Pope Benedict XVI 'to resign'

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I greatly admired Bendict. I pray for my brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Cjurch
 
I haven’t read this whole thread so apologies if this has already been posted but today is also The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and I think Pope Benedict was born on Bernadette Soubirous’ feastday… Just an FYI. Thank You Pope Benedict, I love you!
 
Other_Eric said:
Because this resignation sets a dangerous precedent for all this pope’s successors and has the all-too-real potential to scandalize the faithful.
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Other_Eric said:
The precedent set by Gregory XII in 1415 was explicitly calculated to heal the Western Schism, which it did. There is no comparable schism today, nor is there any indication of the danger of such. Therefore, you are talking about an entirely different situation. Preserving the unity of Christ’s Church is wholly different than using pretty language to, in effect, say, “I don’t feel like being pope anymore.”
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The precedent was set in 1294 by Pope Celestine V who ‘wrote’ what became part of Canon Law.

There is absolutely nothing scandalous about a wise, devout man who “repeatedly examined (his) conscience before God” came to the conclusion that he is “no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry”. However, implying that he just didn’t feel like doing the job any more is hugely presumptuous, if not scandalous.
 
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PaulfromIowa:
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

:o
 
Other_Eric said:
The precedent set by Gregory XII in 1415 was explicitly calculated to heal the Western Schism, which it did. There is no comparable schism today, nor is there any indication of the danger of such. Therefore, you are talking about an entirely different situation. Preserving the unity of Christ’s Church is wholly different than using pretty language to, in effect, say, “I don’t feel like being pope anymore.”
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Do you think, just by chance, there might be a whole lot more to this than the obvious?
 
pepipop said:
The BBC has been at it, since the first minute the news was released. Their reasons for his resignation being: He ‘most likely’ is resigning due to the stress of his mishandling of the sex abuse scandals. Sex and scandals has been mentioned nearly every 10 minutes since! 😦
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Yea. the secular news is pathetic! :mad:
 
I’m astounded by the negative comments in this thread. The Pope has the right to resign, and perhaps his resignation is in the best interest of the Church. Some might say that God will decide when Pope Benedict is relieved meaning when he passes away, but perhaps, considering that canon law permits the Pope to abdicate that God is calling Pope Benedict to pursue this course of action rather than remain in office until his death. Perhaps in being a living abdicator, he would make his desired successor known prior to his planned abdication later this month rather than the Cardinals being left in a confused state about which direction to go in that might exist if the Pope were to die suddenly. Regardless, I pray that God will guide the Cardinals on who to elect.
 
cajunhillbilly said:
I greatly admired Bendict. I pray for my brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Cjurch
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Thanks for the prayers. We all need to be praying for the entire Church and for each other. I feel that there are big changes coming…pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
 
If you guys visit Scott Hahn’s Facebook page he has some insights suggesting Pope Bebedict XVI has been contemplating this possibility for quite some time.
 
CalCatholic said:
Yea. the secular news is pathetic! :mad:
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It’s the top Headline on Foxnews.com and in it’s article, below is the only mention of the child sex abuse scandal.

foxnews.com/world/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resign-at-end-february/#ixzz2Kbz5iPnd
As a cardinal, Ratzinger pushed through important reforms, including making Internet offenses against children a violation covered by canon law, extending child abuse offenses to include the sexual abuse of all under 18, waiving of the statute of limitation and speeding the process of dismissing guilty priests.
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CatholicGeek1 said:
As has been stated before, canon law clearly allows for the resignation of a pope. Canon law does not allow immoral actions, therefore, regardless of the evidence you feel you have received it is moral for him to resign.
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Yes, canon law anticipates the resignation of a pope. This says nothing about moral character of such a move. Canon law anticipates any number of immoral actions and provides a framework for dealing with them. The papal resignation canons can just as easily be seen as protecting the Church from being orphaned by a faithless pope, since in their absence, the Church would be vulnerable to upheaval.
 
Honestly, I think JP2 and B16 are doing the world a service in showing what the papacy is all about. JP2 showed the world dignity in suffering. It was certainly a time for all of us to see that. And Benedict has been all about reinvigorating the Church and promoting a new evangelization. I think he realized that he is simply too old and infirm to lead that charge.

In a world where the Church’s secular influence has waned, we need energetic leaders. Those like the original Apostles. Leaders who can get out and minister to the flock in person and reach out through all the different media channels that are available. A man in his mid 80s is probably not up to that task. The spirit is likely willing, but the flesh is weak!

Personally I believe this sets a strong precedent that the papacy is no longer what it was in the 1600s through 1900s where the pope just sits in the Vatican and lets the world spin around him. The papacy is an active ministerial position; the most active one! St. Peter himself fell asleep when asked to pray with the Lord because he was too physically weak, not because he failed to love Christ enough.

If we want a new evangelization, we need someone who has the physical capacity to evangelize. While I love B16, I respect the fact that he realizes that he is simply physically not up to that task. It takes great humility to do what he’s doing.
 
Other_Eric said:
Ignorant I may be, nevertheless, the pope has failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the moral character of his resignation. I am both open to and would be happy to receive any information which would cause me to change my mind in this regard. As it stands, we just don’t have it. Therefore, based on the reasons provided so far by the pope, I judge them insufficient to merit what Paul VI would have called an abdication of paternity.
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Just a little more info for you: His Drs. have all been telling him he can’t travel anymore. With the papacy beeing on the go and traveling to the extent both John Paul and Benedict have both done, I am sure he felt that in order to lead the Church in the way it has been required, he was not able to do that. The way I understand it, his Drs finally put their foot down and said “No More!”
 
Wow. :eek:

Did not see that one coming…
'Hope the new Pope is up to the task. 'Better start praying for him. He’s gonna need it.
 
_Abyssinia said:
Cardinals From Canada, Africa Lead in Papal Betting

Paddy power has Cardinal Marc Quellet with top odds. How do they calculate these odds?
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Bookmakers set odds to produce the maximum action that is balanced on both sides. They do not know or care who will win–they just want to balance their book of bets and capture the percentage they keep, know as vigorish, or simply, the vig.

By the way, I am not a gambler, but I was always good at math. When online gambling was legal before October 2006, I won more than $100,000 at it because I only played with promotions where the odds were in my favor. Legal gambling is a tax on people who do not understand arithmetic. Illegal gambling is even worse, because you also risk not being paid or paying fines for getting caught.
 
The two leading candidates are very, very strong might I add. I think the response in the West to an African pope would be quite interesting. On the one hand, he’s very much opposed to greed and is a voice for the poor. On the other hand, he’s definitely socially conservative when it comes to sexuality and other issues. The heads that would explode!
 
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