Tag Archives: Nicholas II

Church History, Papal Documents

Pope Nicholas II’s Bull, “In Nomine Domini” (Papal Version)

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Latin Original,

with an English Translation by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

FRENCH — ITALIAN — SPANISH (see below)

More than 5 years ago I published an English translation of Pope Nicholas II’s bull, In nomine Domini, which he wrote with the counsel of Saints Hildebrand, the future Pope Gregory VII, and Peter Damian, the future Doctor of the Church against the homo-heresy. — Indeed, in the final paragraph which contains the censures against those who would dare violate this papal law, we can see the influence of the fiery zeal of Saint Hildebrand, where it combines a variety of curses found in the Psalms, against both clerics and laymen.

Recently with the help of a medieval scholar who has spent his life studying this Bull, I have come in the possession of a copy of this bull in its original version (see below). My previous translation was based on a copy of the Bull, in Latin, from a version which had been interpolated — that is, compiled by several existing versions, by a Scholar who attempted to interpret which precise wording was the original. While such a practice is widely accepted in the world of academics, it is always a very good thing to go back to the actual existing manuscripts and read them. The Latin text from the version published by the Church at Rome is that which I now publish, here below. — This papal version differs in nearly nothing from the interpolated version which I previously published and translated, but in the choice of words in a few passages, and in a few extra sentences at the end. — However, the paragraphs in the papal version are not numbered, so I have inserted numbers and joined some paragraphs together so that paragraph n. 3 in both versions regards what is to be done if a legitimate, honest and upright election cannot be held in the City of Rome.

This Bull of Pope Nicholas II is no obscure document, since it is the first Papal Bull which restricted the election of the Roman Pontiff to the Cardinals, two centuries before the first Conclave was ever held. It is even mentioned by name in the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Romano Pontifici eligendo, promulgated October 1, 1975, in its third paragraph, where it is called a “celebrated” constitution, that is, frequently used. It’s importance for today is that it explains, what other Papal Laws currently in force today do not, namely, “What is to be done if all the Cardinals forfeit their right and competence to elect the Roman Pontiff by reason of grave malfeasance, in conducting an illegal election or one which is declared invalid by papal prescriptions?”  It is implicitly referred to also in the current Papal Law of Pope John Paul II, Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated Feb. 22, 1996, where it says in its preface, that “the institution of the Conclave is not necessary for the valid election of the Roman Pontiff”, and again, wherein in n. 76 it declares any election violating its norms null and void, without however expressing what is to be done if the Cardinals fail to return into conclave because they maliciously will to hold as pope a man who is illegally elected.

Now follows my English translation of that.

Pope Nicholas II’s Bull “In nomine Domini”

April 13, 1059 A. D. — In the Constantinian Patriarchal Basilica of the Lateran, at Rome

Translated from the Papal Version of the text, published by Das Papstwahldekret von 1059. Echte Fassung, in: Jasper, Detlef. Das Pastwahldekret von 1059: Überlieferung unf Textgestalt. Sigmaringen: Thorbecke, 1986, pp. 98-109.

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD God, our Savior Jesus Christ.  From the year of His Incarnation, 1058, in the month of April, in the Twelfth Indiction, with the Sacrosanct Gospels laid open, also with the Most Reverend and Blessed Nicholas, presiding as the Apostolic Pope, in the Lateran Basilica of the Patriarch, which is named the Constantinian, also with the most reverend Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots or venerable Priests and Deacons accompanying, seated, the Same venerable Pontiff, decreeing with Apostolic Authority, concerning the Election of the Highest Pontiff, said:

Most beloved Brothers and co-Bishops, and also inferior members (of the clergy), your Beatitude knows and it does not lie hidden, that with the passing of Our predecessor, the lord Stephen, of pious memory, how many adverse (troubles) this Apostolic See, which I zealously serve with God’s urging, has suffered through, and then how many repeated hammers and frequent blows She has been subjected to through the brokers of simonaical heresy, so much that the Column of the Living God almost seemed to totter and the net of the Highest Fisherman, with the storms swelling, would be driven into the depths of shipwreck to be submerged.

