Will the Catholic Church Survive the Twentieth Century? on Giuseppe Joseph Siri's Claim to be Pope Gregory XVII.
The Siri Theory - In May of this year, Cardinal Giuseppe Siri died. His death ended the hopes of many traditionalists that he had somehow been elected pope in 1963 and had supplied for the See's vacancy ever since. We know from Section I of Part II that even if Siri HAD been elected in 1963, that election would have been invalid, since; (a) those cardinals invalidly appointed by Roncalli comprised more than one-third of the voters, precluding the two-thirds plus one majority required for valid election, and; (2) following Roncalli's death, the cardinals were prohibited by law from positing such an election, as a penalty for electing an unworthy candidate (Canon 178). Because many of them had also embraced heresy at the first session of Vatican II, they were deposed under Canon 188, No. 4.Although those convinced of Siri's election did produce much in the way of circumstantial evidence and sensationalistic journalism, they never came close to proving conclusively that Siri ever accepted his "election." That such acceptance is itself necessary for validity was clearly defined by Pius XII in his constitution Vacantis Apostolica Sedis. Michael Williams, in his The Catholic Church in Action, specifically mentions "...emphasis on an unmistakable reply of acceptance..." as one of the specific reasons for the issuing of Pius XII's constitution. (p. 40.) Such a clear exposition of the mind of the lawgiver cannot be ignored, and therefore, for this and especially for those reasons enumerated above, Siri could never have become pope.Since his death, rumors have circulated (here we go again...) to the effect that Siri appointed a successor to the "papacy" before his demise. Already we have seen that such appointment is also invalid, even if it could be considered a possibility. Siri was interdicted with the rest of the College of "Cardinals" in 1963 and could neither have elected validly or been validly elected. At present, an effort is underway to chronicle the case of Siri and his "election" and we cannot refrain from noting that the talents of those involved would be much better spent adhering to the laws, infallible teachings, and practice of the Church than tracking down illusions. The enemy has succeeded time and again in sidetracking those most necessary to the reconstruction of the Church by such bogus efforts, to the detriment of the individuals involved and the faithful, who deserve to be fed with the pure bread of truth; not serpents or stones. The day such talented people cease pursuing phantoms and commit themselves to the study and the propagation of the truth and only the truth, will be a great day, indeed.Michael Fighting
"Michael…who standeth for…thy people," — Dan. 12:1-12
