by Br. Alexis Bugnolo
The Vatican on May 9th, 2025, made public the official ecclesiastical notarized testimony of Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, Master of Papal Cerimonies, declaring, in his capacity as an Apostolic Notary, the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Provost as Leo XIV canonically done. — I am not aware that such a document has any tradition in the Roman Curia, but is rather a private act by the Archbishop to commemorate the fact, because, in truth, the Master of Papal Ceremonies does not seem the right officer to issue such a document.
The document does not seem official for another reason, namely, for two legal errors, which it contains:
- the legal error of declaring that Provost was elected canonically
- the legal error of declaring that Provost was elected Supreme Pontiff
I call these legal errors, first, because Popes elected in Conclaves are NOT elected canonically but legally or lawfully, since their election depends on a Papal Law and not on a Canon of the Code of Canon Law.
Second, because in Conclave one is not elected to be Supreme Pontiff, but to be the Roman Pontiff. The expression Supreme Pontiff is no where found in the code of Canon Law. Why the document does not even say he was elected the Bishop of Rome!
I do not want to give into the method of argumentation of Andrea Cionci who sees meaning in every variation, but I do admit that when a man knows he is lying, he often lets the cat out of the bag, as we say in American English, that is, says too much in attempting to convince you of the tale he is trying to say.
So in effect, and perhaps without realizing it, Archbishop Ravelli has produced this fine Rogito (notarized declaration), which affirms that Provost was not elected to be the Roman Pontiff nor to be the Bishop of Rome, but just the Supreme Pontiff of the Cardinals!
This is laughable.
Thus, this document is an official witness and testimony that the Apostolic See is still vacant and that the Catholics of Rome can proceed to the election of a true Roman Pontiff, Successor of Saint Peter, Bishop of Rome, Patriarch of the West, and Primate of Italy.
Click the image below to enlarge it.
UPDATE: May 20, 2025
It has been brought to my attention that apparently the text of the Rogito for the Election of Pope Benedict XVI was published in the Acta Apostolica Sedis for May 2005, HERE, on p. 12, which contains the same wording with faulty juridical affirmations:
Thus, the Rogito for Cardinal Prevost’s election continues the same errors. Nevertheless, as a document forensically it still does not claim that Prevost was elected Roman Pontiff, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Bishop of Rome, or, Successor of Saint Peter. And thus, still is forensic evidence of a defect of claim in the legal title to these other offices, since ex silentio, no argument can be made regarding the claim of a new right.
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I had Google translate the photo for me. I looked into the term. What am I missing? https://www.franciscanmedia.org/ask-a-franciscan/why-is-the-pope-called-the-supreme-pontiff/
I had Google translate the photo for me. I looked into the term. What am I missing? I don’t get the problem, yet. Help me understand. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/ask-a-franciscan/why-is-the-pope-called-the-supreme-pontiff/
There is a popular way of speaking and then there is an official canonical way of speaking. A legal document has to use legal language to precisely indicate what it says, if it does not, it does not.
It’s as if you bought a house and at the notary when the deed was signed over you were given a paper which did not say you were the new proprietor but the new holder of the usufruct. You may think you now own the house, but in reality you only bought the rights to use it.
What’s the background on Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli? I thought the release of this was sketchy when I saw it at first on the 9th too. Is this a signal to those with eyes? Someone should attempt an interview with him to find out answers.
I have not even thought to consider his intentions. You have something here. His episcopal lineage is at least 5/9 Rampolla del Tindaro, but his direct lineage is not of the Rampolla line.
However, after more carefully examining the document, it appears to have been prepared with blanks to put the name of the man elected in the spaces, so the errors it contains may not be intended by those signing it, other than that they did not pay attention to what they were signing or simply could not read Latin at all.
I think that, if the document is instrinsically contradictory, one cannot infer logical conclusions about the intentions behid it, it is just as if it did not existed, so it proves nothing. Maybe he is just joking.
It contains errors from my point of view, but it is not self-contradictatory. It is an official notarized document by clerics of the highest stations in the Church. It cannot be forensically dismissed as having no juridical value.
You said it yourself that he does not seem like the proper officer for this, thats why I feel that it is proprably a joke? Contradictions are errors, are they not?
The Rogito was republished by all the major newspapers of Italy. Simply use any search engine to confirm this.
Such a document has been done for every papal election, for more than a thousand years.
And the papal master of ceremonies is precisely the one who does it, since he is witness of the accepto and new name.
It is not a personal private act of commemoration.
Can you cite the source for that?
Verbale circa l’accettazione del Romano Pontefice e il nome da lui assunto, redatto dal Maestro delle Celebrazioni Liturgiche Pontificie con funzione di notaio
Ordo rituum conclavis
The problem is, that the Rogito failed to use the title, Roman Pontiff. This is a big fail for an Apostolic Notary.