§ 1. Wherefore, if it please thy Brotherhood, We ought, with God assisting, take care prudently for future cases and this by Ecclesiastical statute, provide in the hereafter that (these) evils, revived, not prevail.  On which account, having been instructed by Our predecessor and by the authority of the other Holy Fathers, We decree, and establish, that with the passing of the Pontiff of this universal Roman Church, first of all, the Cardinal Bishops, treating (the election) together with the most diligent consideration, summon immediately the Cardinal Clerics to themselves; and in this manner let the rest of the Clergy, and the People, approach to consent to the new election, so that, lest the deadly disease of venality insinuate itself by occasion, the most religious men be the chief leaders in the election of the Pontiff to be promoted, but the rest be their followers.

§ 2. And certainly the right and legitimate order of the election is here considered carefully, if it be gathered from having examined the diverse rules of the Fathers or their deeds, (and) even that sentence of Blessed Leo, (Our) predecessor, (who) said: “No reason permits, that there be had among Bishops, those who have neither been elected from the Clerics, nor requested by the common people, nor consecrated by the co-provincial Bishops with the judgement of the Metropolitans” (Pope Leo I, Letter to Rusticus of Narbonne, Migne PL 54, p. 1203 A/B). But because the Apostolic See takes precedence to all other Churches throughout the earth, and for that reason, too, She can have over Her no Metropolitan, the Cardinal Bishops with out doubt serve instead as Metropolitans, who namely promote the one elected as High Priest (antistitem) to the apex of the Apostolic Summit.  Moreover, let them elect (him) from the very womb of the Church, if one is found suitable, and/or if he not be found in Her, let him be taken from another; with due honor being served, and reverence for Our beloved son, Henry, who is held as King at the present and with God conceding hoped (to be) the future Emperor, as We have already conceded to him and to his successors, who personally begged this right from this Apostolic See.

§ 3. Wherefore, if the perversity of depraved and iniquitous men, so prevail, that a pure, sincere and free election cannot be held in the City, let the Cardinal Bishops with the religious Clerics, and the Catholic laity, though few, obtain the right of power (ius potestatis) to elect the Pontiff of the Apostolic See, where they might judge it to be more fitting. Plainly, after the election has been completed, if there be a bellicose conflict, and/or if the struggle of any kind of men resists by the earnestness of wickedness, such that he, who has been elected, cannot prevail to be enthroned in the Apostolic See according to the custom, nevertheless, let the elect obtain as Pope the authority to rule the Roman Church and to dispose of all Her faculties, which Blessed Gregory, We know, did, before his own consecration.

§4. On which account, if anyone has been elected, or even ordained, or enthroned, against this Decree of Ours promulgated by Synodal sentence, whether through sedition, and/or presumption, or any guile, let him be cast down by the Divine Authority and that of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, by a perpetual anathema with his promoters and supporters and followers as one separated from the thresholds of the Holy Church, just as the Anti-Christ, both invader and destroyer of the whole of Christendom, and let no audience be given him over this, but let him be deposed from every ecclesiastical grade unto whatever was before his, without any objection made, to whom if anyone whatsoever adheres, and/or exhibits any kind of reverence as to the Pontiff, or presumes to defend him in anything, let him be abandoned by equal sentence, which if anyone shows himself to be a violator of this sentence of Our Holy Decree, and has tried to confound the Roman Church by his presumption, and to raise disturbance against this Statute, let him be damned by perpetual anathema and excommunication, and let him be reputed among “the impious“, who “shall not rise again in judgement” (Psalm 1:5), let him know the wrath of the Omnipotent One against him, and that of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, whose Church he has presumed to fool, let him know a ravaging madness in this life and in the future; “Let his dwelling become deserted, and let there be no one who dwells in his tents” (cf. Psalm 69:26): “Let his sons be orphans, and his wife a widow” (Psalm 108:9), “Let him be shaken completely” (cf. Psalm 108:10) to madness, and “may his sons go about begging, and be cast out of their dwellings” (Psalm 108:10). “May the money-lender ravage all his substance, and may the foreigner lay waste all his labors” (Psalm 108:11); “Let the whole world fight against” (cf. Wisdom 5:21) him, and let all the other elements be against him, and may the merits of all the Saints, at rest, confound him and in this life may they show open vengeance upon him.

