POPE FRANCIS - A HERETIC? CAN THE CARDINALS BECOME HERETICS? WILLIAM OF OCKHAM Dial. 5.6-10 CHP. VII


Chapter 7

Student: Set out the opposing opinion with the arguments for it.

That the Cardinals can become heretics

Master: Some people hold it as indubitable that the college of cardinals has not been confirmed in faith, just as the colleges of monks and other clergy have not been, and therefore it can become heretical. Nor is it certain that it will never err against faith, just as it is not certain that it will err against faith. Those who maintain this assertion try to support it with many arguments, of which the first is this. It ought not be attributed to any particular college established voluntarily and at his good pleasure by the highest pontiff that it can not err against faith because that some college can not err against faith can only be proved because Christ promised believers that the catholic faith would last to the end of the age. However Christ's words promising that the faith would remain to the end of the age should not be understood of any particular college established by the highest pontiff because Christ did not found his promise on arrangements of the highest pontiff. The college of cardinals, however, is a particular college established voluntarily and at his pleasure by the highest pontiff, since we do not read that it was established by Christ or the apostles, in that we do not find any mention of cardinals in sacred Scripture or in the deeds of the apostles. It is rash to say, therefore, that the college of cardinals will never err against faith.

Secondly [it is argued] as follows. That college which the highest pontiff can destroy or make null is not that church which can not err, because that church which can not err can not be null (24, q. 1, c. Pudenda; col.978]) and, consequently, can not be destroyed and made null by the highest pontiff. Just as the highest pontiff established the college of cardinals, however, so he could destroy and make null that same college because he could fail to replace cardinals who died with others. In doing this he would not be said to be a transgressor of a precept of the Lord because we do not find any divine precept about the need to create cardinals. Therefore the college of cardinals is not that church which can not err against faith. [Cf. Nicolas Minorita: Chronica (ed. Gál and Flood, St Bonaventure, 1996), pp. 954, primo.]

[It is argued] thirdly as follows. That church which can not err against faith did not begin after the time of the apostles because it was to the church which existed in the time of the apostles that Christ made the promise that he would remain with it until the end of the age when he said in the last chapter of Matthew [28:20], "I am with you always to the end of the age." Christ clearly indicated by these words that from that time to the end of the age the church would not abandon the catholic faith, and so that church which can not err did not begin after the time of the apostles. The college of cardinals did begin after the time of the apostles however. The college of cardinals, therefore, is not that church which can not err. [Cf. ibid., secundo.]

[It is argued] fourthly thus. That college which is inferior to the pope is not that church which can not err against faith because, just as the pope can err against faith, so every college inferior to him can err against faith. The college of cardinals, however, is inferior to the pope. Therefore it can err against faith.

Student: It would be proved by this argument that the whole congregation of believers could err against faith because the whole is inferior to the pope.

Master: The reply to that is that the argument is not valid of the whole congregation of believers because when the apostolic see is not vacant the whole congregation of believers is not inferior to the pope because it includes the pope. But the whole multitude of believers except for the pope is inferior to the pope and of that multitude it is granted that it can err against faith because, according to them, faith could remain with the highest pontiff alone.

Student: Would you finish the other arguments?

Master: A fifth argument is this. Only about that church of which it is firmly believed that there is no salvation outside it should it be firmly held that it can not err against faith. But there can be salvation outside the college of cardinals for many who are not cardinals are saved. Therefore the college of cardinals is not that church which can not err. [Cf. ibid., tertio.]

[See Significant Variants, para. 30.] [It is argued] sixthly as follows. Just as every person who can err in morals can also err against faith, so every college which can err against good morals can err against faith. The college of cardinals, however, can err against good morals. For if there were only two or three cardinals it would not be necessary for any of them to exist in charity - indeed any of them could be in mortal sin since it is certain that sometimes the most wicked men are raised to the office of cardinal. Therefore that college of cardinals can err against faith.

A seventh [argument is] as follows. That college which can err in lesser and easier matters can also err in greater and more difficult matters. It is a lesser and easier matter, however, to choose the highest pontiff than to determine questions of faith. But the college of cardinals can err in the choice of the highest pontiff, for it clearly erred when it chose a woman as pope. It could also choose a pope as a result of simony, as the gloss on dist. 79 c. Si quis pecunia openly implies [s. v. non apostolicus; col.380]. Therefore the college of cardinals can also err in determining questions of faith.

An eighth [argument is] the following. The college of cardinals does not excel the college of apostles in sanctity or in firmness of faith. This is so well known to those who consider their life and morals that it does not need proof. But the college of apostles could err and did err. For at the time of Christ's passion none of them remained fast in faith. It is therefore much more strongly the case that the college of cardinals can err against faith. [Cf. ibid., p. 955, quarto.]

Student: That argument does not seem valid because although the college of apostles erred before the sending of the holy spirit it nevertheless did not do so after that sending.

Master: It does not seem to them that this hinders the argument because the college of apostles glittered with a richer grace of sanctity and a greater brightness of truth than the college of cardinals not only after the sending of the holy spirit but even before Christ's passion. For before his passion Christ commended them in many ways, saying at Matthew 5[:14,13], "You are the light of the world", "You are the salt of the earth", and at John 15[:15], "I will not now call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father I have made known to you." And he commends them for their firmness at Luke 22[:28], "You are they who have continued with me in my temptations." So if the apostles, who according to blessed Gregory are compared to cedars, could turn aside from the faith, it would be rash to say that the cardinals, who like reeds are disturbed by every breeze of teaching, can not stray from the path of catholic truth.

A ninth [argument is] the following. No ecclesiastical dignity sanctifies a pilgrim or establishes him as unable to turn aside from faith. This is clearly proved by the texts cited above, and is gathered too from the words of Chrysostom included in dist 40, c. Multi [col.147]. For he says, "The place does not sanctify the man ... He who sits rightly on his throne receives the honour of the throne, he who sits unjustly does a wrong to the throne." We are given to understand by these words that an ecclesiastical dignity does not bestow sanctity and, consequently, does not confer the impossibility of erring against faith. But the whole multitude of cardinals could have erred against faith before acquiring the dignity of the cardinalate. Therefore the same multitude can err against faith after acquiring the dignity of the cardinalate.

A tenth [argument is] the following. A college which is more eminent than and superior to the college of cardinals, that is the college of archbishops and bishops, can err against faith. It is therefore much more the case that the college of cardinals can err against faith. Here two things would have to be proved, [firstly], that is, that the college of archbishops and bishops is more eminent than the college of cardinals, and this is shown from the fact that at one time cardinals of the Roman church were chosen and appointed to archbishoprics, according to what is found in the register of Innocent and in the deeds of the Roman pontiffs. No one should be chosen from a greater position to a lesser one, however, but the reverse. Therefore the position of archbishop is more eminent than the position of cardinal. Secondly, it has to be proved that the college or community of archbishops and bishops can err against faith. This is clear from the fact that Christ did not promise that the catholic faith would remain among bishops until the end of the age.

[See Significant Variants, para. 31.]An eleventh [argument is] as follows. It is said of only one church militant that it can not err against faith. The college of cardinals is not that church, however, although it is part of that church, just as the church of Paris is also part of that church, because it is the congregation of believers that is the church that can not err. The congregation of cardinals is not the congregation of believers, however, although it is part of it. Therefore the congregation of cardinals can err against faith. This argument is confirmed because what belongs to the whole church should not be attributed to part of the church, even the main part, unless this can be shown by necessary reason or by a plain authoritative text. However the college of cardinals is part of the church which can not err against faith. An inability to err against faith, therefore, should not be attributed to the college of cardinals since this can not be shown by necessary reason or by a plain authoritative text.

A twelfth [argument is] the following. That college which can not err against faith does not need the advice of others in order to determine questions of faith. The college of cardinals, however, often needs the advice of other orthodox in order to determine questions of faith, for otherwise it would be superfluous to hold general councils for questions of this kind. Therefore the college of cardinals can err against faith

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