Will Pope Francis ever retire? If so, when?

[tseleehw]

I think that Pope Francis will remain as Pope until his death. I get the impression that unlike Pope Benedict before him, he actually enjoys being Pope and the authority that comes along with it. I don’t think his personality is one that would give up power voluntarily. I expect he will hang on as long as he can even if his health deteriorates.

 

[Duesenberg]

I don’t think his personality is one that would give up power voluntarily.

I think that is a very astute observation. Despite his comments in posting #11 of this thread, I think when it really comes down to it, he wouldn’t be the type to let go.

 

[FollowChrist34]

I think he’ll retire around 80 or so. I think he will stay as long as he can, then retire when he starts to physically, mentally weaken under the strain. He is quite consciously, energetically stacking the Cardinals, the Church in every way he can with his ‘side.’ This is perhaps one of his most important missions. Along with the mercy, pastoral over dogma thing.

 

[Duesenberg]

I think he’ll retire around 80 or so. I think he will stay as long as he can, then retire when he starts to physically, mentally weaken under the strain. He is quite consciously, energetically stacking the Cardinals, the Church in every way he can with his ‘side.’ This is perhaps one of his most important missions. Along with the mercy, pastoral over dogma thing.

He’ll be 81 in a month.

Very insightful though! Saint JPII effectively did the same thing, but it seemed he was driven by choosing the very best available people and not with a specific agenda like Francis.

 

[FollowChrist34]

Agreed. Two very different visions of what the Church is, what it is about.

 

[FollowChrist34]

He’ll be 81 in a month.

Ha! Are you kidding me? I thought he was in his early 70s. Maybe I confused him with Trump. Well, then I will say mid 80s. I think Pope Francis is a man on a mission, not unlike Saint JPII. Again, very different missions. But I think it is naive to underestimate the commitment and staying power of the current ‘mercy’ posse. They mean business.

 

[Entwhistler]

The problem with a mandatory retirement age is that it is unenforceable. A Pope can change any small “t” tradition whenever he wants. He could disband the College of Cardinals if he wanted to. He could not appoint anymore Cardinals if he wanted to. Pope Francis isn’t appointing any more Monsignors for example. So there will never be a mandatory retirement age. A strong tradition of retirement maybe.

 

[Duesenberg]

“Mercy posse”? What is that?

Those that want divorced people to receive communion, etc?

 

[FollowChrist34]

More or less, yes.

 

[Duesenberg]

More or less, yes.

Some people really get revved-up over Pope Francis popping-off to the media. It’s quite understandable. You simply don’t do that when you hold that sort of position – particularly when you don’t speak English. When he began the popping-off began, I made myself a promise.

If he did something truly beyond the pale – if he tried to ordain women let’s say, I would simply leave for the Greek Orthodox Church. I’d ask a trusted friend (a Catholic deacon) to let me know if all the noise ever abated, but I wouldn’t pay it any attention at all.

When I made that decision, it seemed like Francis was stirring the pot simply to stir the pot. I don’t know if doing so was a product of naivete or planned agenda, but it’s ugly.

That has brought me a lot of peace.

 

[joeybaggz]

Sir2v4:

I think the popes should retire at age 85. They can remain active as spiritual leaders thereafter as their faculties allow.

That’s a very interesting thought. I wonder how that would impact the choice of future choices? If a mandatory retirement age was set for popes, would 75 or even 70 make more sense?

Possible problem with a mandatory retirement age is that it would either render a pope a lame duck, susceptible to the Machiavellian machinations of the Curia and the bureaucracy or force a Pontiff to make wholesale and possibly rash moves as the final years of his papacy were upon him. I think the open ended nature of Francis’ papacy is best as he has indicated that he believes there could come a time due to age or infirmity that stepping down would be the wise move.

 

[FollowChrist34]

You are preaching to the choir my friend. I am not a fan. Agree on the irresponsibility of the media popping-off. I don’t like the false dichotomy between mercy and doctrine, as if they are somehow fundamentally opposed or that one is superior to the other. If you dig doctrine, you hate mercy. That is the level we are on now. I find it an incredibly naive, dangerous distortion of Christianity at its core. An offense. Impoverishes both mercy and doctrine, equally. I think a serious Christian has a duty to say this. It’s embarrassing to have explain that mercy is inherent in doctrine, and vice versa; they can’t be separated. What’s more, this is the Pope we are talking about, who seems to be pushing, allowing these distortions to gain currency.

