Around 1511, Cajetan wrote his famous work on The Pope and the Council.
But in 1521, he wrote this, expressing what became Bellarmine's Fifth Opinion.
Don't be deceived by "before God" or judgments. He is saying: *because* he can be judged, we can know he is not the Pope.
It is curious that Bellarmine only refers to the earlier text.
This doesn't *prove* that an openly heretical pope ipso facto loses office, but it does mean that Cajetan cannot really be marshalled in defence of the Fourth.
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And as a reminder of Newman's position:
"If, on the one hand, we believe that a Pope can add to our articles of faith, so, on the other, we hold also that a heretical Pope, ipso facto, ceases to be Pope by reason of his heresy, as I have said."
Letter to Duke of Norfolk 377.
Regarding Cajetan: some will seize on the term "before God" to claim that he still remains pope "before the Church."
But he contrasts "before God" with "the external order of the Church" - and says "the same situation obtains."
So much for God requiring us to believe falsehood.
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