Why did Holy Father Resign?

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josethomas2005

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Our syro Malabar Catholic Archbishop, Mar Joseph Powathil once said, ‘Holy Father Pope Benedict 16 is one of the greate persons the world has ever seen’.

Now what happens? The good pope iis resigning. I am astonished. I wondered. O God, what happened?
 
Pope Benedict XVI feels called by God to retire. He believes that this is for the greater good of the Church. Trust his decision to retire. Trust that God will guide the Church in the selection of a new pope. 🙂
 
Zekariya said:
Pope Benedict XVI feels called by God to retire. He believes that this is for the greater good of the Church. Trust his decision to retire. Trust that God will guide the Church in the selection of a new pope. 🙂
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What if it is not a God’s call?
 
Wa_Michael said:
What if it is not a God’s call?
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If we trust the Pope to faithfully lead us, should we not also trust him to know when he is no longer capable of giving us the hands-on leadership we need? If he says he made the decision after much prayer and examination of conscience, should we not trust that this is so?

I am certain that if he felt he could still do the job, he would stay. Especially so close to Easter. May God richly bless him and keep him and make His face to shine upon him and give him peace.

The Holy Spirit has always been the keeper of the Church. That will never change.

Kris
 
I was very surprised at our Pope’s decision to resign as I thought they remained a pope for life. However, I am sure he has spent much time in prayer and contemplation. I wish him well.
 
pmoo said:
I was very surprised at our Pope’s decision to resign as I thought they remained a pope for life.
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Everyone was including the Cardinals, most of the time the Pope remains for life, not always though.
pmoo said:
However, I am sure he has spent much time in prayer and contemplation. I wish him well.
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Yes he has stated this much over his decision. My prayers are with him also.
 
klm120861 said:
If we trust the Pope to faithfully lead us, should we not also trust him to know when he is no longer capable of giving us the hands-on leadership we need? If he says he made the decision after much prayer and examination of conscience, should we not trust that this is so?

I am certain that if he felt he could still do the job, he would stay. Especially so close to Easter. May God richly bless him and keep him and make His face to shine upon him and give him peace.
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Of course we are to trust him. But does this hinder us to perceive this possibility?
What if it is not a God’s call?
 
This is a courageous decision made by a most humble servant of the Lord and His Holy Church. This particular Holy Father has been very intentional, and I believe this decision is consistent with others. He will have the opportunity to see how the Holy Spirit guides the College of Cardinals, shaped during his Papacy.

We pray that the next Holy Father tends to his “Eastern Flocks” as well as
Pope Benedict XVI and others of recent memory.

May God grant him peace, health and happiness!
 
Pope Benedict is a very smart man, remember scripture about being as innocent as a dove and cunning as a wolf, well guess what, he will have huge influence over who will be the next Pope, so he is ensuring those forces which might in his view seek to damage the church are kept at bay a little better.

Now we know why he was doing all that stuff with the college of cardinals etc, he knew his time was coming and would rather direct the Church a little more whilst still alive rather than dead.

Blessings to all.
 
I’m sure His Holiness prayed a great deal before making this decision . We should trust in God and pray for the Church.
 
Why did holy father benedict 16 resign?
Is it due to ill health, or other reasons.

Is it becuase ofthe stands taken by two Indian cardinals against Rome:
Late Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil of syro Malabar church, and
Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of Syro Malankara church.

Holy father great ambitions.
One was to regain the glory of Europe with Germany at forefront which it had greatly wished during Hitler’s rule.
The other was to swallow entire British and Anglican church to catholic church.

All his hopes have been shattered with the stands taken by Indian cardinals.
Even the Saudi king Abdulla with his family visited him and consucted discussions. There was a wave of change in the world. But everythinh went off.
Once he said, 'I do not know for what purpose God selected me as the Pope.
A good pope, a nice person, great scholar in the world, author of 600 books, did he fail?
 
As christians, we expected a lot from Pope Benedict 16, especially christianisation, chrisitanisation of Islamic nations everything, a great change in the world. But what happens? what happens? We are shocked.
 
The office of Pope will remain and every Pope will have his own good work to do

He is frail what do you want him to do,a healthier Pope may do much more
 
We did get quite of bit from Pope Benedict. First, he restored the ability for latin rite priests to use the extraordinary form of the mass without any permission needed from their bishop. He has appointed many solid, orthodox bishops and cardinals to move the church forward from the disaster that it has been through in the past 50 years. He has been a steadfast defender of the Holy Traditions and stressed our constant need for return to the Church.

No Pope can make people change. It is still up to every baptized Catholic to live out the Gospel in their everyday life and be the light for the world. There will always be those who refuse to change and be obedient to the teachings of the church.
 
josethomas2005 said:
Why did holy father benedict 16 resign?
Is it due to ill health, or other reasons.
A good pope, a nice person, great scholar in the world, author of 600 books, did he fail?
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The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was an act of humility and selflessness. He put the well being of the Church before his own self desires of wanting to cling to authority and power.

Now if we could all follow such a beautiful, humble and self-less example to put others before our own wants of this world.

So to answer your question, “Did he fail?” - No, he rose to the occasion.
 
I think the reason he resigned was that he understood that strength in mind and body is needed to run an organization with a billion members, and as he grows older, he sees that his physical strength is declining.

I used to deliver meals to the elderly, and this really happens to the elderly. They lose strength; it takes more and more of their energy just to do normal things; they don’t have energy left over for things that really need to be done if you are Pope in this day and age.

I am sorry Pope Benedict is abdicating, but I see why he is doing so. Other theories are proposed by secularists who do not have the mind of the Church, which is very long-term.
 
josethomas2005 said:
As christians, we expected a lot from Pope Benedict 16, especially christianisation, chrisitanisation of Islamic nations everything, a great change in the world. But what happens? what happens? We are shocked.
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We expected those things from Benedict specifically? I certainly didn’t. I mean, it would have been amazing if a large-scale regrowth of Christianity in regions where the faith has ben a minority had happened during his reign and partly by his influence. That would be amazing if any pope helps pull it off. But I would never say I expect it to happen or be disappointed if it does not.

Usagi
 
josethomas…this is your second thread about Pope Benedict. Are you really upset or just angry? Pray about it either way. The Pope has his reasons I find it to be very passionate of him to resign and allow someone else to become Pope. It shows great compassion for the faithful.
 
The Pope told us why:

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 barque 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.

Any speculation beyond that is unnecessary at best, the sin of rash judgment at worst. Conspiracy theories aren’t going to offer useful explanations.

The one thing that is certain is that the Pope made this decision freely without coercion or being under constraints. That’s a necessary prerequisite for the Pope to step down. He can’t just step down because times get rough and he wants out of the responsibility.
 
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