§5. Moreover, may the grace of the Omnipotent God protect the observers of this Our decree, and by the authority of the Blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul may it absolve them from all bonds of sins.

I, Nicholas, Bishop of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church,
have signed this Decree promulgated by Us, here above, as it reads.

Transcription

Source

Here follows a Spanish translation using the Spanish of the New World (Latin America). Many thanks to the Mexican-American reader of FromRome.Info for this!

Papa Nicolás II

EN EL NOMBRE DEL SEÑOR DIOS, nuestro Senor Jesucristo, del año de Su Encarnación, 1058, en el mes de abril, en la Duodécima Indicción, con los Evangelios Sacrosantos expuestos, también con el Reverendísimo y Bendito Nicolás, presidiendo como el Papa Apostólico, en la Basílica de Letrán del Patriarca, quien es llamado el Constantiniano, también con los Arzobispos, Obispos, Abades o venerables sacerdotes y diaconos acompañando, sentado, el mismo Venerable Pontifíce, decretando con Autoridad Apostólica, lo relacionado con la elección del Sumo Pontifíce dijo:

Muy amados Hermanos y co-Obispos y también miembros inferiores del clero, su Bienaventuranza, sabe y no se oculta, que con el deceso de Nuestro predecessor, el señor Esteban de grata memoria, cuantos problemas ha sufrido esta Sede Apostólica a la cual sirvo celosamente con el impulso de Dios y luego a cuantos martillazos repetidos y golpes frecuentes ella ha sido sometida a través de los agentes de la herejía simoniaca, tanto así que la Columna de Dios Viviente casi parecía tambalearse y la red del Pescador Supremo, con las tempestades incrementándose sería impulsada hacia las profundidades del naufragio para ser sumergido.

§ 1. Por lo tanto, si place a Su Hermandad, Nosotros debemos, con la asistencia de Dios, cuidar prudentemente para casos futuros y esto por estatuto Eclesiástico, proveer en el futuro que estos males, revividos, no prevalezcan. Por lo cual, habiendo sido instruidos por nuestro predecesor y por la autoridad de los otros Santos Padres, decretamos, y establecemos, que con el fallecimiento del Pontífice de esta Iglesia Romana universal, en primer lugar, los Cardenales Obispos, tratando la elección junto con la más diligente consideración, convoquen inmediatamente a los Cardenales Clérigos en persona, y de esta manera que el resto del clero y el pueblo, se acerquen a consentir a la nueva elección, de modo que, para que no se insinue la mortal enfermedad de la venalidad, los hombres más religiosos sean los principales líderes en la elección del Pontífice a ser promovido, pero el resto sean sus seguidores.

§ 2. Y ciertamente el orden justo y legítimo de la elección se considera aquí cuidadosamente, si se deduce de haber examinado las diversas reglas de los Padres o sus hechos, e incluso aquella sentencia del Beato León, Nuestro predecesor, quien dijo: “Ninguna razón permite que entre los Obispos haya quienes no hayan sido elegidos entre los Clérigos, ni solicitados por el pueblo común, ni consagrados por los Obispos coprovinciales con el juicio de los Metropolitas” (Papa León I, Carta a Rústico de Narbona, Migne PL54, p. 1203 A/B). Pero debido a que la Sede Apostólica tiene precedencia sobre todas las demás Iglesias en toda la tierra, y por esa razón, también, Ella no puede tener sobre Ella ningún Metropolitano, los Obispos Cardenales sin duda sirven en cambio con Metropolitanos, quienes concretamente promueven al elegido como Sumo Sacerdote (antistitem) a la cúspide de la Cumbre Apostólica. Además, que lo elijan del mismo seno de la Iglesia, si se encuentra uno adecuado, y/o si no se encuentra en ella, que se le tome de otra, con el debido honor servido, y reverencia para nuestro amado hijo, Enrique, quien es tenido como Rey en el presente y con Dios concediendo se espera que sea el futuro Emperador, como ya le hemos concedido a él y a sus sucesores, quienes personalmente rogar este derecho de esta Sede Apostólica.

