The Pope, most basically, is the Bishop of Rome, or to use another term for the same office, the Roman Pontiff. Everything else in his ministry, his practical and ecclesial significance flows from that office. And it is an office which he can voluntarily and freely renounce.

Since Pope Benedict XVI renounced the office of Roman Pontiff in 2013, he became no longer Pope. The new Pope has given him the title of Pope Emeritus, but this is a new form of words. It's clearer if we think of him as Emeritus Bishop of Rome; and since he never renounced the title of Cardinal, he holds that title too.

Apparently serious questions are being asked because the 'newly' formed title still retains the title 'pope', and b16 did not revert to his past way of life. Also, there is a swirl of controversy that Francis presented himself lacking pontifical vestments, did not include the pallium (now the symbol of pontifical coronation replacing the papal tiara) in his coat of arms, and only presented himself "bishop of rome" from the balcony. Has anyone else heard and read about any of this?

He was elected Pope and accepted the office which is all it is, an office.
He is Pope and is free from making error in regard to morals and the faith when he speaks excathradra (from the chair of Peter) . He is not free from making errors in other matters such as basketball scores or ?
Pope emeratis Benedict is not the Pope, just like President Bush is not the President, becuase he doesn't hold that office any longer and can not make statements free of error (or at least that we can trust as free from error) any longer (I don't believe he pronounced any, anyway).

What I am wondering is if we actually have TWO popes. It would not be the first time we did.

Just because the Holy Spirit guides at the conclaves, doesn't mean the cardinals are incapable of ignoring Him and doing as they please. I am not saying they did, but it could happen, and probably has if you look back at some who have held the office. I suspect that if the European and especially, the Italian cardinals hadn't been so busy feuding among themselves, the outcome this time could have been different.

No. We have one pope, and a pope emeritus (who is, btw, no longer a member of the college of cardinals, based on medieval precedent for papal renunciation). It has no theological significance. As a practical matter, we have the problem of journalists and the courtiers they cultivated under the prior pontificate(s) having their insider status shifted under their feet, as it were, and trying to pretend it hasn't shifted (or complaining when that pretense is not as credible).

Well, a diocese can have a bishop and a bishop emeritus, but only one current ordinary.

I am not wishing there were two popes, but I sense something odd is occurring right under the world's nose, and only a very few people are smelling it.

Ok, since we're going to be specific, we may have two "popes" (in the broad sense of the word), but there is only one ordinary of the Diocese of Rome, only one Supreme Pontiff.

There. Happy?

Francis

Your sense is off.

Most of you are missing what I am saying. I am not speaking about the 'office' of the Pope, or the title of 'emeritus'. We can all read the dictionary and the code of canon law. I am speaking about what is presently occurring in another realm. I am not speaking about conspiracy theories either. Let us wait, watch and pray. God have mercy on us all.

If one wants to buy into those conspiracy theories, then one has to assume Pope Benedict was lying when he said "I renounce the office of the papacy." When he said that, he clearly communicated he was abdicating. Thus, he ceased to be Pope, and a conclave elected a new Pope -- who has, by the way, referred to himself as the pope. Also, the pallium in the coat of arms was an innovation. Francis has worn the palium many times.

And I guess the papal tiara was an innovation too. At some point, everything that the church developed over the past 2000 years was also an innovation. Be careful how you distinguish what is innovation and what is a true symbol of the Church. This is why relativism is the severe issue of the day that Benedict warned us about at the funeral of JPII.

No I think he is getting at something much darker than that.

And no, I don't agree.

Well, a friend with long experience of the traditionalist movement tells me there is a new variant on the fringe, of people who think that the dear Benedict XVI is still pope, or that he was, but nobody is now. These ideas have been dubbed "bene-vacantism" (for those who think there is no pope now) or "sedebenedictplenism" (for those who think Benedict XVI is still pope).

Obviously the objections to such ideas are clear enough that even we, who are mostly non-canonists (Fr K is the exception) can recite them offhand.

Something odd?
Such as...???
You seem consciously to be hinting at something dark.
This is not wise.

A pope retiring is odd enough, but certainly not implicity alarming of ill wind.
There are all kinds of emeriti in our academic worlds, and there is no confusion over whether or not they still retain their pre-emeritus authority, ontological or otherwise. They don't!, though some of them may unwisely and meanly continue to 'meddle'.

What happened when the previous pope to resign resigned some hundreds of years ago? Nothing? Were there problems contingent upon his and his successor's
relationships, intriques or meddlesomenesses? No! Any doubt as to who was pope, or as to whether the ex-pope retained any authority, etc.? No.

We, of course, have had two popes before in situations not at all resembling those of the present time. These were due to rival claimants, rival clans, rival factions and rival crowned heads. These represent shameful episodes in the history of 'Holy Church', and have no relationship to the current state of affairs.

Um, is 'groundless ecclesiastical alarmism syndrome' (GEAS) a clinical category??? Does anyone know?

It may be of interest to note that Roman Imperators were considered (religiously, legally, and practically), to have lost their authority, their particular divine GENIUS and godness, and other extraordinary attributes when they RESIGNED (a few did), when they were on the losing side of a coup, or were captured in battle, and, of course, when they were murdered, & cet., or just plain overthrown.

True. Don't even some bishops in Africa wear it (the white cassock) because it's cooler in the sun?

HOLY COW, DO WE HAVE THREE POPES??!?!??!!!!!1!!1!!

In all fairness, certainly not that guy. The host of the tonight show must be funny. He, therefore, was an imposter all along.

What questions? Pope Francis is the Supreme Pontiff, Benedict is not. Benedict is the past pope, who is still living. There is nothing wrong with more than two people in all of creation wearing white.

I haven't seen any actual questions, it just seems more like a conspiracy theory...

I don't see a need to pile on francis, people. Even prior to B16's resignation there was an upsurge of speculation about medieval prophecy regarding the "Last Pope." So cut him some slack.
francis, I for one, believe that you focus your ocular pupils on the ball, Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom we must presume that His vicar faithfully serves.

I wear white suits often.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

I wear white suits often.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

I dunno.... some secret about fried chicken recipes?

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

WHO'S REALLY THE HOST OF THE TONIGHT SHOW???!?!!!?!!!

These days I am leaning more and more toward adopting the hacnoctevacantist thesis.

I wear white suits often.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Are you Tom Wolfe?

BTW, my Byzantine metropolitan archbishop wears white vestments, as do other eastern metropolitans. No conspiracy there.

Conspiracy theories are difficult to scotch because their adherents see conspiracy in everything.

I think francis needs to cut to the chase instead of issuing vague statements about 'something dark' about to occur. The current Pope is not called Peter and he is not Roman. And he is not about to vacate the premises for someone who is.

Best wishes,
Padster