On Dogmatic Facts and Pope Francis' Election as Pope:
This is in response to the following poll which was sent to me from social media.
A few musings come to mind when reading the above; namely:
1) Those people saying Benedict XVI are still Pope are schmucks.
2) Dogmatic facts are "any fact connected with a dogma and on which the application of a dogma to a particular case depends." [Catholic Encyclopedia: Article on Dogmatic Facts (circa 1913)]
3) The Church is infallible in dogmatic facts:
"According to Catholic doctrine, the infallibility of the Church's Magisterium extends not only to the deposit of faith but also to those matters without which that deposit cannot be rightly preserved and expounded." [CDF: Instruction Mysterium Ecclesiae 3 (circa 1973) referencing Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium 25 (circa 1964)]
"With regard to those truths connected to revelation by historical necessity and which are to be held definitively, but are not able to be declared as divinely revealed, the following examples can be given: the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff or of the celebration of an ecumenical council, the canonizations of saints (dogmatic facts)." [CDF: Doctrinal Commentary on the Profession of Faith (circa 1998)]
4) Pope Benedict XVI abdicated the papacy by his own free choice in February of 2013.
5) The College of Cardinals elected Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope in March of 2013. He chose the name of Francis.
6) Pope Francis is the lawfully elected Pope of the Catholic Church.
7) As the Church could not err in a matter of dogmatic facts and the selection of Pope involves dogmatic facts, upon the man selected accepting the election, he becomes at that moment Pope.
8) The identity of Pope Francis as Pope as a dogmatic fact falls under the secondary realm of truths connected to revelation by logical necessity. Ergo, the fact that Pope Francis is Pope is considered infallible.
9) Those voting for Benedict XVI as the current Pope in that poll are in dogmatic error which if willfully doubted or denied means they should not present themselves for communion and priests or deacons aware of said willful doubt or denial by said persons should refuse to give them communion.
10) Benedict recognizes Francis as the lawful Pope along with the rest of the Catholic faithful.