§ 3 Por lo tanto, si la perversidad de hombres depravados e inicuos prevaleciera hasta tal punto que no se pudiera celebrar una elección pura, sincera y libre en la Ciudad, que los Cardenales Obispos con los Clérigos religiosos y los laicos católicos, aunque pocos, obtengan el derecho de poder (ius potestatis) para elegir al Pontífice de la Sede Apostólica donde juzguen que es más apropiado. Claramente, después de que la elección se haya completado, si hay un conflicto belicoso, y/o si la lucha de algunos hombres se resiste por la seriedad de la maldad, de tal manera que aquel, quien ha sido elegido, no puede prevalecer para ser entronizado en la Sede Apostólica según la costumbre, sin embargo, que el electo obtenga como Papa la autoridad para gobernar la Iglesia Romana y para obtener de todas sus facultades, lo cual sabemos hizo el Beato Gregorio, antes de su propia consagración.

§ 4. En cuenta de aquel, si alguien ha sido elegido, o incluso ordenado, o entronizado, en contra de este Nuestro Decreto promulgado por sentencia Sinodal, ya sea por sedición, y/o presunción, o cualquier engaño, que sea derribado por la Autoridad Divina y la de los Santos Apóstoles, Pedro y Pablo, mediante un anatema perpetuo con sus promotores, seguidores y partidarios como uno separado de los umbrales de la Santa Iglesia, así como el Anticristo, tanto invasor como destructor de toda la cristiandad, y que no se le conceda audiencia sobre esto, sin que se haga ninguna objeción; a quien si alguien se adhiere o exhibe cualquier tipo de reverencia hacia él como al Pontífice, o se presume defenderlo en algo, sea igualmente abandonado por sentencia igual, quienquiera que se muestre violador de esta sentencia de Nuestro Decreto, y haya tratado de confundir a la Iglesia Romana por su presunción, y de levantar disturbios contra este Estatuto, sea condenado por anatema perpetuo y excomunión, y sea reputado entre los “impíos que no se levantarán en el juicio” (Salmo 1:5), que conozca la ira del Omnipotente contra él, y la de los Santos Apóstoles, Pedro y Pablo, cuya Iglesia ha presumido engañar; que conozca una locura devastadora en esta vida y en la futura, “Quede desolada su morada y no haya quien habite en sus tiendas” (cf. Salmo 69:26): Sean sus hijos huérfanos, y su mujer viuda” (Salmo 108:9), “Sea sacudido por completo” (cf. Salmo 108:10) hasta la locura y “vaguen sus hijos mendigando, y sean echados de sus moradas” (Salmo 108:10). “Que el acreedor se apodere de todo lo que tiene, y los extraños saqueen el fruto de su trabajo” (Salmo 108:11); que todo el mundo luche contra (cf. Sabiduría 5,21) él, y que todos los demás elementos estén contra él, y que los méritos de todos los Santos, en reposo, lo confundan y que en esta vida muestren venganza manifiesta sobre él.

§ 5. Además, que la gracia del Dios Omnipotente proteja a los observadores de este Nuestro Decreto, y por la autoridad de los Bienaventurados Apóstoles, Pedro y Pablo, que los absuelva de todas las ataduras de pecados.

Yo, Nicolás, Obispo de la Santa Iglesia Católica y Apostólica Romana, he firmado este Decreto promulgado por Nosotros, aquí arriba, tal como se lee.

+ + +

Church History

The Election of Bl. Urban II followed the Bull of Nicholas II, “In Nomine Domini”

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by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

I strongly encourage Catholics to read the History of the Church. And to that end, I share here in PDF format, Drahomír Suchánek’s, “The First Papal Election according to the Decree In Nomine Domini”, which was published  in the European Journal of Science and Technology, from February of this year.

