1: I read somewhere that the usual rule regarding Popes dying in the middle of a Council is that it should be viewed as a sign that God does not wish for the Council to go on. Evidently there is a Law that exists which states that should a Pope die in the middle of a Council, the Council must not proceed any further and it must NOT be re-opened by another Pope.
Presumably THAT is why John XXIII yelled "Stop the Council" prior to his death. He probably was aware of the Law himself. Pity the other Cardinals refused to be obedient to the dying wishes of their Pope. God will pass a greater judgement on such people for taking no notice of John XXIII's final order to them.
2: Actually - with all due respect J XXIII was the first Pope EVER to have disobeyed a valid Papal Magesterial Document. He flouted "Postquam Verus Cardinalis" (of Pope Sixtus V
December 3, 1586) which declared dogmatically that there must never be any more than 70 Cardinals in the Sacred College, and that any over that …
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