Dr Ed Peters: Forcing the Pope's Hand

Dr Peters has updated his Canon Law Blog:

There is a lot of silly talk—much of it self-perpetuating—about the College of Cardinals arranging for the next pope to resign upon reaching a certain age. This is complete nonsense; neither the College of Cardinals nor any other power on earth has the slightest authority to require a papal resignation (see 1983 CIC 331, resting on divine authority stretching back to the Petrine Commission recounted in Matthew 16).

Canon 331 states:
The office uniquely committed by the Lord to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, abides in the Bishop of the Church of Rome. He is the head of the College of Bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the Pastor of the universal Church here on earth. Consequently, by virtue of his office, he has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power.

For the rest of his comments, go here.