Should Pope Benedict Resign?

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Image_of_God said:
Not so according to Canon Law:

According to Canon Law, the Pope cannot be forced to resign. And this appears necessary if the Church is to maintain its independence from the state.
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Opps… I see the question got asked and answered. Man this thread is moving fast…
 
Hiskid1973 said:
So say he did know and decided to bring everything to light, could he resign, so as to move forward…
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As I expressed to Zazat, the Pope can choose to resign, if he saw fit. But he shouldn’t resign simply because people tell him he should. If Popes did that, then the sovereignty of the Church is in deep trouble. People would yield all kinds of influence over the Church.
 
Mattapoisett64 said:
Would that be the Richard M. Nixon Memorial Bridge? 'Cause some of what’s come out already is starting to have a familiar feel for those of us old enought to have lived through the Watergate days. The almost-daily trickle of another revelation . . . carefully-worded denials . . . a relentless press.
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The President of the United States is a publicly elected democratic office. Nixon resigned to publicly admit to the people that put him there that they made the wrong choice. The Pope is appointed through the Cardinals by the Holy Spirit. Do you really think the Holy Spirit made the wrong choice? The office of POTUS and the Pope are similar in that they are both heads of state, and that’s about where the similarities end.
 
Zatzat said:
Nixon is a mortal man.

The Pope is a mortal man

Therefor both are mortal men.

Please explain exactly where you find offense.
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Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit appoints the Pope through the college of Cardinals. They don’t believe that the Holy Spirit makes the man perfect, or guarantees that he will be perfect in every action of his personal life. They do however believe that the Holy Spirit is without error (being God, you know) and knows perfectly well what will happen and who should be Pope and what is best for the Church. So you’re not really questioning the man, you’re questioning the Holy Spirit. Does that make sense?
 
I saw Pope Benedict on the nightly news. He looked weary. I’m sure he carries a heavy burden…
 
blazerdave said:
“…And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know this man of whom you speak.’” - from St. Mark’s Gospel, ch. 14

Our Lord never required St. Peter to resign. Only a fool (such as the Talking Heads of the News Media) would claim that any man - bishop, Pope, or otherwise - is morally flawless and utterly perfect and must be held to a standard which only God can keep. I know I say this as an outsider, but I hope you’ll all understand the spirit in which I say it: in my opinion, the Catholic Church needs Pope Benedict. A man of his vision and leadership is needed now more than ever, and there is no past event that is so great that it would prevent our Lord from guiding his appointed Church leaders!
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Thanks, that was awesome :).
 
IHeartBenedict said:
Nice. You compare the Vicar of Christ with Nixon.
You’re quite the Catholic aren’t you.

I hope you don’t teach classes at your parish.
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I was responding to your statement that it was inconceivable that a head of state would resign over “unproven” allegations in the press. Clearly, such things can in fact happen. I did not say “the pope lied.” I drew a comparison between current events and the “Watergate syndrome” of a continuing trickle of revelations followed by carefully-worded denials in the presence of a relentless media. That is clearly what is happening today. I said nothing about the Holy Father personally, nor did I compare him to Nixon personally. So would you like to attack me or my Catholicism again?

It does not seem beyond the realm of possibility that Pope Benedict might see his personal Calvary in resignation, in the interest of a “purgation from the top,” a gesture of self-sacrifice in an era where “perception is reality” and with the goal of defusing a situation that risks spinning out of control. I’m not saying I want this, am just saying.

On the other hand, the U.S. media has never been the same since they drove Nixon out of office, and the idea that media could credit itself for dethroning a pope is terribly troubling.
 
I think an honest question is what will it take for everyone to satisfied?

A papal resignation?

The bishops wearing sack cloth and eating food with ashes?

A yard sale at the Vatican?

Dismantling the entire Catholic Church?

Arrest every bishop, including the pope?

People will not be satisfied, even with a resignation. We all know this. It’s not even justice to the whole Catholic Church to sacrifice the pope. That would punish Catholics around the world. And some people will still be unsatisfied.
Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
I think an honest question is what will it take for everyone to satisfied?

A papal resignation?

The bishops wearing sack cloth and eating food with ashes?

A yard sale at the Vatican?

Dismantling the entire Catholic Church?

Arrest every bishop, including the pope?
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I love sarcasm.

But, I have had my fill of this ridiculous thread. The premise is devoid of any reality. The pope will not resign, nor should he. So why waste time fooling around in this fantasyland.

Unsubscribing.

.
 
JReducation said:
I think an honest question is what will it take for everyone to satisfied?

A papal resignation?

The bishops wearing sack cloth and eating food with ashes?

A yard sale at the Vatican?

Dismantling the entire Catholic Church?

Arrest every bishop, including the pope?

People will not be satisfied, even with a resignation. We all know this. It’s not even justice to the whole Catholic Church to sacrifice the pope. That would punish Catholics around the world. And some people will still be unsatisfied.
Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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I think an honest housekeeping would go a long way tho…Admit any cover up, discipline the appropriate people…
 
IHeartBenedict said:
I love sarcasm.

But, I have had my fill of this ridiculous thread. The premise is devoid of any reality. The pope will not resign, nor should he. So why waste time fooling around in this fantasyland.

Unsubscribing.

.
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Was unsubscribing easier than responding to my rebuttal of your accusation?
 
bookgirl32 said:
Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit appoints the Pope through the college of Cardinals. They don’t believe that the Holy Spirit makes the man perfect, or guarantees that he will be perfect in every action of his personal life. They do however believe that the Holy Spirit is without error (being God, you know) and knows perfectly well what will happen and who should be Pope and what is best for the Church. So you’re not really questioning the man, you’re questioning the Holy Spirit. Does that make sense?
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From a Catholic standpoint, who believes what you’ve written, yes. Thank you.
 
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