WHY BENEDICT XVI'S RENUNCIATION WAS INVALID

WHY BENEDICT XVI'S RENUNCIATION WAS INVALID

By: Father Paul Kramer

Benedict XVI explains:
 *The munus of the petrine office is twofold -- active and passive: " Bene conscius sum hoc munus secundum suam essentiam spiritualem non solum agendo et loquendo exsequi debere, sed non minus patiendo et orando."

1) Active ministry "agendo et loquendo", 2) Passive ministry "patiendo et orando"
Both pertain essentially to the papal munus: "Bene conscius sum hoc munus secundum suam essentiam spiritualem non solum agendo et loquendo exsequi debere, sed non minus patiendo et orando."

He expressly retains the passive exercise of the munus, i.e. the passive service of the petrine office: " "Non porto più la potestà dell’officio per il governo della Chiesa, ma nel servizio della preghiera resto, per così dire, nel recinto di san Pietro."

Antipope Francis

On 19 April 2005, Benedict assumed the munus, i.e. the service of the petrine office that is "for always": "La gravità della decisione è stata proprio anche nel fatto che da quel momento in poi ero impegnato sempre e per sempre"; and his decision to renounce the active exercise of the ministry does not revoke that: "La mia decisione di rinunciare all’esercizio attivo del ministero, non revoca questo."

It is impossible for the pope to relinquish only the active exercise of the petrine ministry and hand it over to a successor, since that would amount to an attempt to divide an office that is indivisible. Hence, Pope Benedict's attempt to divide the papacy, according to the formula of the Karl Rahner proposal to reform the papacy by dividing it between two or more individuals; necessarily results in a juridically invalid act, since, the office of the supreme pontiff cannot be divided in the mamner that the episcopal office is sometimes divided in other diocese between the ordinary of the diocese and a coadjutor with power of governance.

The reason why it is impossible is because the pope, who in virtue of the plenitudo potestatis of his office can deprive an ordinary of his jurisdiction, and hand it over to a coadjotor; whereas the papal office is indivisible -- and therefore the office and its power of governance can only reside fully in one subject who is the Roman Pontiff.

The question of the indivisibility of the papal office is a settled point of Catholic doctrine since Domenico Gravina OP spoke the last word on the question in 1610, which has been unanimous and undisputed since then.

"To the Pontiff, as one (person) and alone, it was given to be the head;" and again, "The Roman Pontiff for the time being is one, therefore he alone has infallibility." - Donenico Gravina OP, in De supremo Judice controv. Fidei et de Papae Infallib. in Decret. Fidei, Morum, etc, quaest. 1, apud Rocaberti, Bibliotheca Maxima Pontificia, 1695-99, tom viii, 392. (http://books.google.com/books)

 TradCatKnight Radio, "Benedict XVI is Still Pope"