Appendix 3

Can A Pope Look Favourably On Error? Or on Heresy, and/or be a Heretic? Can a Pope Not Be Pope?

St Zephyrinus {15th P.} and St Calixtus I {16th P.} both were accused of favouring Monarchianism.

St. Marcellinus { 29th P.} in May 303 handed over copies of the Scriptures during the Diocletian persecution; and also, apparently, offered incense to the gods. His guilt is bourn out by the facts that his name was omitted from the official list of popes and that Damasus I {37th P.} completely ignored him.

Liberius {36th P.} was severely judged for signing a statement of Faith that could be given an Arian heretical meaning.

St Gelasius I {49th P.} established excellent relations with the Arian king, Theodoric, and gained from his friendship with him.

St Symmachus {51st P.} and his opponent faction were involved in such brawling that both factions asked Theodoric, Arian king of Italy though he was, to settle the matter: ie, just WHO was to be "Peter" was decided by a heretic!!!

St. John I { 53rd P.} undertook to "do his best" to intercede with the Emperor, Justin I, who began persecuting the Arians; churches seized, excluded from public office, compelled to abandon the Arian faith, etc.. John was the first Pope to leave Italy for the east, and his mission was a humiliating one.

Honorius I {70th P.} was condemned as a heretic by the 6th General Council in 680. He had the effect of encouraging the Monothelite heresy. At the 13th session the council anathematised the monothelite leaders, Including Honorius, without the papal delegates raising any objection. Pope Agatho was dead before its deliberations were completed. St Leo II's, {80th P.}, most important letter (May 7, 683) was to Constantine, RATIFYING the council's decisions with the authority of PETER and anathematising the monothelite leaders it had condemned, including Pope Honorius. He declared that Honorius and his fellow heretics were "punished with eternal damnation" (eterna damnatione mulctati sunt.)

The matter of Honorius is covered at New Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia and in a very good article: "THE SUPPOSED FALL OF HONORIUS AND HIS CONDEMNATION, by J. H. R., American Catholic Quarterly Review, v.7, 1882, pp.162-8", from which this portion:

"VI. If, therefore, Honorius is called a heretic, and is anathematized and cast out, it is not for heresy, but for connivance towards heretics. And expressly in this sense was the intention of the Council interpreted by the Emperor Constantine, who was not only present at the Council, but took part in it. In the same sense did St. Leo interpret it, who, having carefully examined the Acts of the Council and conferred with the legates who presided over it, approved them and translated them into Latin. Both Constantine and Leo say that Honorius was condemned, not because he taught error, but because he had favored and strengthened heretics, and had, not stained the Church himself, but suffered it to be distained by others.", and

"We answer, in the second place, that this testimony of St. Leo would prove, not that Honorius was a heretic (for in that very same passage St. Leo says that Honorius was condemned, "because by his negligence he had fanned the flame of heretical dogma"), but that Honorius had sinned grievously, which opinion anyone is free to hold who thinks he sees probable ground for it."

Stephen II {92nd P.} (752) was elected a few days after the death of Zacharias {91st P.} on Mar. 15, 752. He was duly installed in the Lateran palace, but had a stroke 3 days later and died on the 4th day. As he was never consecrated, and consecration WAS DEEMED ESSENTIAL by the canon law of the time, he was not reckoned pope by Liber Pontificalis or any medieval document; only SINCE THE 16TH CENT. did the practice of considering him one, on the grounds that valid election is all that is required for a man to be pope, became general in Catholic circles. Thus the Annuario Pontifico included him as "Stefano II" in its official list until 1960, but editions since 1961 have suppressed his name and given subsequent popes called Stephen a dual numbering!

Adrian V {184th P.} (11 July - 18 Aug. 1276; pope for 38 days) a layman - not yet a priest, nor a bishop. He died unconsecrated and uncrowned. But he is included as a pope!!!

Celestine III {173rd P.} was declared to be a heretic by Adrian VI {216th P.} for his views on dissolution of marriage between Christians. "...many Roman Pontiffs were heretics. The last of them was Pope John XXII.", said Adrian.

John XXII {194th P.}
In 4 sermons delivered in winter 1331/2 he: preached the heresy that the souls of the saints do not have the vision of God prior to the resurrection of the body. They are still sub altare Dei, that is, under the altar of God. Only at the Judgment will they be placed on the altar to contemplate the divine essence. He added that there was no one yet in hell - only at the end of the world will the damned go to a place of torment. The Emperor argued: Why should Christians pay the pope for pardon and indulgences if, when they die, they have to wait till Kingdom come to enter Paradise? For this, Adrian VI {216th P.} declared that John XXII had fallen into heresy. William of Occam exploited the scandal to the full.

On his deathbed John made a modified retraction, confessing that the souls of the blessed see the divine essence face to face as clearly as their condition allows.

Benedict XII {196th P.} in Benedictus deus (Jan. 29, 1336) ruled that such souls have "an intuitive, face to face vision of the divine essence."

Our Lady allegedly appeared to John XXII and gave him the "Saturday after death into Heaven" promise for wearing the Scapular. St Alphonsus Liguori believed on the basis of John's Bulla Sabbatina.

Urban VII {226th P.} (15-27 Sep. 1590) Struck down with malaria the night following his election, he died before being consecrated. But he is included as a pope!



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