January 24, 2023 (Steven O’Reilly) – There is a momentous report coming out of Rome related to Br. Bugnolo’s efforts to organize a Benepapist “conclave” to elect Benedict XVI’s “successor.” More on that in a moment.
As readers of Roma Locuta Est are well aware, we have closely followed and chronicled, tongue-in-cheek, the efforts of Br. Bugnolo to organize a Benepapist “conclave” to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI over the last month. What follows is more tongue-in-cheek and satire. To get caught up on what has happened up to this point, here are Rome Locuta Est‘s recent articles:
- Pope Bugnolo I?
- The Tome of Alexis Bugnolo
- Bugnolo is “absolutely certain” there will be a new pope within next 30 days?
- Br. Bugnolo’s ‘Urbi et Orbi’ and the tragicomedy which Benepapism has become
- Bugnolo’s Date with Destiny
- Bugnolo to go radio silent until after the Benepapist “conclave”?!
Now, we had been afraid we would not be able to provide any updates to our readers whatsoever on Bugnolo’s conclave. You see, a few days ago, he declared ‘radio silence’ until after the election of the next “pope” (see Bugnolo to go radio silent until after the Benepapist “conclave”?!). In other words, he would provide no more updates.
However, Roma Locuta Est can now happily inform its readers, that we have been informed by a source in Rome that the Organizing Committee “Pro Eligendo” has issued an official press release regarding the conclave (see HERE). I will provide a few comments afterwards. Here is the English translation:
PRESS RELEASE
With great sadness the Catholics of Rome received the news of the death of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on the morning of December 31, 2022. As he never renounced in accordance with canon 332 §2, as numerous scholars around the world have shown in the last 10 years, the College of Cardinals was bound by the pontifical law Universi Dominici Gregis to enter the conclave by the 20th day. That day was Friday.
There is now no legal way for Cardinals in Conclave to elect the Pope. And so, the right to elect him passes to the Catholic Faithful of the Roman Church, to do so according to apostolic law: the Roman Church includes all Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious and lay people of the Dioceses of Rome, Ostia, Albano, Velletri-Segni, Palestrina, Frascati, Sabina – Poggio Mirteto and Porto Santa Rufina. Furthermore, Pope Benedict XVI fulfilled canon 166 §1 on February 11, 2013, when he called the election of his successor.
Therefore, there is no juridically valid way to elect him except that all the faithful who want to gather and choose him. You are therefore cordially invited to attend this historic election, at the Roma Marriott Park Hotel, at 9:00am. Monday 30 January. Bring your ID and residence/domicile document and proof that you were baptized, or confirmed, or married in the Catholic Church or, if you are a member of the clergy, that you are incardinated in one of these dioceses or in Vatican City . – We inform the journalists that there will be a Press Conference at 11.30 on Wednesday, January 25 at the Hotel Roma Marriott Park where it will be possible to ask questions. — For more information on requirements and registration, go to the ChiesaRomana.Info website.
Organizing Committee “Pro Eligendo”
ROME
For more information, see Viso Scoperto on RadioRoma Canale 14, at 10.00 pm, Monday and Thursday evenings; and on Tuesday and Friday at 12.00 and 17.00.
HOURS
from 8.00 to 12.00 — Registration – TITIAN ROOM
9.00 — Opening – MICHELANGELO HALL
10.00 – Solemn Mass for the election of the Pope
11.00 – Invocation of the Holy Spirit and of the Saints
from 11.30 to 18.00 — Exhortations, Deliberations and Voting
Roma Locuta Est comments: We will not make many comments. The date of the conclave is now set at January 30, 2023 according to the press release. The press release also gives us the location of the conclave. Bugnolo’s historical conclave will be held at the Hotel Roma Marriott Park. Having looked up this venue on DuckDuckGo, it was determined this is an airport hotel. We certainly hope the strains of music and singing from the hotel lounge & bar — as the lounge singer, ala Bill Murray, sings “wonderful Star Wars” — will not be heard across the hallway, through the walls, of the Michelangelo Hall conference room; possibly interrupting the conclave electors as they deliberate and vote.
[Pictured Above from hotel website: Michelangelo Hall? We can only guess. But, note…significantly…12 seats!]
Roma Locuta Est notes that it is not clear how long this conclave will run. We says that not because conclaves can be unpredictable. Rather we say it given Bugnolo’s limited budget. By his own admission, he had raised only about $2,000 for a venue as of about Friday, last week.
So, there may be strong pressure to bring deliberations to a conclusion on January 30, as they may only have conference room booked until 18:00 (6pm Rome time) that same day. We can’t say. But, Roma Locuta Est feels that the electors will have extra incentive to elect their “pope” before 18:00 so that they can make it in time for Happy Hour at the hotel lounge and bar. I can just hear the lounge singer as they gather around him in celebration (“wonderful Star Wars”). My prediction is…Bugnolo will be elected “pope” by this “conclave.”
