“If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically, and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign.”
Dr. Susan Berry
Breitbart.com
Big Peace
11 Feb 2013
On the eve of the announcement of his resignation, Pope Benedict the XVI tweeted from his @Pontifex Twitter account:
We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new.
The pope will transition from his life as the successor to St. Peter to retirement on February 28th, following an eight-year pontificate. He will be the first pope to resign in more than 600 years.
According to Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi, Pope Benedict’s decision to resign was not prompted by medical illness but to a natural “decline in strength” associated with old age.
Though the announcement was a surprise, it was not a snap decision but rather one that “had matured over the past few months,” Lombardi said.
The pope made his announcement in Latin from a pre-written text during a morning ordinary public consistory where a large number of cardinals were present…
The article continues at Big Peace.
Related: Celebrities Pile on Pope Benedict XVI in Resignation Wake
CNN Uses Resignation News to Trash Pope, Catholic Church
…Anyone who’s watched Pope Benedict for any period of time knows that he’s become shockingly frail, and at an alarming rate. That fact is something [Soledad] O’Brien never bothered to bring up. Her agenda, quite obviously, no matter how hard she has to stretch, is to tie The Narrative of the Pope’s retirement to the child abuse scandal, because that’s what she wants to talk about…
Surprise! Obama’s statement on Pope Benedict XVI mentions ‘I’ four times
In response, some satire from Kevin Jackson at The Black Sphere: Pope steps aside for Obama?
Update: Blogger “Da Tech Guy” is a Catholic and shares his thoughts about today’s announcement and the responses to it: The Pope Resigns, first thoughts (8 updates and counting)
Update 2: Pope’s Possible Successor Promotes Marxist for Sainthood
American Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, reported to be in the running to replace Pope Benedict XVI as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is usually described as a “conservative” because he has strongly criticized President Obama’s attacks on religious liberty and federal intrusions into church affairs. But Dolan is also the leader of the campaign to promote Marxist Dorothy Day for Sainthood…
Also, Alinskyism in the US Catholic Church (updated)
Pope Benedict’s Retirement (and the MSM)
Update 3: The Papacy After Benedict He leaves a rich legacy of faith but also a failing Vatican bureaucracy.
…An intellectually strong Pope such as Benedict can set worthy goals and articulate them with force and eloquence. But it comes to naught if the Vatican is either incapable of following through to execute the Pope’s intentions, or even undermines them. For all the diplomatic attention given the Middle East, there is little to show for it. Benedict’s failure to meet with dissidents during his visit to Cuba last year was a glaring and inexplicable failure by those preparing the trip.
It’s possible that Benedict recognized all this and that it influenced his decision to resign in favor of a younger man with more energy to manage and reinvigorate such a huge institution. If so, this traditionalist pope will prove to have been wise in breaking the papal tradition of staying on the job until death…
Also, The Pope Who Made History in His Leaving Pope Benedict XVI’s relatively unmomentous papacy may yet prove to be of resounding consequence.
…It is impossible to view Benedict’s decision in isolation from the waning years of his predecessor, John Paul II. Unlike Benedict, who was 78 when he was elected, the Polish pope took office in 1978 at the sprightly age of 58, allowing him to continue skiing, swimming and hiking—and to break all travel records with his 104 foreign trips. But during the last years of his papacy, John Paul was so weakened by his assorted ailments that his public appearances were often painful to watch. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope who was right by his side, observed his physical decline on a daily basis…
…It’s worth remembering that in 1966 Pope Paul VI introduced a retirement age of 75 for bishops and archbishops. If the U.S. Senate had a similar rule, 10 of its current members would have retired by now.
By stepping down, Benedict is teaching us all about recognizing one’s own limits at a time when more people than ever are living to a very old age. It isn’t the number of years that matters as much as the energy and capabilities each of us has left. And there can be no greater tribute to the institution a leader serves than recognizing when the moment to step down is here. That’s exactly what Benedict will be remembered for.
