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Why would the forthcoming papal election still be valid if more than 120 Cardinals vote in it, against Universi Dominici Gregis paragraph 33?

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The Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG)1 contains "the norms which, when the Roman See becomes vacant, are to be strictly followed by the Cardinals whose right and duty it is to elect the Successor of Peter". On the one hand, the number of Cardinals who have the right to elect the new Pope, who are all those Cardinals who had not "reached their eightieth birthday before the day of the Roman Pontiff's death" [UDG 33], is 1352. On the other hand, there are the following 3 UDG paragraphs: >33. The right to elect the Roman Pontiff belongs exclusively to the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church, with the exception of those who have reached their eightieth birthday before the day of the Roman Pontiff's death or the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant. **The maximum number of Cardinal electors must not exceed one hundred and twenty.** The right of active election by any other ecclesiastical dignitary or the intervention of any lay power of whatsoever grade or order is absolutely excluded. > >34. If the Apostolic See should become vacant during the celebration of an Ecumenical Council or of a Synod of Bishops being held in Rome or in any other place in the world, the election of the new Pope is to be carried out solely and exclusively by the Cardinal electors indicated in No. 33, and not by the Council or the Synod of Bishops. For this reason **I declare null and void acts which would in any way temerariously presume to modify the regulations concerning the election or the college of electors.** [...] > > > >76. **Should the election take place in a way other than that prescribed in the present Constitution, or should the conditions laid down here not be observed, the election is for this very reason null and void, without any need for a declaration on the matter; consequently, it confers no right on the one elected.** In view of the above, I have two questions. A. Why would the forthcoming papal election still be valid if more than 120 Cardinals vote in it? B. Expressing the answer to A as: "The election will still be valid because of X", is X in your view strong enough to compel all Catholics to hold that the election will still be valid? Or rather, does it leave room for any Catholic to hold in good conscience that the election will not be valid? Reference and note 1 [Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis on the Vacancy of the Apostolic See and the Election of the Roman Pontiff](https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis.html) 2 The number 135 is confirmed after Cardinal Becciu's announcement on April 29 that he will not participate in the conclave.
Asked by Johannes (2099 rep)
Apr 28, 2025, 05:17 PM
Last activity: Jun 29, 2025, 09:00 AM