Question: Can a True Pope Be a Formal Heretic?

Answer:

“It will never happen because it cannot ever happen, and it cannot ever happen because the heresy of a pontiff would deprive the Church of her foundation; so the manifest heresy of a claimant would therefore be the ultimate and most certain proof that he is not a true pontiff but a false pope; and therefore the church that would follow him into heresy would be a false church.”

Kramer, Paul. On the true and the false pope: The case against Bergoglio (p. 232). Gondolin Press. Kindle Edition.

But Jorge Bergoglio is a formal heretic.  Therefore, Jorge Bergoglio is a false pope.

That a true pope cannot be a formal heretic, even occultly, was the position of St. Robert Bellarmine.  This is known as Opinion No. 1 of the Five Opinions expounded upon by the same saint.

To purchase the two volumes of To Deceive the Elect, please see the following links:

Hardcover versions:  see here.
Softcover and electronic versions:  see here and here.

1 thought on “Question: Can a True Pope Be a Formal Heretic?”

  1. Saint Matthew Chapter 16 [DOUAY RHEIMS BIBLE]

    18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

    19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

    The following are excerpts of the commentary by Father George Leo Haydock that are very revealing regarding the understanding of those followers of JESUS CHRIST and HIS ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC CHURCH and those as in the case of jorge bergoglio who are THOSE WHO ARE NOT followers of JESUS CHRIST and HIS ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

    Ver. 18. And I say to thee, and tell thee why I before declared, (John i. 42.) that thou shouldst be called Peter, for thou art constituted the rock upon which, as a foundation, I will build my Church, and that so firmly, as not to suffer the gates (i.e. the powers) of hell to prevail against its foundation; because if they overturn its foundation, (i.e. thee and thy successors) they will overturn also the Church that rests upon it. Christ therefore here promises to Peter, that he and his successors should be to the end, as long as the Church should last, its supreme pastors and princes. (Tirinus)

    Thou art Peter;[2] and upon this (i.e. upon thee, according to the literal and general exposition of the ancient Fathers) I will build my church. It is true St. Augustine, in one or two places, thus expounds these words, and upon this rock, (i.e. upon myself:) or upon this rock, which Peter hath confessed: yet he owns that he had also given the other interpretation, by which Peter himself was the rock. No one questions but that Christ himself is the great foundation-stone, the chief corner-stone, as St. Paul tells the Ephesians; (Chap. ii, ver. 20.) but it is also certain, that all the apostles may be called foundation-stones of the Church, as represented Apocalypse xxi. 14.

    In the mean time, St. Peter (called therefore Cephas, a rock) was the first and chief foundation-stone among the apostles, on whom Christ promised to build his Church. (Witham) — Thou art Peter, &c. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ,: viz. that he, to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, (John i. 42.) should so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be next to Christ himself, the chief foundation-stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven. —

    Where also note, that Christ by building his house, that is, his Church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder. (Matthew vii. 24, 25.) — The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i.e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ. (Challoner)

    Ver. 19. And I will give to thee the keys, &c. — Although Peter and his successors are mortal, they are nevertheless endowed with heavenly power, says St. Chrysostom, nor is the sentence of life and death passed by Peter to be attempted to be reversed, but what he declares is to be considered a divine answer from heaven, and what he decrees, a decree of God himself. He that heareth you, heareth me, &c. The power of binding is exercised, 1st. by refusing to absolve; 2nd. by enjoining penance for sins forgiven; 3nd. by excommunication, suspension or interdict; 4th. by making rules and laws for the government of the Church; 5th. by determining what is of faith by the judgments and definitions of the Church. (Tirinus)

    Reply

Leave a Comment