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Pope resigns

Wow, I didn't even know a Pope could resign.
 
Wow, I didn't even know a Pope could resign.

Apparently it's witheringly rare, last resignation was 600 years ago according to Fox News.

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI
 
Well. Good on him, then. Not easy to willingly give up position; says alot about his humility.
 
Wow! :unsure13:
 
Dominus vobiscum
 
I'd say he's got dementia or something like that that would make it impossible for him to pope properly.
 
Given that Pope John Paul looked like he could barely hold his head up toward the end of his life, yet he was Pope until he died, the health reason thing seems a little surprising. Seemed like there was always some controversy around this Pope.
 
Heard this morning coming over the Hot News.. The news is also reporting it a partly being his age. He is 85. But again.....there hasn't been a Pope to resign in over 600 years.
 
wishing him the best. not many give up that position without dying first. he has put the position before himself.
 
I am not Catholic so I am not really sure exactly what this means to the Church, but I would bet it is because of Alzheimers or some other organic brain disease, that he is afraid he will make bad decisions or something that his staff could not control.
 
Heard this morning coming over the Hot News.. The news is also reporting it a partly being his age. He is 85. But again.....there hasn't been a Pope to resign in over 600 years.

But most popes don't get past 80, either. I think I read it reported that only Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI got past 80. Wikipedia says: If requested, a diocesan bishop must offer his resignation from the governance of his diocese on completion of his seventy-fifth year of age and cardinals are not allowed to join a conclave after reaching eighty.

A man can still be vital at 80 and certainly have all the intellectual capacity of any adult, but there is no octagenarian that can seriously claim to have the energy they did earlier in life. Being a leader on the world stage is a terribly hard job, even for a middle aged man in the prime of his life. Just look at pictures of past presidents from inauguration to their last days in office...the job ages you quite a bit.
 
But most popes don't get past 80, either. I think I read it reported that only Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI got past 80. Wikipedia says: If requested, a diocesan bishop must offer his resignation from the governance of his diocese on completion of his seventy-fifth year of age and cardinals are not allowed to join a conclave after reaching eighty.

A man can still be vital at 80 and certainly have all the intellectual capacity of any adult, but there is no octagenarian that can seriously claim to have the energy they did earlier in life. Being a leader on the world stage is a terribly hard job, even for a middle aged man in the prime of his life. Just look at pictures of past presidents from inauguration to their last days in office...the job ages you quite a bit.


How do you think this will affect the Catholic Church? Do you think it is also about the change with Catholics here in America? Besides his health issues and age. I wonder how the Leaders of some other religions are reacting to this news.
 
How do you think this will affect the Catholic Church? Do you think it is also about the change with Catholics here in America? Besides his health issues and age. I wonder how the Leaders of some other religions are reacting to this news.

Many American Catholics will demand Ronald Reagan be made Pope. They will insist the fact that he is dead and wasn't a Catholic shouldn't be a reason to deny the world his greatness.
 
I didn't know a Pope could resign.
 
Well, at least I doubt they'll be able to find someone worse for the job.

The Pope's leadership of 1.2 billion Catholics has been beset by a child sexual abuse crisis that tarnished the Church, one address in which he upset Muslims and a scandal over the leaking of his private papers by his personal butler.

Before he was elected Pope, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was known by such critical epithets as "God's rottweiler" because of his stern stand on theological issues.

A spokesman for the German government said he was "moved" by the news while Israel's chief rabbi praised Benedict's inter-faith outreach and wished him good health.

But his trip to Germany also prompted the first major crisis of his pontificate. In a university lecture he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam had only brought evil to the world and that it was spread by the sword.

After protests that included attacks on churches in the Middle East and the killing of a nun in Somalia, the Pope later said he regretted any misunderstanding the speech caused.

In a move that was widely seen as conciliatory, in late 2006 he made a historic trip to predominantly Muslim Turkey and prayed in Istanbul's Blue Mosque with a Turkish Mufti.....snip~


Yeah.....I would say one who wasn't anywhere close of really being popular or a force for their religion. Plus he is getting out during their crisis over Marriage with Catholics in the US, as well as the usual issues.
 
Many American Catholics will demand Ronald Reagan be made Pope. They will insist the fact that he is dead and wasn't a Catholic shouldn't be a reason to deny the world his greatness.

6538464_460s_v1.jpg


Meh
shrug.gif
Myself I think many are thinking he may switch back over to the Dark Side of the Force.
laughing4.gif
 
Wonder how long until the other show drops......
 
Hope his health improves. Since the new selection process takes some time, will there be an interm Pope or will they rush the selection?
 
I am not Catholic so I am not really sure exactly what this means to the Church, but I would bet it is because of Alzheimers or some other organic brain disease, that he is afraid he will make bad decisions or something that his staff could not control.

That was my first presumption but I've also been seeing reports of relatively sudden physical problems; needing a cane all of a sudden, a drastic loss of energy noticed, advised not to travel.