Final Thoughts
Satire aside. I do pray and hope that Br. Bugnolo for his own sake, and of those who follow him in this effort — I cannot believe it is many — cease and desist from this lunacy, and come to their senses.
For those Catholics following the topic of Benepapism, or who have been tempted by it; Roma Locuta Est has various resources which debunk the false and spurious claims of the Benepapists (see Summa Contra the BiP Theory (Why Benedict XVI is NOT the pope), and The Case against those who claim “Benedict is (still) pope”). Also, my book which rebuts Benepapism was recently published (see Valid? The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI).
Steven O’Reilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. A former intelligence officer, he and his wife, Margaret, live near Atlanta. He has written apologetic articles, and is author of Book I of the Pia Fidelis trilogy, The Two Kingdoms; and of Valid? The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. (Follow on twitter at @fidelispia for updates). He asks for your prayers for his intentions. He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com or StevenOReilly@ProtonMail.com (or follow on Twitter: @S_OReilly_USA or on GETTR, TruthSocial, or Gab: @StevenOReilly).
Roma Locuta Est 
He’ll prolly take the name Peter II and not too long after his election we will declare Francis and all others who do not submit to his authority excommunicated and he will restore the Real Mass as normative, ditch the new sacraments and Cann Law etc.
The Catholic Church has been so confused after the past fiddy years that many will follow him.
Because he can not make Barnhardt an official, she will oppose him
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VC..hello! Peter II is a good bet. Bugnolo in that case would be looking to align himself with the Prophecies of St. Malachi. That would make him “Peter the Roman”.
However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose Francis I. The rationale would be, choosing the “first” would underline that the current Francis in his eyes is not a valid pope.
We’ll see! But Peter II is a good a guess is any!
Thanks.
Steve
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Actually, “and Peter will lead Christ’s Church”, May be revering to the fact that because The Chair is vacant, due to the denial of The Unity Of The Holy Ghost, it would be appropriate to name St.Peter and all the Popeswhen saying The Mass in suffrage of The Roman Pontiff.That way, Catholic’s can licitly receive The Sacrament until a Conclave is Called to validly elect a Pope or Christ Comes Again.
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Unless there is a large turnout of people for this event, I would consider this not a wise undertaking. If there were several hundred people showing up, and many thousands elswhere in Rome or surrounding area supporting this, it might have some validity. But it all reminds be of a case of a certain “Pope Michael” in the USA, a layman named David Bawden (1959-2022) who claimed he was the Pope, after being “elected” by 7-8 people including his parents! He lived at home in his parents house, and had only a handful (20-30) followers. This was a lunatic charade, and if there are only 7-8 people involved in this papal conclave and “election ” i Rome, it likewise will be the actions of a miniscule group of lunatics. They should just be patient and wait for Bergoglio/aka Pope Francis to die, which won’t be far off, because he admitted in an interview that his intestinal disease has returned. Even though he claimed to be in good health in the interview…..he really isn’t.
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Kenjiro, thanks for the comment. I think one problem that some leading papists will have with your suggestion is, is that they reject the cardinal-electors appointed by Francis. Therefore, they can’t recognize a council after the death of Francis.
But…even if they consent to it, the problem is, what if THAT pope confirms the resignation of Benedict was valid. What then? Do they accept that decision, or do they call this new pope’s election “invalid” because he is in error on the resignation?
Thanks for the comment.
God bless
Steve
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Reminds me of the conclave which elected Pope Michael in Kansas in 1990. God rest his confused soul. He was elected by six people, including his parents — hey, what mother wouldn’t vote for her son as pope? But the thinking was similar –cardinals, bishops weren’t doing their job –since the vacancy after Pius XII died — so the laity had to select a true pope.
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For a minute I had hopes. Honest to Pete I did, no pun intended.
I would prefer the guy who changes the oil in my car to what we have as so-called pope right now.
Any day the news is gonna drop the TLM is banned. Only an evil so and so would do that.
At this point the mainstream church is more like the swine that ran away from Jesus and over the cliff.
Let them do it.
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Sure, Steven, go ahead and make fun. But instead of idly standing by, what are you doing to resist Bergoglio as he continues in his scorched earth war against the Catholic Church? Not much it seems.
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Christina, thanks for the comments.
Whatever Francis is or is not; the truthfulness of Benepapism must stand or fall on its own merits. In other words, Francis being horrible does not make Benepapism true.
I have written many serious articles, and a book, providing arguments showing Benepapism is NOT true.
If Benepapism is NOT true, then it does nothing for the cause of truth, or the cause of ‘resistance to Francis’ to be a Benepapist — in fact, Benepapism is a wasteful distraction.
