Cardinals & Popes

[Flanders]

I was browsing around and ran into clips of Dennis Miller on the O’Reilly Factor. Go to the link, then click 0n the box that says “Miller on the State of the Union. Feb. 14, 2013.”

Bill O'Reilly: Video Center - O'Reilly Factor Clips - Dennis Miller on Titanic fever​

Move the cursor to three minutes if you’re in a hurry and eventually you’ll hear O’Reilly say that you to have to be a priest, a bishop, then a cardinal before you can become Pope. In other words you have to work your way up through the ranks. I’m a little confused on that one.

The Pope can make anyone a cardinal. Although I’m not sure if there are any cardinals in today’s church who did not serve as a priest, and so on, there were plenty in bygone centuries. A few may even have become popes.

Take this one to the bank. If a super-wealthy Catholic says he will donate fifty million to the church if the Pope makes him a cardinal —— come tomorrow morning that guy is going be wearing a red hat.

I’m guessing here, but I’m pretty sure any cardinal can still become Pope if elected by the other cardinals. The chance of a non-priest becoming Pope is pretty slim, but it does exist. Does O’Reilly know that?

 

[Flanders]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO99nL_at0o&feature=player_detailpage]It's Good to be the king - YouTube[/ame]​

There you go. If it’s good to be king it’s better to be Pope. If the cardinals can change the rules just imagine what the Pope can do when there is no rule prohibiting him from appointing lay cardinals:

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that Vatican rules on papal succession are open to interpretation and that "this is a question that people are discussing."

Pope Conclave Change? Vatican Raises Possibility Of Early March Election
By NICOLE WINFIELD 02/16/13 12:24 PM ET EST

Pope Conclave Change? Vatican Raises Possibility Of Early March Election

Lombardi’s comment set me to thinking about the presidential line of succession. Congress can change the rules, but suppose the losers in the current line of succession decide they can change the rules, too? Who is going to stop them? Nobody enforces election laws; nobody defends the Eligibility Clause. In fact, nobody in the government obeys the rules; so why expect the line of succession to be any different?

 

[Flanders]

Dolan is not a lay cardinal, but he might as well be one as far as him becoming pope goes. See the video spliced into the article:

Head Of N.Y. Archdiocese, Boston Cardinal Considered Serious Contenders
February 20, 2013 10:00 PM

Cardinal Dolan For Pope? There?s Suddenly A Very Real Buzz About Him In Italy « CBS New York