Far less than meets the eye

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Ecumenism is the Universal Solvent of Tradition .

Modern Popes ignoring Trent on the appointment of Bishops and Cardinals

We at ABE Ministry are not the only Catholics who are aware of how it is the modern Popes have ignored and/or violated the sensible teaching of Trent.

Just look at the praxis of AmBishops a majority of whom were appointed by Pope Saint John Paul II.

And get a load of the Cardinalate * packed by Our Pope and Our Cross, 40% of who are now those who smell like the sheep they control.

Decree Concerning Reform

The same holy council, continuing the matter of reform, decrees that the following be ordained in the present session.

Chapter I

Norms Of Procedure In The Election Of Bishops And Cardinals



If in all ecclesiastical grades a prudent and enlightened attention is necessary in order that in the house of the Lord there be nothing disorderly and nothing unbecoming, much more ought we to strive that no error be committed in the election of him who is constituted above all grades. For the state and order of the entire household of the Lord will totter if what is required in the body be not found in the head. Hence, although the holy council has elsewhere decided to advantage a number of things concerning those to be promoted to cathedral and major churches, yet it considers this office to be of such a nature that if viewed in its greatness, there can never be caution enough taken concerning it. Wherefore it decrees that as soon as a church becomes vacant, public and private supplications and prayers be made and be ordered throughout the city and diocese by the chapter, that clergy and people may implore God for a good shepherd. It moreover exhorts and admonishes each and all who in any manner have a right from the Apostolic See to participate in the promotion of those to be placed in authority, or who otherwise render assistance (due to the circumstances of the present time no change being made herein), that they above all bear in mind that they can do nothing more serviceable to the glory of God and the salvation of the people than to exert themselves to the end that good and competent shepherds be promoted to the government of the Church, and that they become partakers in the sins of others and sin mortally unless they strive diligently that those be promoted whom they judge the more worthy and useful to the Church, not moved by entreaties or human affection, or the solicitations of rivals, but because their merits speak for them, whom they know to be persons of lawful wedlock, and whose life, age, learning and all other qualifications meet the requirements of the sacred canons and the decrees of this Council of Trent. But since the taking of the important and competent testimony of upright and learned men regarding the aforesaid qualifications cannot by reason of the diversity of nations, peoples and customs be everywhere uniformly followed, the holy council commands that in the provincial synod to be held by the metropolitan, there be prescribed for each place and province a special or proper form of the examination, investigation or instruction to be made, such as shall appear most useful and suitable for these places and which is to be submitted to the approval of the most holy Roman pontiff; so however, that after the completion of the examination or investigation of the person to be promoted, it shall, after having been put in the form of a public document, be transmitted as soon as possible, with all the attestations and with the profession of faith made by the one to be promoted, to the most holy Roman pontiff, in order that the Roman pontiff himself, with a complete knowledge of the whole matter and of the persons before him, may for the benefit of the Lord's flock provide the churches more profitably if in the examination or investigation they have been found competent. All examinations, investigations, attestations and proofs of whatever kind and by whomever made, even though in the Roman Curia, concerning the qualifications of the one to be promoted and the condition of the church, shall be carefully examined by the cardinal, who shall report thereon to the consistory, and three other cardinals; and this report shall be authenticated by the signature of the cardinal making the report and of the three other cardinals, in which each of the four cardinals shall affirm that, after having given it his careful attention, he has found those to be promoted to possess the qualifications required by law and by this holy council and at the peril of his eternal salvation firmly believes that they are competent to be placed over churches; and the report having been made in one consistory, that the investigation may in the meantime receive more mature consideration, the decision shall be deferred to another consistory, unless the most blessed pontiff shall deem it expedient to act otherwise. Each and all of the particulars relative to the life, age, learning and the other qualifications of those who are to be appointed bishops, which have been determined elsewhere by this council, the same It decrees are to be required in the election of the cardinals of the holy Roman Church, even though they be deacons, whom the most holy Roman pontiff shall, in so far as it can be conveniently done, choose from all the nations of Christendom according as he finds them competent. Finally, the same holy council, moved by so many very grave afflictions of the Church, cannot but call to mind that nothing is more necessary to the Church of God than that the holy Roman pontiff apply that solicitude which by the duty of his office he owes the universal Church in a very special way by associating with himself as cardinals the most select persons only, and appoint to each church most eminently upright and competent shepherds; and this the more so, because our Lord Jesus Christ will require at his hands the blood of the sheep of Christ that perish through the evil government of shepherds who are negligent and forgetful of their office.

* So, what has Francis been up to?
Francis has continued to increase the non-European character of the college of cardinals. In his recent batch of appointments, only two of the five new cardinals are European. Europeans now only hold 44 percent of the seats in the college. This is the lowest percentage for Europeans ever.
The percentage of Italians is now 20 percent, which is still more cardinal electors than they had at the death of St. John Paul II. This could significantly change next year when five of the seven cardinals turning 80 will be Italian. No Italians were appointed this year.
Surprisingly, the Latin American contingent has not increased significantly under Francis. It has increased only to 17.4 percent today from 16.2 percent at the conclave that elected him, but still down from 18 percent at the 2005 conclave. Unlike John Paul’s appointments from Eastern Europe, Francis has not been favoring Latin Americans.
Africa and Asia have been favored by Francis. They now have more cardinal electors than ever before. Their percentage of the college has gone up to 12.4 percent each under Francis, from 9.4 percent each at the conclave that elected him. Asia and Africa combined now for the first time have more cardinals than Italy.
But the real revolution in Pope Francis’ selections has been his bypassing traditional cardinalatial sees and simply picking any bishop he likes, even an auxiliary bishop. In the past, only archbishops of major metropolitan sees were selected as cardinals. Some sees had had cardinals so consistently over time that their archbishops were considered shoo-ins for the cardinalate. Francis has ignored this unwritten rule from his first appointments.
It is hard to exaggerate how revolutionary this is. It is certainly the most radical change in the College of Cardinals since the reforms of Paul VI.
Why does it matter? It matters because it gives the pope total freedom to pick whichever bishop he wants to be a cardinal. If he had followed tradition, many of his appointments would have been archbishops appointed by John Paul or Benedict. Most of these men would outlive him and help choose his successor.
Francis consciously chose to bypass them for other bishops, some from "insignificant" sees. He picks the man rather than the see. He looks for bishops who support his own pastoral style and vision for the church. This ensures that those he appoints will be more likely to support continuity at the next conclave, rather than reject the direction in which he is leading the church. It ensures that the conclave will be filled with shepherds who smell like their sheep.
With his latest appointments, Francis will have appointed 40 percent of the college of cardinals, just a little less than the 44 percent appointed by Benedict. The remaining 16 percent are hangovers from John Paul. 



https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/francis-stacks-college-cardinals