My opposition to Benepapism would be (and is in my opinion) in service to the truth. My serious articles against Benepapism, and some satirical ones (very few in comparison) as well are intended to point people away from THAT error.
As to what I am “doing to resist Bergoglio”, what more do you think I can do? I pray every day. I say a rosary every day. I go to mass. When I pray, I pray for the conversion of Francis, and the restoration of the Church. I try not to donate to “Francis bishops” if I can help it.
This blog is a wee, humble blog. But, to the extent I can, I have many written articles with arguments against Francis-apologists on Amoris Laetitia, and other questions; and I have explored some issues involving the 2013 conclave (see my Conclave Chronicles).
I am not holding myself out as a model of “resistance” but I think you need to suggest what a “resistor” should do precisely. One thing I know it is not, a resistor shouldn’t follow something which is NOT true. So to that extent, my anti-Benepapist works might possibly help folks to stay focused on Francis as the problem, rather than chasing absurd solutions like Benepapism.
Benepapism weakens any kind of “opposition” or “resistance” to Francis. In fact, it would not surprise me if Francis welcomes the Benepapist movement, as it does weaken the traditionalist/conservative opposition, and it makes it, or at least some of it, look very fringe. You think Francis is worried about Bugnolo? Cionci? Coffin? Acosta? No. Their efforts only help him. They are not “resisting” anything.
Okay…those are my brief thoughts on the question. Beyond that…I am open to your suggestions.
God bless,
Steve
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Thanks for your reply. Regardless of the merits of Benevacantism, there are numerous other irregularities concerning the current papacy. Leaving aside the subject of Benedict’s intention to keep the munus but not the ministerium argument, how is Bergoglio not the pope? Let me count the ways.
Canon 332.2 states a papal resignation must be made freely.
“Pray for me that I not flee for fear of the wolves.”
– Pope Benedict on Day One
Rules for voting in the conclave state no more than four votes in one day.
Bergoglio elected on the fifth vote of the day. This act makes the election null and void.
From Universi Dominci Gregis:
79. I likewise forbid anyone, even if he is a Cardinal during the Pope’s lifetime…to make plans concerning the election of his successor or to promise votes or to make decisions to this regard in private gatherings.
81. The cardinal electors shall further abstain from any form of pact, agreement, promise or other commitments of any kind which could oblige them to give or deny their vote to a person or persons. If this were in fact done, even under oath, I decree that such a commitment shall be null and void and that no one will be bound to observe it.
Saint Gallen Mafia anyone?
Oh, and then there’s the little things such as by committing heresy a pope deposes himself. Francis commits heresy on an almost daily basis. But ten years’ of heresies cannot be listed in a comment.
A pope cannot be a heretic. A pope must be Catholic.
Your thoughts on any of the above?
Thanks,
Christina
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Christina,
Regarding “freely”….Benedict has said it was free many times. First…it is in the text of the Declaratio. Second, he read the words aloud to the Cardinals. Third, in various interviews with Seewald he said it was free. Fourth, any number of folks had visited him over 10 years since he resigned. Not one of them said he appeared to be not free. He made no indication of that, to anyone.
Thus, there is much evidence, much from his own mouth. Do we call him a liar? Is that what you want? That he was a coward perhaps, do afraid to tell the truth?
Aside from all that…there is no definitive proof his resignation was not free.
Regarding the 2013 conclave…that gets us away from Benedict.
However, the problem with that specific canon for the conclave is the following. Conclave rules do not nullify a conclave if someone exchanges money for a vote, etc. Here’s the problem, if you can PAY someone to vote you without nullifying the election, how is it possible to nullify a conclave if one just talks to someone to convince them instead of paying? The problem is…many of these conditions are things one can’t do, but the penalties for the person, not nullifcation of the conclave.
Now…that is not to say I don’t see problems with the conclave. LIke I think I mentioned…read my set of articles on the “Conclave Chronicles.”
Whether a pope cannot be a heretic as a person is not a dogma. I think there is some gray here…and I am sure it will be much discussed by a future pope one day with regard to Francis.
God bless,
Steve
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He is overlooking a lot.. Following his own line of argument. John Paul II and Benedict XVI have worked on this their entire lives. But somehow stopped here? It’s impatience on Bugnolo’s behalf. The catechism itself says the church is to die and rise anew. But the prince of Carnaval will have his party first. The keys were ‘given’ to him. He didn’t take them but they are not his. After the warning and cleansing we’ll see that JPII and Benedict have provided, and it will be God’s action for all to see. Until then pray. But it will certainly not be a in a posh hotel somewhere in Rome.
Alexis always fakes his realities and censors anything else. Love of money deceives many.
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Good enough, I’ll follow him. Thank you Benevacantists!
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