4.16. But Leo XIV was elected by a conclave and is universally accepted — doesn’t that make him the Pope?

No. Universal acceptance presumes that the man elected is a Catholic and capable of receiving the papacy. But manifest heresy disqualifies a man from becoming pope, even if elected and acclaimed.

According to canon law and theologians such as St. Robert Bellarmine and Pope Paul IV (Cum ex Apostolatus Officio), public heretics are outside the Church and therefore cannot validly be elected or hold ecclesiastical office.

Leo XIV openly promotes the teachings of Vatican II and supports immoral practices such as blessing same-sex unions. These are not the actions of a Catholic, let alone the Vicar of Christ. Universal acceptance of a false claimant does not override divine law or make a heretic a true pope.