# Who is known or rumoured to have refused the papacy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455 "2018-09-16T19:24:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/1 "2018-09-16T19:24:17Z")
I recently finished reading _In God’s Name_ by David Yallop, which alleges that Pope John Paul I was murdered. Part of the book describes the conclave of cardinals where a new Pope is elected, as part of this process the potential Pope is asked whether or not he accepts his election. My question is do we know how many people have declined their election and who they were? I know the conclave is supposed to be kept secret but people being people surely some rumours must have leaked out? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/2 "2018-09-16T20:33:02Z")
I am guessing some guys probably say don’t vote for me but maybe that’s considered bad form. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/3 "2018-09-16T21:17:06Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I am guessing some guys probably say don’t vote for me but maybe that’s considered bad form. Apparently it isn’t, at least once the conclave is under way: > [@](#): > > If a cardinal does not intend to accept the papacy, he will explicitly state this before he receives a sufficient number of votes to become pope-elect. Cardinal Giovanni Colombo declared his intention not to accept the papacy in the conclave of 1978. > **[10 Things to Know About Electing the Pope | Loyola Press](https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/scripture-and-tradition/church-leadership/10-things-to-know-about-electing-the-pope/)** > > James Campbell shares 10 things to know about electing the pope. Learn who can be elected pope, how popes choose their names, and more. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/4 "2018-09-16T22:07:02Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > I recently finished reading _In God’s Name_ by David Yallop, which alleges that Pope John Paul I was murdered. Possibly worth noting that Yallop [died just the other week](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/obituaries/david-yallop-dead.html). ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/5 "2018-09-16T22:29:59Z")
> [@bonzer](#): > > Possibly worth noting that Yallop [died just the other week](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/obituaries/david-yallop-dead.html). Now that’s a bit odd, I picked up a second-hand copy of an early edition of his book and its been sitting on my bookshelf for about fifteen years if not longer. I started reading it about a month ago and finished it possibly on the same day he died or thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/6 "2018-09-16T22:50:02Z")
Please don’t read any books by me. Does resigning from the Papacy after having already held the office for some time count as “refusing” it? Because two popes have certainly done that. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/7 "2018-09-16T23:55:43Z")
I don’t know the actual answer to the question, but as was said upthread, it makes sense if a cardinal had no intention of accepting he’d make that clear from the start, especially because my guess is the conclaves get political. You know, back the right horse. I did want to say, I read Yallop’s book years ago and found it very intriguing. Of course, that could’ve been because from the time JPI died, I thought there was foul play/cover up involved and I’m not one that buys into conspiracy theories. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/8 "2018-09-17T08:52:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Please don’t read any books by me. I’ll bear that in mind 😉 > [@Patx2](#): > > I don’t know the actual answer to the question, but as was said upthread, it makes sense if a cardinal had no intention of accepting he’d make that clear from the start, especially because my guess is the conclaves get political. You know, back the right horse. I did want to say, I read Yallop’s book years ago and found it very intriguing. Of course, that could’ve been because from the time JPI died, I thought there was foul play/cover up involved and I’m not one that buys into conspiracy theories. I agree, I’m not a conspiracy theory person either and Yallop’s book didn’t convince me either way, but it did raise a lot of questions and Pope John Paul I had certainly made some powerful enemies. I haven’t read it yet but I came across this rebuttal of the murder hypothesis: [http://subcreators.com/blog/2008/08/22/was-pope-john-paul-i-murdered-part-i/](http://subcreators.com/blog/2008/08/22/was-pope-john-paul-i-murdered-part-i/) I can’t vouch for the creditionals of the author but it does seem to be detailed and well researched, to find all seven parts you have to do a bit of searching around his site though. Thanks for the answers everyone 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-known-or-rumoured-to-have-refused-the-papacy/821455/9 "2018-09-17T23:27:04Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > I’ll bear that in mind 😉 > > I agree, I’m not a conspiracy theory person either and Yallop’s book didn’t convince me either way, but it did raise a lot of questions and Pope John Paul I had certainly made some powerful enemies. > > I haven’t read it yet but I came across this rebuttal of the murder hypothesis: > > [http://subcreators.com/blog/2008/08/22/was-pope-john-paul-i-murdered-part-i/](http://subcreators.com/blog/2008/08/22/was-pope-john-paul-i-murdered-part-i/) > > I can’t vouch for the creditionals of the author but it does seem to be detailed and well researched, to find all seven parts you have to do a bit of searching around his site though. > > Thanks for the answers everyone 🙂 Thanks, I’ll check it out!