This scholarly paper does not actually contain sources, but does cite them. And its approach is critical, asking the question whether this Papal Bull, In Nomine Domini, the Latin and English translation of which, I published, in 2020, can be found HERE, governed or was actually followed in the election of Bl. Urban II, Odo of Laghery, who was Cardinal Bishop of Velletri in 1088.

As you can see, from the discussion and conclusions of this article, that even contemporary scholarship admits that 1000 years ago, the elections of the Roman Pontiff follow Papal Laws. — Though the author of this article holds the opinions that this is not the case with all elections, his investigation of the election of Pope Urban II, at Terracina, in March of 1088, A. D., did find that the participants followed the terms of Nicholas II’s Bull, as far as can be ascertained from contemporary historical records.

CREDITS: The featured image is Zubarans’s “The Meeting of Bl. Pope Urban II with Saint Bruno”, a copy of which you will often see in the videos I make, since a cheap printed copy of this hangs in the Hermitage of the Holy Cross.

Action Items, Asking for Help

Project “SAVE ROME” — Completed: Nov 23, 2025

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What is Project “Save Rome”?

COMPLETED ON NOV. 23, 2025 — SEE HERE

Project “Save Rome” is the name of the effort to assist the Catholics of the Roman Rite, at Rome, Italy, to use their Apostolic Right, given to them by the Apostle Saint Peter, to elect a Catholic Pope, seeing that the College of Cardinals elected a public manifest and pertinacious heretic, Robert Francis Provost, who by accepting ‘Fiducia supplicans’ and ‘Amoris laetitia’, and opposing the use of capital punishment, rejects (1) the teaching of Saint Paul on capital punishment, (2) the teaching of Jesus Christ on the Priesthood, (3), the Second Commandment as a moral norm for sacramental discipline, (4) the 6th commandment as a moral norm for sacramental discipline, and (5) the teaching of the Apostles that the Sacraments of the living must be refused to public impenitent sinners, and is thus incapable of being the Roman Pontiff, according to Pope Paul IV (continue reading for more information).

What is the legal justification for an Election by Apostolic Right?

When an institution (Cardinals in a conclave) fails completely to fulfill its ministerial duty (Canon 349) of providing for the selection of a Catholic as Roman Pontiff, the ancient right of original electorate (the Faithful of the Church at Rome) revives, by reason of the default, according to the teaching of Pope Nicholas II, to prevent the Church founded by God from being taken over by a Heretically Depraved invalid candidate, leading souls to destruction, by which the Gates of Hell would prevail (See more about this, in the video on “The error of juridical positivism“). Since this apostolic right is part of the Deposit of the Faith, it is ever capable of reviving when the institution, entrusted with the ordinary duty, betrays the very intention of the Roman Pontiffs to provide for a Catholic pope, and thus forfeits their right and competency; for otherwise, the Church Herself would cease to exist as a juridically valid entity without recourse to action by the original electorate. Such a recourse is judged to be juridically possible and reasonable even by a Canonist accredited by the Roman Rota (see HERE).

How is the Election of Prevost invalid?

The election of Robert Cardinal Prevost is invalid for two reasons:

