Would it be possible for Popes to basically have a "will" of sorts which states something like, "Should I be medically incapacitated, I resign from the Papacy"? If I remember right, there was at least one Pope who said that he would resign should he be captured, but I don't remember which Pope that supposedly was.
If they go through with this, I hope they have the good sense to make it a supermajority 2/3 or 3/4 of the College of Cardinals to take the step. But I share Ed's concerns, especially that social media has given a visible platform for the fringes. Not that I expect the fringes to have a huge influence on the College of Cardinals.
Canon law admits the possibility of establishing 'special laws' for circumstances in which the pope might, for example, fall into a coma, or some other way be permanently incapacitated, though no such laws have ever been written."
Those behind the proposal would be better off, IMO, creating these "special laws."
During the Great Western Schism there were all sorts of suggestions for removing popes. The idea of calling a church council at Pisa to resolve the problem led to three popes instead of two. But a second council at Constance resolved the problem by voting according to "nations" instead of by individuals. They deposed two and the third called the council into being, although it had already met and made decisions, and then the third pope resigned. The council then appointed the new pope, voting by nations. The nations were England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Other nations were merged into one of the five for voting purposes. So the Church has been able to resolve issues in the past through flexibility and innovation. There's no reason to think we can't do the same without having a formal method of dealing with the problem ahead of time.
Would it be possible for Popes to basically have a "will" of sorts which states something like, "Should I be medically incapacitated, I resign from the Papacy"? If I remember right, there was at least one Pope who said that he would resign should he be captured, but I don't remember which Pope that supposedly was.
If they go through with this, I hope they have the good sense to make it a supermajority 2/3 or 3/4 of the College of Cardinals to take the step. But I share Ed's concerns, especially that social media has given a visible platform for the fringes. Not that I expect the fringes to have a huge influence on the College of Cardinals.
Canon law admits the possibility of establishing 'special laws' for circumstances in which the pope might, for example, fall into a coma, or some other way be permanently incapacitated, though no such laws have ever been written."
Those behind the proposal would be better off, IMO, creating these "special laws."
During the Great Western Schism there were all sorts of suggestions for removing popes. The idea of calling a church council at Pisa to resolve the problem led to three popes instead of two. But a second council at Constance resolved the problem by voting according to "nations" instead of by individuals. They deposed two and the third called the council into being, although it had already met and made decisions, and then the third pope resigned. The council then appointed the new pope, voting by nations. The nations were England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Other nations were merged into one of the five for voting purposes. So the Church has been able to resolve issues in the past through flexibility and innovation. There's no reason to think we can't do the same without having a formal method of dealing with the problem ahead of time.