Canon law, the cornerstone of the Church's restoration
The norms of canon law, which regulate every aspect of the Church's life, thus constitute the privileged instrument by which to proceed in order to restore the legitimate Petrine succession and officially declare the nullity of Bergoglio and Prevost (and all that they have done in pronouncements and appointments) on the Petrine throne.
In virtue of this, journalist and Roman essayist Andrea Cionci, author of the most systematic investigation into Benedict XVI's resignation, has recently developed together with his consultants a collective notification, also serving as a formal petition for canonical verification of the election of Leo XIV. The study has also been offered as a petition to the faithful and citizens and is addressed to the competent authorities, namely the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, and the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and the Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, Msgr. Anthony Randazzo. The petition, which at the time of writing has been signed by just under 3,000 faithful, is available at the following link: https://www.petizioni.com/diffida_collettiva_e_istanza_formale_di_accertamento_canonico_su_elezione_leone_xiv, where the related canonical study will also be found.
The heart of the investigation lies in considering Leo XIV a pope elected in a manner not canonically regular: specifically, the first issue raised concerns the failure of Benedict XVI to renounce the munus petrinum, as required by can. 332 § 2, and the subsequent failure to declare the see vacant upon the death of the last legitimate pontiff, namely Ratzinger himself. Another highly problematic issue is the participation of 108 cardinals, whose validity is decisively undermined by the irregular renunciation of Benedict XVI, in the 2025 conclave: the latest papal election was furthermore characterized by exceeding the maximum ceiling of 120 cardinal electors, as provided for in art. 33 of the current regulations.
Furthermore, objections have been raised concerning violations of the norms on secrecy and regularity of conclave operations: specifically, Vatican security devices detected that even after the extra omnes, an elderly cardinal elector was carrying an activated mobile phone in his pockets and one of his confreres left the Sistine Chapel before the official closing of the papal election.
The study has also emphasized that, since 2023, multiple requests for clarification have been presented to the Holy See concerning events from 2013 onwards, including through petitions signed by over 20,000 faithful and through contributions of a canonical-doctrinal nature addressed to the Secretariat of State, without, to date, any official response having been received.
In light of can. 212 §3, which recognizes the right and duty of the faithful to manifest their thoughts to the sacred Pastors for the good of the Church, it is emphasized that the persistent uncertainty concerning the validity of the acts in question produces significant repercussions also in the civil order.
In particular, reference has been made to the framework of agreements between the Holy See and the Italian Republic, originally defined by the Lateran Treaties of 11 February 1929, subsequently subject to bilateral revision of concordatary discipline through the Villa Madama Agreement of 18 February 1984, made enforceable in the Italian legal system by Law 25 March 1985, no. 121.
This arrangement, within the principles of bilaterality and cooperation, proved relevant for the recognition of the civil effects of acts of ecclesiastical origin, with consequent need for certainty regarding their canonical validity.
Similarly, attention has been drawn to the provisions of canon law that provide for sanctions for usurpation of ecclesiastical office.
From this perspective, should the criticalities set out above prove to be founded, the Reverend Father Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A. would incur the relative sanctions provided for by the canonical order, in that he was illegitimately: consecrated bishop, created cardinal, and elected to the pontifical throne under the name of Leo XIV.
All this being premised, it has been requested that the competent ecclesiastical authorities provide without further delay a formal clarification concerning the canonical legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV, through an official pronouncement, expressed in reasoned form and based on adequate canonical and documentary verification.
In the absence thereof, it will be necessary to solicit the Italian legal system by virtue of the aforementioned Lateran Treaties, as well as to inform the embassies of the countries in concordat with the State of Vatican City.
Davide De Vincentiis
