For the first time in nearly 600 years, and for only the second time in history, the Pope has announced his resignation.
In a statement citing his advanced age, 85-year-old Pope Benedict XVI said he will resign beginning on February 28.
In the statement the Pope said he has considered the decision and due to his advance age, feels he is no longer suitable for the role.
“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,” the statement read.
With the Pope resigning it means his post will remain vacant until the secretive Conclave is formed and elects a new leader for the Catholic church. Initial reports from The Vatican indicate the next Pope will be chosen sometime before March.
“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.”
Benedict also took the opportunity to thank everyone for the opportunity and for all the support he received during his time as Pope.
“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.”
While priests have to retire at age 70 and bishops at age 75, popes are under normal circumstances, for life.
The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
To read the Pope’s full statement click here.
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Give god the Praise he choose not to die there like the others. Give a yonger person a chance to come to with new ideas and one who can communicate with the world at large, not some one who is on his way out.
There are no real younger persons. By the time anyone of them becomes Cardinal, they are already old. The Pope is always an older man. His ideas are already ingrained. There won’t be much difference in the Catholic Church ever. It has to concur with the Bible (the New Testament,)
God will be his judge! It is not up to us to judge. Those who serve in His service and know God better are judged more severely than those of who live a simple life. I believe Pope Benedict prayed and contemplated what he could and could not do most sincerely.
I believe that Pope Benedict did his best. It is obvious that he moves and walks about with much difficulty. He alone knows what he can and cannot do. He is, after all a human being! The same as all of us. He prayed on this; of that I’m sure, as I consider him a Holy Man. Let God be his judge! In the end, if we believe in a Supreme Being, we will all be judged by Him.. We will not be judged by man but by God.
God Bless him for all his hard working for Christ.
From Luke 6
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
I truly believe that here needs to be some modern approach to the church’s affairs. However, the church must be careful not to step in line with the standards of this world. The world needs to step in line with the standards of the church!
Questions about the Pontiffs resignation are going to be flying all over the place until the 28 of Febuary. But the question on my mind is what if the pontiff passes away after does the ceremony at the Vatican still happen. Is his final resting place still in St Peters Bascilica. Then the final question people will be asking is this going to be the trend for elected Pontiffs to come
What has he done to attract more people to the church? What has he done to clean up the child care abuse? It’s saddening that there is so much corruption in the leadership where so many people hold their faith. He’d getting out before the S*&^T hits the fan.
He is resigning not because of advanced age. It is only about church corruption. He knows what hapened inside Vatican and all over the world at chiristian churchs. Sexually abusing childreens is common and modern phylosophy in chiristian Churches.
All the conspiracy theories, speculations, attacks. Is it really so hard just to say “thank you” Pope Benedict for doing your part in bringing peace on earth?
Less Attack, more respect
I think you may be confused at to what constitutes a true Catholic. We wholeheartedly beleive in both the biblical truth and the truth as it is passed down through Apostolic Successtion (i.e., throught the successors of Peter). The bible is definitely 1/2 of the equation, but the Catholic tradition (e.g., Papacy) is the other 1/2. If you don’t beleive in that, then you are considered a cafeteria Catholic at best – or a Protestant.
And please recall, it was Apostolic Succession that brought us the bible in the first place. So to beleive in the Bible, is to beleive in the same Holy mechanism that brought us the Papacy.
Catholic tradition is the other half?? of truth?? your crazy. The tradition you claim truth is man made, corrupt and abusive. It doesnt matter what the pope does, he has already protected child abuse, the Government should turn on Catholic churches, charge them for crimes and make them start paying tax for there extortion.
It would do wonderful things to this Church if the Bishops could elect a younger Pope with some “world” experience. This Church needs to come out of the dark ages into the light of the 21st century, if it hopes to contribute in a positive manner to the lives of the faithful. The “Old Boys Club”
mentality is not a good reflection of all the Catholics I know including myself.
I agree something is up…Not all is well in Rome………..
They continue to elect all these old guys to run the church, no wonder. The head of a church denomination is supposed to run it and do things the way the Bible says things should be done. Rid the church of these priests and cardinals doing things that are against the Bible and start doing things God’s way, which is all that matters, because in the end we all must give an account to God for all that we have done both good and bad, He alone is our final judge, and He is the one who sets down the guidelines that He wants us to follow plainly in His word the Bible. The guy is old and tired.
Something is very fishy here!
I can smell it a mile away.
I bet he got caught doing something un-popely.
Waiting for the next “breaking news” headline………..
As long as a scandal doesnt come out in the next few days, I’m ok.
Either my sarcasm detector is off, or the word you’re looking for is “word”.
“Advanced”. The world you’re looking for is “advanced”.