I have a couple of questions? Does he continue to live at the Vatican or does he go back to Germany after all these years? I would imagine even when he resigns and a new Pope is picked, if he stays at the Vatican, people will still think of him as the real guy in charge.

Secondly, anybody hear the buzz about the Ghanian Cardinal who apparently is the conventional wisdom's lead guy to replace him? A black Pope? I wonder what impact that would make on the church outside of the Third World? I wouldn't want to assume people are racist and believe the best but I was once a member of a so called protestant church where an odd dynamic occurred. The church began doing significant outreach into the black community. Over time many blacks joined the church. Some rose in church leadership serving in key roles as Assistant Pastors, Music Minister and Private School Principal. The odd part was it seemed over time the more blacks joined and took their places in various roles, the more whites left the church and didn't join in the same numbers. Today the church is about 80% black however with the same white Lead Pastor who saw the "white flight" from his church. Its thriving today but struggles financially as the newer members generally don't have the same levels of financial resources to contribute although membership numbers are the same. Again, I know race relations is a sensitive subject that a lot of people like to avoid and/or act like it is a non-issue and are quick to accuse anybody who thinks it is of "using the race card" but I honestly do wonder what a black Pope could mean to the Catholic Church already struggling to maintain relevance in Europe and North America. I also wonder how it would affect the Church in the Third World and more particularly its possible affect on the so-called Protestant Church. Anyhoo, just thinking out loud on IF the African Cardinal even gets the job.

John Paul II created him Cardinal-Priest of S. Liborio in his last consistory of 21 October 2003. Turkson is the first Ghanaian cardinal, and was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave, which selected Pope Benedict XVI. He was described as "one of Africa's most energetic church leaders" by a UK Catholic magazine.[3]

Immediately following the announcement of the impending resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, at least two bookmakers, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes, made Turkson the favourite to be appointed as the new pope. [4]


...
African Pope

Cardinal Turkson has said that "if God would wish to see a black man also as pope, thanks be to God".[13] The Catholic Church chronicler Rocco Palmo called Turkson the lone Scripture scholar in the Pope's "Senate" and believes that his status as a potential "papabile" has been elevated due to his appointment as spokesman for Second Synod for Africa in 2009.[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Turkson
 
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That was my first presumption but I've also been seeing reports of relatively sudden physical problems; needing a cane, a drastic loss of energy noticed, advised not to travel.

I have a couple of questions? Does he continue to live at the Vatican or does he go back to Germany after all these years? I would imagine even when he resigns and a new Pope is picked, if he stays at the Vatican, people will still think of him as the real guy in charge.

Secondly, anybody here the buzz about the Nigerian Cardinal who apparently is the conventional wisdom's lead guy to replace him? A black Pope? I wonder what impact that would make on the church outside of the Third World? I wouldn't want to assume people are racist and believe the best but I was one a member of a so called protestant church where a odd dynamic occurred. The church began doing significant outreach into the black community. Over time many blacks joined the church. Some rose in church leadership serving in key roles as Assistant Pastors, Music Minister and Private School Principal. The odd part was it seemed over time the more blacks joined and took their places in various roles, the more whites left the church and didn't join in the same numbers. Today the church is about 80% black however with the same white Lead Pastor who saw the "white flight" from his church. Its thriving today but struggles financially as the newer members generally don't have the same levels of financial resources to contribute although membership numbers are the same. Again, I know race relations is a sensitive subject that a lot of people like to avoid and/or act like it is a non-issue and are quick to accuse anybody who thinks it is of "using the race card" but I honestly do wonder what a black Pope could mean to the Catholic Church already struggling to maintain relevance in Europe and North America. I also wonder how it would affect the Church in the Third World and more particularly its possible affect on the so-called Protestant Church. Anyhoo, just thinking out loud on IF the African Cardinal even gets the job.

Sometimes the elderly just hit a wall and it all goes downhill real fast. The body can only last so long.....

Can't speak for anyone but myself, but I wouldn't have a problem with a black Pope. The Church's longstanding presence in non-Anglo-Saxon areas would eventually lead to more and more minority clergy at various levels.
 
I have a couple of questions? Does he continue to live at the Vatican or does he go back to Germany after all these years? I would imagine even when he resigns and a new Pope is picked, if he stays at the Vatican, people will still think of him as the real guy in charge.

It's my understanding that the current Pope will most likely remain at the Vatican, however, he will not be consulted (nor will he speak about) any decisions or actions involving the church. I would imagine that outside talking about his health we may never again hear from him in public circles once the new Pope is elected.
 
It's my understanding that the current Pope will most likely remain at the Vatican, however, he will not be consulted (nor will he speak about) any decisions or actions involving the church. I would imagine that outside talking about his health we may never again hear from him in public circles once the new Pope is elected.

Does he get demoted back to Cardinal or is he just John?
 
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