Third Latean Council
Canon 1: Though laws sufficiently clear have been issued by our predecessors to avoid contention in the election of a supreme pontiff, but because of the boldness of detestable ambition, the Church has frequently suffered grave schism notwithstanding these laws, to avoid this evil we have, with the advice of our brethren and with the approval of the holy council, decided to add something. We decree, therefore, that if by chance any hostile person has sown cockle among the cardinals to influence the election and if a complete agreement cannot be reached, two-thirds agreeing while the other third is unwilling to agree or arrogate the right to choose another, he without any exception shall be acknowledged as pontiff of the universal Church who has received two-thirds of the votes. But if anyone who has received only one-third of the votes should usurp the name of bishops (that is, Bishop of Rome), both he and those who acknowledge him shall be excommunicated, excluded from the clerical state and denied communion except Viaticum in ultimis: and unless they repent they shall share the fate of Dathan and Abiron, whom the earth swallowed alive. Moreover, if anyone should have been elected to the office of supreme pontiff by less than two-thirds of the votes, unless a greater harmony is effected, he shall by no means accept it; if he refuse to abstain from its acceptance, he shall be subject to the aforesaid penalties. This, however, is not prejudicial to the canonical laws and to the other Churchs, in which the decision of the greater and more prudent part must be accepted, because whatever doubt may arise in such cases can be settled by the judgment of the superior. But in the Roman Church there is constituted something special, because recourse cannot be had to a superior.
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