  1. Since Prevost is a public manifest heretic, the election of which as Roman Pontiff, is declared null, void, and irritus by Pope Paul IV, in his bull of February 15, 1559, “Cum ex apostolatus officio“, n. 6, which foreseeing such a tragedy, deals precisely with this situation.
  2. Since the Cardinals Electors directly violated the formal command in n. 33 of the Papal Law on Conclaves, “Universi Dominic Gregis“, of February 22, 1996, which limits to 120 the maximum number of Cardinal Electors who are allowed to vote, which according to canon 335 and n. 5 of the same law, they have no right to violate; on which account, by allowing 133 to vote, they violated n. 68 in the very act of the election, and thus the election was declared null and void and conferred no right upon Prevost, as per the censure in n. 76 of the same law. — The Cardinals attempted to justify their action by claiming that Pope Francis gave them a dispensation, in that he created more than 120 Cardinal electors: a claim which is nullified by UDG n. 4, which forbids all dispensations of any part of the Law on Conclaves, even if it were granted on the basis of a written documented before his death; or if they were granted, again by a written document the power to interpret this rule as optional, so as not to violate canon 335 (which forbids any innovation of rights during a sedevacante), which document they do not even claim to have! Thus their claim is null and voided not only by n. 4, but by the 2nd paragraph of the Promulgation, in the same papal law, not to mention being a claim contrary to canon 16 § 1 and counter to canon 86, which forbids dispensations from  essential legislative dispositions, such as is the rule of 120. — See a detailed explanation of this HERE.

In what does an Election by Apostolic Right consist?

The Faithful of the Church of Rome, that is, the 3.5 Million Catholics resident at Rome, that is Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Dioceses of Rome, and the suburbican dioceses, of Palestrina, Frascati, Segni-Velletri, Albano, Ostia, Porto-Santa Rufina, Sabina-Poggio Mirteto, need to come together in one physical place and chose a baptized Catholic man, who is both celibate and professes the whole and perfect Catholic Faith. The election can be by acclamation or majority vote, verbally expressed. This right, when the Cardinals fail to conduct a valid election and chose a catholic, revives, as Pope Nicholas II magisterially taught in the Bull, “In Nomine Domini”, n. 3.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE as of July 6, 2025?

Br. Bugnolo, who lives at Rome, has mailed out about 3500 letters of legal notice to the Clergy of the Diocese of Rome and the suburbican Dioceses, and received confirmation of receipt. He has explained in Italian the legal problems with the Conclave, and has informed them of their rights. He has asked them to speak to one another and put the College of Cardinals on notice, as is their right and responsibility.

Br. Bugnolo has also informed the Clergy that if the Cardinals do not redo the Conclave legally, they have forfeited their right to elect the Pope, and that therefore, they, the Clergy, obtain the right in accord with the teaching of Pope Nicholas II to convoke the Faithful and Religious of their dioceses and elect a Catholic Pope. — He has likewise informed them, that if neither the Cardinals nor the Clergy act within 80 days, he will presume that they are willingly forfeiting their right, and in consequence, that he, in virtue of being a Catholic resident in the territory of the Church at Rome, will act and convoke an Assembly, inviting all who have the right to vote and who reject the heresies of Bergoglio and Prevost. He has made the point to emphasize in his letter to the Clergy, in particular, that he prefers that they take the initiative.

Br. Bugnolo has sent out these notices to remove any legal challenge to the Assembly’s validity, convocation or results. His past experience with the Clergy at Rome, during the controversy of the two Popes, however, strongly inclines him to expect that neither the Cardinals nor the Clergy will take any action by September 24, 2025.

If the Clergy do take action and elect a Catholic Pope, Br. Bugnolo has resolved to investigate and verify the validity of the election and the Catholicity of the man, and if finding everything in order, He pledges that he will donate the funds donated to this Project, to the purpose the new Catholic Pope designates; and explain to him the reasons for our action and the wonderful faith of the Catholics who supported the Save Rome Project, and ask his Apostolic Benediction on us all. — If he finds find that the election was irregular, he will convoke an Assembly as planned.

Practical Necessities

On account of the laws of the Italian Republic and the administration regulations of the City of Rome, Italy, the Catholics need to provide at their own expense for the necessary publicity and equipment to allow for a crowd of 25,000 or more meet safely in the same place: such as security, ambulances, chairs, stage, sound system, specialized locations for care of those suffering from exposure or medical conditions, and access to transportation and sufficient crowd-control barriers etc.. The chief expense of which is publicity to make sure all the 3.5 Million Catholics who have the right to attend know of the event. — Br. Bugnolo, the editor of FromRome.info, and President of Ordo Militaris Inc., is volunteering his services at $0.00 cost, for organizing this project.

