Pope Benedict Resignation

bpotts44

What do you all think? I think it was a courageous move and must have been a very hard decision. Pope Benedict must have recognized his mental abilities going down and that the modern world requires someone who is very sharp. I say God Bless him in his retirement.

orapronobis

I knew when he was elected that we wouldn't have him for very long, but still I feel a great deal of sadness to see him leave. I knowed that he has prayed and listened for a long time before coming to this decision, and that the Holy Spirit will guide the Cardinals in their decision for the next Pope.

God speed, Pope Benedict, a good and faithful servant.

orapronobis

I knew when he was elected that we wouldn't have him for very long, but still I feel a great deal of sadness to see him leave. I knowed that he has prayed and listened for a long time before coming to this decision, and that the Holy Spirit will guide the Cardinals in their decision for the next Pope.

God speed, Pope Benedict, a good and faithful servant.

I know (not knowed)

orapronobis

Full text of the Pope's declaration:

Dear Brothers,I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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 bark 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. 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.
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. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer. From the Vatican, 10 February 2013 BENEDICTUS PP XVI

grassette

Sad, because he was such a solid intellectual. But he lived through the end of JPII's Pontificate, and probably knows the pros and cons of renouncing the office better than the rest of us. He has also lived through the last Synod on the New Evangelization and knows that the Church needs a solid leadership now more than ever.

I expect that in the transition, and in the life he will dead afterwards, that he will be setting an example for the future. God bless Benedict XVI!

perfectingpatti

What a great act and example of discernment. I'm sad, yet hopeful for the Church.

JamieSK

My husband called me first thing from work this AM to tell me...I told him if this is a joke it's not funny. He then proceeded to tell me the details. I was shocked, saddened - as Rachel (Grasset) said he is a great intellectual but we have been so blessed to have him as our Pontiff.

It took much courage and strength of conviction to do this and to me it just speaks even more to my heart and the gift he has been to us and to our Church. He will be missed but we so wish him a blessed retirement.

We need to pray for him and that the Cardinals via the Holy Spirit will bring great fruition in the coming year(s).

RockstarPunch

:sad: sad about it, i loved his traditionalism and structure as a Pope. But it takes courage and honesty to obey when the Lord tells you to move, kind of like Hezekiah in the old testament when he could have passed way with everything intact in his kingdom or live an extra 15yrs and everything would perish when he passed. Tough decisions are worth it in the end. But im still sad, but hopeful that Christ has an extrodinary vessel waiting to take his place.

Topher1978

I am deeply saddened. I literally jmped for joy when he was elected. I think he is the best pope in over 100 years.

Ocarina

I was so shocked!! Especially with Lent starting in a couple days. Our bishop had no clue either.

It will be interesting to see how Ash Wednesday goes, first mass of Lent, and my choir rehearsal as I sing in the cathedral choir. Yikes!

I'm happy for him though as I think he decided the best. Even if it was a bit "nontraditional". 600 years since the last.

lovinglifemore

so many emotions, but overall, trust in his decision and trust in God, in general.

mickeyskinnyjeans

I agree. It is courageous. I also think it shows a great deal of humility to give the position to someone who can effectively serve. It is nice to know that he has our spiritual well being at heart and not titles and fame as a motivation.

Pope JPII hung in there to his death and showed us how to push through to the very end and Pop B XVI is teaching us about dignity, accepting human limitations, and concern for others in his papacy.

Although, it is nice to be in the headlines, my hope is that our Media doesn't turn his resignation into a scandal for ratings.

orapronobis

Scott Hahn:

"It's a hard thing to explain to outsiders, the mystery of a family bond that we catholics all share, and how deeply we feel it. But here is a man who is a father figure to us all, and not just in a symbolic way; for we really are united by a new birth, in the flesh-and-blood of the Eucharist. And this man, we know him to be our spiritual father, in a very real and mysterious way, even more than our own natural dads.

I'm sure the Holy Spirit will keep steering the barque of Peter in a good direction. And yet it's unsettling, precisely because the Church is our family, and he is our holy father. But there comes a time when a father becomes so old and infirm, that one of the most profound gestures of love might be to hand things over to the next one in line, like we see in Scripture, when David stepped down as king, for Solomon to succeed him, shortly before he died (1 Kings 1-2)."

perfectingpatti

Scott Hahn

Just read this on Facebook. Lovely.

nancycaregiver

Thanks for posting, orapronobis! Very true!

CahlurBear

Personally I found the death of JP2 much more upsetting, not that this event was expected nor wanted. I do feel that it may give the Church an opportunity to move leadership in the same direction as the people. It may not happen with the next Pope but I find the idea of a non-European Pope intriguing and needed. I also believe that his stepping down due to age will play a factor in the decision of a new Pope and it is likely his successor will be much younger. These are just my opinions and while some of them I would like to see happen I'm only praying for what God knows is best, not selfishly praying for what I feel is best.

penrbrown

He is the only Pope I have known as a Catholic (converted two years ago). I am so very sad to see him go but I greatly respect his decision.

He stayed just as long as he needed to, of that I have no doubt.

I am hopeful for the future. I think this next pope is going to be a real firecracker.

orapronobis

Meet the first (and second and third) African Popes: http://catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=42959

You know, just a LITTLE bit of research and the mainstream media would know these facts....

CatholicUK

I am so thankful that I was so blessed to see Papa Bene last summer at Castel Gandolfo and I was so close to him... the atmosphere was electric. I did cry to hear that he had stepped down, but as OP said, it is a very courageous decision to make. I pray now that the Holy Spirit will guide our cardinals to elect the most perfect pope for these times (and that he will visit the UK very soon!! hehe!! :laugh: )