Pledge to pray for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul

(LifeSiteNews) — Prominent Italian Carmelite priest Father Giorgio Maria Faré, OCD, who was excommunicated last year after declaring in a viral sermon that Francis was not a valid pope, is urging the cardinals appointed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI to convene their own conclave to elect a “valid” pope. 

In an email to LifeSiteNews, Faré emphasized both the need for all Catholics to pray for the repose of Francis’ soul and, citing his belief that all Francis-appointed cardinals are illegitimate, called on the cardinals appointed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI to hold their own conclave to elect, what in his view, would be a legitimate successor to St. Peter.

Faré had been excommunicated by the Francis Vatican in 2024 after stating in a sermon that Benedict XVI intentionally did not properly resign from the papal office, and, therefore, Francis was never really a true pope. 

Faithful must pray for the repose of Francis’ soul

In his email, the priest first underscored the need for the faithful to pray for Francis’ soul, just as they would for any deceased person.

“Let us entrust the soul of Francis to the mercy of God, placing him in the hands of the Lord, who alone judges with perfect justice and love,” the priest wrote.

Faré’s thesis that Francis was not the pope

Faré posited in his October homily that Benedict, having inside knowledge of a plot by the St. Gallen Mafia to elect a liberal pope upon his death, decided to purposely resign invalidly, leaving clues for the cardinals to pick up:   

The Pope thus found himself at a crossroads: either allow an antipope to be secretly elected upon his death or attempt a strategy to foil the enemies of the Church by issuing a declaration with no legal effect. Incidentally, I point out that – even after the Declaratio – an invalid Conclave could have been avoided. The cardinals who noticed the anomalies in the Declaratio … could have immediately raised the issue and prevented a Conclave from being convened. This did not happen, so it is important to note that the actual responsibility for what happened should not be placed on Benedict XVI but, rather, primarily on those who understood and remained silent in bad faith.   

The clues Faré says Benedict left for the cardinals to decipher and take appropriate action on included adopting the title “Pope Emeritus,” continuing to wear his white cassock, and retaining his papal coat of arms.   

READ: Italian priest Fr. Giogio Maria Faré argues the invalidity of Francis’ papacy

One piece of evidence, Faré says, that points to Benedict’s resignation being invalid was the fact that he used the phrase “I declare to renounce” instead of saying “I renounce,” as he says is required. Faré also underscored that in the original Latin text of the resignation, Benedict only resigned from the ministerium, or the visible execution of the office, but for the resignation to be valid, Faré argues, he would have needed to resign from the munus, or the “office” of the papacy, according to Canon 332 §2 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.   

Therefore, according to Faré, Benedict XVI was pope until his death in 2022, and thus Francis was an antipope.

To read Faré’s full sermon in English, click here.   

A conclave with Francis-appointed cardinals would be invalid

Faré stressed that, because he believes Francis was not the legitimate pope, every cardinal appointment made by Francis was invalid.

Turning to papal elections and canon law, Faré cited the fact that cardinals hold the exclusive right to elect the Roman Pontiff, per Article 33 of Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. However, citing Canon 171 §2 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law (which applies to all ecclesial elections), Faré highlighted that someone who is not entitled to vote in an ecclesial election would not necessarily invalidate that election.

“If the number of such invalidly appointed cardinals were small, and the Pope were elected by a sufficient majority without relying on their votes, the election could still be considered valid despite their irregular participation,” Faré said.

However, since an overwhelming majority of the current cardinals were appointed by Francis, the upcoming conclave could not be considered valid, according to Faré.

“Cardinals appointed by Francis make up about 80% of the electors. Their votes would inevitably be decisive in any possible outcome. For this reason, their participation would fundamentally undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process, rendering it null and void from the outset, as established by Article 76 of Universi Dominici Gregis,” he said.

Cardinals appointed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI must convene to elect valid pope

Faré then offered a message for the 27 cardinals appointed by Benedict XVI and John Paul II, who he maintains are eligible to vote in a valid conclave.

“I would like to remind those cardinals validly appointed by Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II of the grave responsibility now resting on their shoulders,” Faré said. “It is their duty to gather, excluding the cardinals appointed by Francis, and elect the true successor of Peter, according to the laws of the Church, for the good of all the faithful.”

Faré’s excommunication

Just two days after delivering his viral sermon declaring Francis was an antipope, Faré was warned in a letter signed by his superior, Father Miguel Márquez Calle, OCD, that he had 15 days to recant his statements or face excommunication and dismissal from the Carmelite order. In November 2024, after not recanting his position, Faré was excommunicated and dismissed for “obstinately and publicly” refusing to recognize Francis as the legitimate Roman Pontiff, per Márquez’s letter announcing the decision.

READ: Italian priest excommunicated, another laicized for declaring Francis isn’t pope

Other theories on the legitimacy of Francis

Several other Catholic prelates and thinkers have suggested that Francis is not the pope, either because Benedict’s resignation was not valid or for other reasons such as public heresy or incorrect intention. Among these include Father Ramon Guidetti, who, like Faré, was excommunicated in 2024 after stating in a sermon that Benedict “never gave up the Petrine munus,” making Francis not the pope, but a “usurper.” 

In the case of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, he has posited that Francis lacked the necessary intention to become pope, regardless of the nature of Benedict’s resignation. This lack of intention to promote the Catholic faith prevented Francis from ever validly accepting his election, Viganò argues. He was likewise declared excommunicated by the Vatican for holding this position. Following Francis’ death, Viganò suggested Francis would have to answer to God for usurping the papal throne.

READ: Archbishop Viganò: Bergoglio will answer to God for usurping the throne of Peter

Others, like Bishop Athanasius Schneider – a critic of Francis – have maintained that “nobody has the power to judge Francis’s status as pope” because previous writings about a pope losing his office ipso facto upon expressing heresy or adhering to heresy, such as those of St. Robert Bellarmine, are opinions, not doctrine. Still others, as LifeSiteNews has published, argue against Schneider’s opinion citing the Church’s teaching on membership.

REPOST: Bishop Schneider publishes prayer begging God for ‘an era of holy popes’

It is worth noting that regardless of theory, all are encouraged to pray for the soul of Francis and for the flourishing of the Catholic Church.

Click HERE for our full coverage on the death of Pope Francis

Pledge to pray for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul