Is Francis Really the Pope?

Why some say “no.”

Many in the Catholic media tend to cover-up for Pope Francis either by putting the best possible interpretation on his actions or else by failing to report news that might be damaging to his image.

One of the main stories that the Catholic media covers-up is that a debate has arisen among Catholics as to whether or not Francis is really the pope.

Since those who claim that he is not the pope constitute a small minority, the Catholic media has, by-and-large, chosen to avoid the topic. It’s a hot-potato issue and those who get caught on the wrong side of it might pay a heavy price.

To claim that the pope is not the pope is like claiming that the president of the United States is not really the president. One would have to be very sure of his case before going out on that limb. As we have discovered, claiming that the election of Joe Biden was rigged has turned out to be a risky proposition.

Yet one of the reasons that some Catholics believe that Francis is not pope is the claim that his election was rigged. The charge was leveled, by the way, about eight years before anyone thought to make a similar claim about the election of Joe Biden.

According to this version of events, a group of high-ranking liberal prelates who met regularly in Saint Gallen, Switzerland, managed to engineer the election of Jorge Bergoglio by employing various devious tactics. For example, it’s said that they were responsible for manufacturing a scandal around the name of the other chief “contender” for the papacy, Cardinal Angelo Scola. For more on the “St. Gallen Mafia” see here.

Another reason that is often given for the claim that Francis is not pope is that the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI was not valid. But this is a very complicated topic, the resolution of which depends on one’s interpretation of canon law, and on discerning the intentions of Pope Benedict.

But the whole issue of the validity of the papal election would probably never have been raised except for another problem with Francis—namely, that he seems to many to be a bad pope, a very bad pope.

A “bad pope” can mean that a pope is corrupt and immoral, or it can mean that he holds erroneous beliefs, or it can be a combination of the two. In the case of Francis, the “bad pope” charge usually refers to erroneous beliefs rather than personal immorality (although the fact that Francis surrounds himself with corrupt people has raised suspicions about his character).

Interestingly, the charge of “bad pope” is far less contentious than the charge of “not pope.” In fact, many of those who defend the validity of the Francis papacy are quick to admit that he is indeed a bad pope.

For example, this is the position of Michael Voris, the head of Church Militant—a popular website that has a large following among traditional Catholics.

Church Militant has been highly critical of Francis and has exposed numerous scandals related to him, yet Voris strongly rejects the argument that Francis is not the pope. Like other defenders of Francis’s legitimacy, he points out that Church history reveals many cases of popes who were guilty of simony, or sexual immorality, or of adhering to erroneous belief.

The latter category is the most problematic since it calls into question the doctrine of papal infallibility. But, as Voris and others point out, there’s a difference between holding an erroneous view and teaching it as a doctrine that must be believed by all Catholics.

Thus, personal views expressed by a pope—such as Francis’ off-the-cuff, in-flight remarks to reporters—do not qualify as infallible pronouncements. And some canon law experts say that none of the official documents signed by Francis meet the strict conditions for...

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