Goal

Project “Save Rome”, therefore, aims to seek the assistance of true Catholics all over the world, to raise the funds to gather sufficient numbers of Catholics to this Assembly, so that in the sight of all Catholics in the world, they can clearly see this as an action of the whole Church at Rome. For this reason, calculating the costs of TV, Newspaper, Radio, and Social Media advertising, but the event costs, we are seeking to raise the equivalent of $250,000 US Dollars.

As of November 1, 2025, about $25,100 has been raised for this project. Expenses for posters in the City of Rome alone, printing costs & municipal fees for placement, is about $27,500.  And so we are just at the beginning of the fund raising. Since posters should be placed in all the cities around Rome inside the suburbican Dioceses, and together that probably would raise this costs for posters and municipal fees to maybe $40,000 to $50,000.

If we cannot meet the goal, the election will be arranged in a manner requiring less expense, as much as that is possible. Any monies remaining will be donated to the new Roman Pontiff, and a complete list of expenses will be published on this page, afterwards, so that all might know how the money was used.

HOW TO HELP

First of all we ask you pray to Christ the King, to send His Holy Spirit upon the Church at Rome, so that the true Catholics who remain work effectively together to give Him a Vicar after His own Sacred Heart. We therefore ask prayers especially to Our Lady, Saints Peter and Paul, all the Martyrs and Saints of the Church at Rome, and to Saint Michael the Archangel, the protector of the City of Rome, and all the guardian Angels in the province.

Second, if you can we ask you to consider making a donation to this project either through PayPal, from anywhere in the World. Or using Zelle Pay, if you have a bank account in the United States which offers this served. Or using a Bank Wire in US Dollars, British Pounds Sterling, Euroes or Australian Dollars. See below for each method.

How To Help Financially

You can make a donation to this Holy Work to defend the Church, via Paypal, Zelle Pay, or Bank Wire:

Via PayPal, through the USA 501(c)(3) Non Profit “Save Old St. Mary’s Inc.”





Via Zelle, add the message: SAVEROME

NOTE: Ordo Militaris Inc. will put all funds received into an 501(c)(3) dedicated account for the Save Rome Project, no part of which funds will be used for anything else. However, funds “donated” through Ordo Militaris Inc., do not qualify as charitable donations. If you want your gift to qualify as a charitable donation, use the PayPal method for donation. — Note Also, that European and U.K. Banks will block your bank wire IF you add anything to the phrase “SaveRome” or “Save Rome”; also, they will block you transfer if you classify it as a “donation to a Charitable organization”, since Ordo Militaris Inc. is a for profit corporation. The correct classification is “Services” since funds received will provide services to the Catholics at Rome to hold such an Assembly or will be donated to the Roman Pontiff for services rendered to him.

Canon Law, Editorials

Will the College of Cardinals elect the next Pope? Maybe not!

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Or How the Catholic Cardinals can definitely prevent a Bergoglian from being elected as the next Pope, no matter what.

Editorial by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

With the serious decline in health of Pope Francis, there have begun to be published numerous articles regarding his resignation, death, and what kind of man the Church needs to be elected as the next Pope. Noteworthy Catholics, laymen and clerics, are also beginning to express their doubts that the College of Cardinals is going to elect someone to correct the many heresies, apostasies, idolatries, blasphemies, errors and the promotion of perversity pushed and promoted by Pope Francis.

In all of these discussions, the presumption is that the College of Cardinals will elect the next Pope. However, those who are expert in jurisprudence and all who spend the time to read the Papal Law on Conclaves, and how the election must proceed, know that it is quite possible this will not be the case, if there are two voting blocs of intransigent parties in the College of Cardinals.

And this is because of the rules laid down by Pope John Paul II, in the papal law for papal elections: Universi Dominici Gregis, the English translation of which is linked above in the image above. Note however, that the English translation is not the authoritative version. Only the Latin original is.

In that papal law, to be elected, one has to receive the absolute majority of votes from the Cardinal voters who are present for the Conclave (UDG, Chapter V, n. 62). This means, 2/3rds of the votes, and if the number of Cardinals is not divisible by three into a whole integer, 2/3 +1 extra vote.

