only their own flock, but also the entire Church.
5. If the Cardinal electors so choose, a number of Bishop electors, representative of the universal Church, can participate in the election of the new Pope.
6. The norms of UDG should be followed to whatever extent, in the judgment of the Cardinal and Bishop electors, is wise and prudent, and fulfills the needs of the Church and the Will of God.
7. The faithful should be instructed as to the validity of this election, and the invalidity of schismatic elections.
Grave Reasons
The following are the grave reasons which permit the Cardinals to substantially revise the norms of UDG:
1. the election cannot be held in Vatican City because of the war
2. the election cannot be held within the time frame required by UDG
3. there are not enough Cardinal electors to be representative of the universal Church, because:
a. there are fewer Cardinal electors because of the great apostasy
b. some Cardinal electors cannot travel because of the war and the civil disorder
c. some Cardinal electors are uncertain if the election would be valid, so they refuse to participate
4. The Cardinals cannot wait until after the war to elect a new Pope because a schismatic group of Cardinals and Bishops attempts to elect a pope (an antipope) and will try to use the mass media to gain acceptance for this antipope.
Suggested Norms
1. All faithful Cardinals, who are willing and able to travel to the site of the election, even those over the age of 80, should be eligible to vote.
2. Each diocese of the world may send one Bishop to the site of the election to vote: either the local Ordinary (if he remained faithful to the Church) or another faithful Bishop appointed by the faithful local Ordinary, or (if the local Ordinary is unfaithful) one other Bishop known to be faithful to the Church.
3. The Cardinal electors should preside over the election and should determine the extent of the revision of the norms of UDG.
4. The norms of UDG should be followed, except for those revisions deemed necessary or prudent by the Cardinal electors.
5. The officials, citizens, and mass media of the nation hosting the election of the Pope must not be permitted to interfere, nor to unduly influence, the election.
6. The election must not be under the influence of any Bishops' Conference, nor of the local Ordinary in the place where the election occurs, nor of any particular religious order or organization, nor of any individual.
7. All Cardinal electors and Bishop electors must vote in person, they may not use proxies or representatives.
8. Only these Cardinals and Bishops may vote. A diocese, in and of itself, has no vote. No priests, deacons, men religious, women religious, or lay leaders may vote, nor may they speak or teach the electors.
9. The Bishop of a diocese must vote according to the will of God, not according to the will of the people of his diocese.
10. Suggested location: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
- The Death of the Pope and the Antipope
After their elections, the true Pope and the antipope will each want to be accepted as the true Pope. Therefore, when the Allies retake Rome, freeing it from the Arab/Muslim forces during World War III, both men will go to Rome. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, so each man will want to reinforce his claim to be the true Pope by going to Rome. Then the Arab forces, because they were unable to hold or retake the city of Rome, will strike Rome and Vatican City with a nuclear missile in July of 2013. Both the true Pope and the false pope will be killed by that missile. So ends the schism in the Church.
Conclusion
The Church will pass through a terrible crisis: the great apostasy, the martyrdom of a Pope, a schism in the Church were two popes are elected, one true and one false, and then a nuclear missile strike which destroys Vatican City. But the Church and the See of Peter will survive, and then all Christians will be unified in one holy Catholic Church. And the Church will prosper and will have great success in preaching the Gospel.
by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
November 7, 2006
