The Bugnolo Files

January 29, 2023 (Steven O’Reilly) – [Updated 12/1/2023] The last month has been quite eventful for Br. Bugnolo. He issued various ‘authoritative’ decrees. First, he laid out the basis, in his view, for a conclave to elect a “successor” of Pope Benedict XVI. Next, he declared that 99% of the cardinals were ipso facto excommunicated. Then, for good measure, he issued an “admonition” to the cardinals that they needed to convene a conclave within 21 days of Benedict’s death, or lose the right forever to elect pope.

The cardinals’ having ‘failed’ to heed the man of private vows wearing a Franciscan’s habit has now led that man to this evening, Anti-pope eve. Unless there is some change in Bugnolo’s planning, his conclave will begin tomorrow in an airport hotel in Rome (see The Bugnolan “conclave” begins January 30, 2023 at a Rome airport hotel!).

Who knows how many of Rome’s Catholics will show, but it is not likely to be many given Bugnolo’s track record. For example, I think only two other Catholics showed for the event where he read out his admonition to the cardinals. Given they only have rented the meeting room for one day, they must move quickly. But, if there are as few as I suspect, they could always rent a suite with two single-beds, and a pull out couch if the conclave lasted more than a day.

However, it appears this will be a one day conclave. So, no doubt, under the firm guidance of Bugnolo they will meet this deadline to elect a “pope.” In addition to being forced to surrender the meeting room at 18:00 for a ball room dancing class for senior citizens, there will be an extra incentive to select a “pope” by then. The electors will no doubt move with celerity to elect a “pope” before 18:00 Rome time in order not to miss happy hour at the airport hotel’s bar and lounge. One can almost picture the “electors” celebrating the outcome of the election as they sit around small round tables in the hotel’s bar — as the lounge singer, ala Bill Murray, sings “Star Wars”.

So, what will the outcome be? We do know that Bugnolo reached out to Bishop Emeritus Gracida of Corpus Christi to see if he had an interest in the job, but the latter indicated at 100 years of age, that he’d pass (see HERE). Unfortunately, for Bugnolo, there are not many Benepapist-friendly bishops out there, and I suspect, none of whom who would accept a potential “election” — and for that matter, none of whom who would consecrate the man who is elected, should he not already be a bishop. How Bugnolo solves that problem…we don’t yet know.

So, what will be the outcome? I do think Bugnolo must be considered the leading papabile going into this conclave. Seems only fair that he’d be so. He made the rules. He organized it. He has his own communications platform (his blog). He has experience with fund raising (e.g., a donate link on his blog). He even appears to have something of his own military order (see HERE).

Therefore, it is his “football” so to speak — elect him, or he’ll go home! So there is a good chance that by tomorrow this time, Bugnolo may be the first anti-pope to be proclaimed in Rome for a thousand years(?). If he doesn’t come out of this conclave as the pope-elect, he’ll undoubtedly be named “Cardinal Bugnolo” by the new pontiff for the great service he has rendered to the cause of Benepapism.

In such a case, Cardinal Bugnolo might be named the Prefect of the anti-papacy’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Either as “pope” or “Prefect of the CDF”, Bugnolo will be in a position to declare those who oppose this farce to be ‘schismatics’, as he did in a recent articles on Anti-papacy eve, where he fulminated (emphasis added):

“Tomorrow (Roma Locuta Est note: January 30, 2023), the Catholics of Rome take back their Church. Those who reject their decision, will schism themselves from Christ Jesus in such a way that they cannot be saved, for as Pope Boniface VIII declares, in Unam Sanctam — a document frequently quoted even only a few decades ago, but recently forgotten — it is impossible to be saved without submitting to the Roman Pontiff.” (Source: WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR A JURIDICALLY VALID ELECTION BY APOSTOLIC RIGHT?)

If Bugnolo and those he has convinced to follow him go through with this, I can just imagine this whole “conclave” will one day, 20-30 years from now, being made into something of an off-beat, quirky, dark comedy of a movie. Anyway, to mark this event for the historical record, Roma Locuta Est offers below its articles which chronicled Bugnolo’s efforts to launch his conclave. Perhaps they may one day be put on the Index of Forbidden articles by “Pope” Alexis Bugnolo I. That might even make a good coffee mug or tee shirt (“I was put on the Forbidden Index by “Pope” Bugnolo I”).

A lot can happen between now and tomorrow. All kidding aside, sincerely, I hope and pray that Bugnolo and his followers will rethink this whole Benepapist nonsense. Perhaps before tomorrow he might read these two articles which demonstrated Bugnolo and the Benepapists are wrong on the munus vs. ministerium debate (see Lumen Gentium Destroys Benepapism in Toto), as well as wrong in his interpretation of canon law (see Br. Alexis Bugnolo’s Faulty Logic, and Faulty Comprehension with Respect to Canon 17). One can always hope. Pray for Alexis Bugnolo.

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

Commentary and Apologetics