...At the launch of the book in Brussels this week, the cardinal said he was part of a secret club of cardinals opposed to Pope Benedict XVI. He called it a "mafia" club that bore the name of St. Gallen.The group wanted a drastic reform of the Church, to make it "much more modern", and for Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to head it. The group, which also comprised Cardinal Walter Kasper and the late Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, has been documented in Austen Ivereigh's biography of Pope Francis, 'The Great Reformer'.
I'm not shocked by the news, we've heard it before, but I'm surprised he has admitted it. After all Pope Francis has railed more than once against the Mafia so you wouldn't think Cardinals invited to the Synod would confess to their involvement in one. Still,at least that's another piece of documentary evidence for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to file under 'Bergoglio, Jorge'.
I'm sure that file will be needed one day. How many witnesses are necessary nowadays? Of course, it would be foolish for anyone to pre-judge the outcome of such a tribunal. It would be equally foolish to campaign to get 'our man elected' if 'our man' was unaware of the plan and had some knowledge of why he was being touted as the new leader and moderniser. Such is illegal, invalidates an election and incurs the penalty of excommunication. But hey, don't let 'little laws' drag you down....
The Cardinal electors shall further abstain from any form of pact, agreement, promise or other commitment of any kind which could oblige them to give or deny their vote to a person or persons. If this were in fact done, even under oath, I decree that such a commitment shall be null and void and that no one shall be bound to observe it; and I hereby impose the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae upon those who violate this prohibition.
I likewise forbid the Cardinals before the election to enter into any stipulations, committing themselves of common accord to a certain course of action should one of them be elevated to the Pontificate. These promises too, should any in fact be made, even under oath, I also declare null and void.
We should presume validity, always, until the Church says otherwise.
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