 

[Duesenberg]

I don’t like the false dichotomy between mercy and doctrine, as if they are somehow fundamentally opposed or that one is superior to the other.

I cannot agree more…

If you dig doctrine, you hate mercy. That is the level we are on now. I find it an incredibly naive, dangerous distortion of Christianity at its core.

Yep. In a certain sense, some things Francis has said (or supposedly said) have been outfight hurtful to millions of devout Catholic Christians.

What’s more, this is the Pope we are talking about, who seems to be pushing, allowing these distortions to gain currency.

Once more I very much agree. One thing the Church has certainly had enough of is fuzziness, vagueness and distortion – all which lead to trouble.

When he was elected Pope, I really wondered about the big deal the media was making about him choosing to wear black pants, black shoes, a rather mundane pectoral cross, the tired old automobile, settling his own hotel bill, not living in the papal residence, etc., etc. I really didn’t know if the choices were simply his (which should have been kept quiet in that case), or driven by a Madison Ave. ad agency? I still wish I knew.

 

[Duesenberg]

Possible problem with a mandatory retirement age is that it would either render a pope a lame duck, susceptible to the Machiavellian machinations of the Curia and the bureaucracy

That’s also a very good point… The politicking within the Vatican is already hideous.

 

[BornInMarch]

The vast majority of Popes die in office. I see no reason why Francis would be different.

 

[FollowChrist34]

When he was elected Pope, I really wondered about the big deal the media was making about him choosing to wear black pants, black shoes, a rather mundane pectoral cross, the tired old automobile, settling his own hotel bill, not living in the papal residence, etc., etc. I really didn’t know if the choices were simply his (which should have been kept quiet in that case), or driven by a Madison Ave. ad agency? I still wish I knew.

The question I always want to ask is why did they elect him? I mean we have all of these conservative cardinals up in arms about all of this, and I am with them as stated above. But these are intelligent men who have a lot more information about the inside of the Church than I do. How could have he have been elected? I do find it very disillusioning. I don’t mean to sound negative - it is sad. And it does really undercut the credibility of the Church in my case.

 

[Duesenberg]

The question I always want to ask is why did they elect him? I mean we have all of these conservative cardinals up in arms about all of this

I think the politics become exceedingly complicated and vengeful when it comes to choosing a pope. I think threats to “back a real rogue” by different factions are commonly made during the conclave. Five dimension chess to say the least. The end result in more than once instance shows the decision was “reached by a committee”, that is to say, not very wise.

 

[pnewton]

I think the politics become exceedingly complicated and vengeful when it comes to choosing a pope.

The process is one of prayerful discernment. Worldly cynicism is uncharitably disrespectful of the College of Cardinals.

 

[pnewton]

God does not think as man thinks. He uses weakness more readily than strength. One only need to see the later part of the papacy of St. John Paul and all the great good he did to understand that the Church will no operate like a power structure. In addition to his role of Pope, the late pontiff gave witness to the value of human life in its last stage, providing hope for the elderly and the infirm that they too can still be a living, vital part of God’s family.

 

[Gertabelle]

The question I always want to ask is why did they elect him? I mean we have all of these conservative cardinals up in arms about all of this, and I am with them as stated above. But these are intelligent men who have a lot more information about the inside of the Church than I do. How could have he have been elected? I do find it very disillusioning. I don’t mean to sound negative - it is sad. And it does really undercut the credibility of the Church in my case.

I’m surprised and saddened by the lack of trust in the Holy Spirit in this comment.

God does not see as man sees. It was indeed the College of Cardinals that elected this man. And through his election, Pope Francis was given by God the extraordinary graces needed to fulfill his office as the successor of St Peter.

We are not given those graces. And to play “couch coach” for the Papacy of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church seems a dangerous game to me.

I don’t believe anything the media report on him. And I’m not sure why you would either. He is not planning on ordaining women as priests or deacons. From what I’ve read of his actual words and writings, he has committed no heresy.

So I remain obedient to the man God has placed over me as a Catholic. And I trust the Holy Spirit – God Himself – to guide Pope Francis in his appointed vocation.

And now I need to get back to my appointed vocation as mother… and to the other tasks God is asking of me this day.