I've heard these rumours. Very interesting if there is any substance to them. And concerning. Benedict XVI still lives, the last pope to resign.
Strange times.
Walk with me here for a moment. We have this issue of conflict about the succession of the Presidency in the US.
If Francis abdicates before 2021, then we also have a race for the papacy, within a deeply divided church. Didn't Francis mention at one point the idea of a schism in the church? Now, ignoring how unlikely that might be (perhaps as unlikely as Texas seceding from the US), we can't ignore the parallels. It's pretty fascinating.
What are the chances the Church could split?
Also, since we technically have two popes at the moment, so long as Francis remains alive along with Benedict XVI, could we actually have three popes? Or is there some way of resolving this?
Some argue that we are already in a material (not formal) schism. Those who attend Traditional Latin Mass are basically learning and practicing a different (original) faith.
For this to be formalized would not surprise me. I still wonder what this would mean in the context of St Malachy's prophecy.
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