So in the case that there are two blocs, neither of which will consent to the election of any candidate proposed by the other, and if each of these blocs contain at least 1/3 of all the Cardinal Electors, plus one, then even just one of these blocs can prevent a valid election of the Roman Pontiff by the College of Cardinals, indefinitely.

In such a case, there would remain only one other way for the valid election of a Roman Pontiff: namely an election by Apostolic Right, which would allow the clergy of the Church of Rome (Diocese of Rome and the Suburbican Dioceses) along with the faithful of this Church to elect the next Pope by acclamation, inspiration, compromise or simply majority (50% +1) of those present for such an election.

This might seem a fanciful thought, but since Pope Francis was elected pope in this manner, and since what is at risk for the whole Church is another heresy-promoting man like Pope Francis, it may be the safest course of action for the Catholic bloc if it can muster 46 votes, while not being able to recruit for its candidate at least 92 votes.

I say 46 votes, because presently there are 137 Cardinals who are eligible to vote. IF we presume that all are present for the Election, then 33% of them, plus one is 46 votes.

But for this second modality of election to take place, the Cardinal Electors would have to agree by an absolute majority vote (2/3 +1) to suspend the conclave and concede to the Church of Rome to act by its Apostolic Right.

And if so, they will have to make a public declaration, that on account of the irreconcilable differences among the Cardinal Electors, with no candidate being able to obtain the 92 votes necessary to be elected, that they have resolved to NOT elect the next pope in conclave, but cede their right by the papal law, back to the Church of Rome which has this right by Apostolic Ordinance.

But the advantages of this course of action are many, the chief of which is the salvation of souls and the unity of the Church: because there are vast numbers of Catholics who hold that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was never the true Pope, or is an antipope, or at least was one of these when he appointed a majority of Cardinal Electors. Hence, no matter whom the Cardinal Electors might elect in conclave, all these will hold the election invalid and irregular by reason of the participation of men who were named Cardinal Electors by Pope Francis, while not having the canonical mandate to do so, or at least while a manifest pertinacious heretic in schism from Christ and His Church.

Whereas, the clergy and faithful of the Roman Church, having not professed these heresies, blasphemies, errors, nor participated in Pope Francis’ idolatries and crimes against God and the local Churches and religious institutes, do and will have the moral reputation to elect a Pope acceptable to the whole Church, by reason of the unassailable right to elect the Roman Pontiff, which they exercised for 10 centuries before Nicholas II, in his Bull, In Nomine Domini, created the College of Cardinals, on April 13, 1059 A. D..

That the College of Cardinals can take such action is clear from the Code of Canon Law, canon 332 §1, which requires a legitimate election, not an election by the College, and canon 349, which merely states that the College is competent to elect the pope, not that they alone can, while making it clear that they can only elect the Pope if they do so in accord with the papal laws on these matters. This enshrines the historical fact that the College has a ministerial duty, which when impossible to fulfill can be fulled by the electorate which holds this right, not by custom, papal law, or even canon law, but by Apostolic Tradition: the entire Church at Rome.

As for the rumors that Pope Francis might change the Papal Law to allow in the first balloting or in subsequent ballotings after a dead-lock, an election by a simple majority, I think this is highly unlikely, because Pope Francis is a clever politicking manipulator, and he knows that while it is possible the Catholic faction obtain a 50% +1 majority, it is definitely impossible that they obtain a 66%+1 majority. And his purpose in destroying the Church will be served, but not so well, but a compromise candidate.

Thus, if the Catholic Faction stand united and strong, they can prevent a manifest heretic or Bergoglian from ever being elected, by following the stratagem I have outlined above.

However, if there is any other result, in the next Conclave, than a truly Catholic Pope, it is these Catholic Cardinals who are to blame. And their names should go down in infamy for having ceded to the enemies of Jesus Christ the entire flock of His lambs, for whom He shed His Most Precious Blood and endured so much infamy and shame and suffering.