Answering Matt Whitman Some

A Protestant's Guide to Pope Picking
Matt Whitman and The Ten Minute Bible Hour | 26 April 2025
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ABZE3jebI

5:15 In fact, a cardinal always is some other post as well.

The bishop of Ostia has always been a cardinal since that existed. So, that cardinal automatically is bishop of Ostia. Again, the curate or deacon of Saint Sabina, a Church in Rome, built over the house Church of the saint of that name, with the saint Serapia, a servant woman who converted her. That curate or deacon is one of the cardinal titles.

9:49 Medieval canonists say, a Pope cannot:

• change the Bible
• change the essential rites of the sacraments
• change the status ecclesiae, and I think that means "Papal State" ...

11:33 The correct answer seems to be, if a Pope fell into apostasy or just even heresy, he would automatically auto-depose and could consequently be judged.

The fact or heresy and auto-deposition are public and verifiable prior to such judgement. Could also mean to conclude someone was never even elected Pope.

For instance, when Bergoglio was close with Tony Palmer, it didn't seem as if he hoped he'd convert from the Anglican heresy. Confirmed by the fact that an unconverted Tony Palmer was not buried as Anglican "bishop" but by Bergoglio as a "Catholic bishop" ...

Tolkien seems more like at least nudging C. S. Lewis now and then, and C. S. Lewis had taken up not just going to Confession, but even belief in Purgatory, of sorts. Also, part of Tolkien's grief when CSL died could be grief at his not converting first.

15:56 Apostolic succession in the sense that Protestants lack is in fact not primarily the Series Pastorum of a certain Church

Early Church Fathers like St. Irenaeus do look at the Series Pastorum, it is neater to look at for instance Antioch having first Peter (before he moved to Rome), then Evagrius, then Ignatius, each of whom was in Antioch for a substantial amount of time, than tracing (especially some time after Ignatius) who was consecrated bishop by whom back to the Apostles.

Gnostics lacked both. The polemics with the Gnostics priorised the former info. And in that sense of series pastorum, one could say Wexjo in Sweden or Canterbury in England have "apostolic succession" since Sts Sigfrid (from England) or Augustine (from Italy, probably Rome) ... what the Protestants lack however is a series of valid consecrations. Even if Parker and Larentius Petri II were validly consecrated, by their theology, they did not intend to celebrate Mass, did not intend to ordain priests who could celebrate Mass and did not intend to consecrate bishops who could ordain priests who could celebrate Mass. That's where Apostolic Succession has broken down for Protestants. In Geneva, there wasn't even a pretence of continuing any episcopal office.

However, the question of Series Pastorum. The peaceful succession in any see, including Rome, could be broken by schism or criminal pseudo-elections, even if St. Irenaeus hadn't seen such things. And in that case, the Series Pastorum would be restored by entering communion with the Church again. Rome is a special case. As valid Avignon popes prove, Rome can exist in exile. This is because Rome is the measure by which the adherence of other churches to the Church Universal is measured.

The things you think of, no, the Series Pastorum of Rome isn't broken permanently by a break of the continuity that is healed. Unlike with Apostolic Succession, where an invalid bishop doesn't just need reconciliation, but getting consecrated by someone who actually is a bishop.