Papal Assination: a POD proposal with an incapacitated Pope

[NHBL]

In writing The Masquerade, I was thinking aabout the assassination of Pope John Paul II; it has to be dealt with one way or another.
What happens of the assassination almost kills the pope, leaving him in a long term coma?
There's no provisions for removing the pope, and mercy killing is anathema to the Catholic church, as far as I understand it. With modern medicine, he could linger for a looooong time--years, perhaps--with no one even being certain if he was brain dead.
What happens.
I'm assuming that there is no "assisted passing" of any sort.
He's not dead, so no conclave.
He's not functioning, so it's a lot like a Sede Vacante, but the presumed interregnum authority isn't there; there is still a pope.
If any action is taken to elect a provisional pope, or even establish the full routine of Sede Vacante, there could be a major schism.
Provisions for dealing with an incapacitated Pope would need to be established, I think, BY the pope. (And any popewould want to make it darned hard to depose him, I suspect!)
What happens?

EDIT: If I'm wrong in any of my assumptions above, please correct me.

(If someone wants to take this as a POD and run with it, please do; it could be fascinating, but I would be utterly incapable of writing it.

 

[kholieken]

Catholic allow to stop receiving medicine. There are no need for excessive medical treatment. There are no reasons why removing IV is considered mercy killing, if it leads to "natural" death.

Update: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_on_Euthanasia these might be useful source, definition of heroic medical treatment is best answered by more knowledgeable Catholic.

 

[NHBL]

Catholic allow to stop receiving medicine. There are no need for excessive medical treatment. There are no reasons why removing IV is considered mercy killing, if it leads to "natural" death.

Thanks. As is clear, I know little about the ins and outs; just enough to wonder if there was potential for a timeline

 

[SandroPertini98]

The Camerlengo, who becomes the “acting” head of the Church during a conclave, has the authority to administer all Church temporal goods when the Pope is absent or on an international trip, so I think he could easily take the reins without major challenges.
Of course, if the Pope exits from coma but need a long rehabilitation I think he would resign to make the room for a “full-time” Pope.

 

[Lalli]

The Camerlengo, who becomes the “acting” head of the Church during a conclave, has the authority to administer all Church temporal goods when the Pope is absent or on an international trip, so I think he could easily take the reins without major challenges.
Of course, if the Pope exits from coma but need a long rehabilitation I think he would resign to make the room for a “full-time” Pope.

Things might become bit more complicate if pope is coma in several months or even years. Pope's visits not usually last very long and nowadays conclaves not last very long.

And if pope has been in coma something like one year or longer he would need extensive phisiotherapy. But not sure if JPII still would resign. He didn't that n OTL despite being on really bad condition on his last years.

 

[Not James Stockdale]

If the coma lasts for several months, it will become apparent that a new pope is needed. A pope in a coma is as capable as a dead pope. I think the Vatican Secretary of State and the College of Cardinals will, at some point, figure out how to call a conclave. I don’t think there would be any risk of a schism, as long as an appropriately long time (6+ months) has passed with no evidence of improvement. The only real problem would be if the old pope wakes up. There are constitutional solutions for when a diocese is impeded, but the Bishop of Rome has special powers in addition to those of a normal diocesan bishop, so the Holy See is probably not capable of persisting without a pope for several years. The geopolitical factors that led to the Western Schism are no longer an important consideration in a post-reformation and post-revolutionary world.

 

[NHBL]

I was wondering if an attempt to put a new pope in while the old one was still breathing might offend the more conservative members, resulting in more sedevacantists or people who think that the old pope was still the legitimate one, no matter that he was in a coma, possibly long term or even permanent.
If the situation was resolved reasonalby over time, they might come back together. (Could a conclave pick an "acting Pope?" Or could the newly elecxted pope promise to step down if their god should return the old pope to consciousness?)
Once the situation settled, I feel confident that provisions for a similar situation would be developed.
Thanks--and it could be an interesting timeline for someone who is focused along those lines.

 

[Lalli]

If the coma lasts for several months, it will become apparent that a new pope is needed. A pope in a coma is as capable as a dead pope. I think the Vatican Secretary of State and the College of Cardinals will, at some point, figure out how to call a conclave. I don’t think there would be any risk of a schism, as long as an appropriately long time (6+ months) has passed with no evidence of improvement. The only real problem would be if the old pope wakes up. There are constitutional solutions for when a diocese is impeded, but the Bishop of Rome has special powers in addition to those of a normal diocesan bishop, so the Holy See is probably not capable of persisting without a pope for several years. The geopolitical factors that led to the Western Schism are no longer an important consideration in a post-reformation and post-revolutionary world.

They of course could elect new pope. But indeed problem is what if old one wakes up. It depends would he be still mentally and physically able to serve as pope. Not then sure what would happen if boh popes refuses to abdicate. Perhaps they just state that this new pope is intermin pope until old one wakes up. Probably he still could have same powers as actual pope.

I was wondering if an attempt to put a new pope in while the old one was still breathing might offend the more conservative members, resulting in more sedevacantists or people who think that the old pope was still the legitimate one, no matter that he was in a coma, possibly long term or even permanent.
If the situation was resolved reasonalby over time, they might come back together. (Could a conclave pick an "acting Pope?" Or could the newly elecxted pope promise to step down if their god should return the old pope to consciousness?)
Once the situation settled, I feel confident that provisions for a similar situation would be developed.
Thanks--and it could be an interesting timeline for someone who is focused along those lines.

I don't think that conservatives are so idiotic that they would start modern era schism. Even if some would leave, there is so few of followers that now one would care.

 

[Derek Pullem]

I was wondering if an attempt to put a new pope in while the old one was still breathing might offend the more conservative members, resulting in more sedevacantists or people who think that the old pope was still the legitimate one, no matter that he was in a coma, possibly long term or even permanent.
If the situation was resolved reasonalby over time, they might come back together. (Could a conclave pick an "acting Pope?" Or could the newly elecxted pope promise to step down if their god should return the old pope to consciousness?)
Once the situation settled, I feel confident that provisions for a similar situation would be developed.
Thanks--and it could be an interesting timeline for someone who is focused along those lines.

Good article here from 2005 when Pope JP II was unable to speak https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/ca...appens-if-the-pope-becomes-incapacitated.aspx
Not aware that later popes have "plugged the loophole"?

2013 article implies not https://lawandreligionuk.com/2013/04/19/papal-resignation-and-incapacity/

 

[Halcyon Dayz]

The only real problem would be if the old pope wakes up.

 

[Evil Crusader]

The Camerlengo, who becomes the “acting” head of the Church during a conclave, has the authority to administer all Church temporal goods when the Pope is absent or on an international trip, so I think he could easily take the reins without major challenges.
Of course, if the Pope exits from coma but need a long rehabilitation I think he would resign to make the room for a “full-time” Pope.

That position was held by Mons. Paolo Bertoli, a consummate diplomat, so he may well be given an interim reign. After 6+ months, though, it's possible somebody will start moving; but I doubt so. Either way, those years would be highly interesting to cospirationists (even more as they are with the Pope having survived).