Vatican City State: Pope Benedict XVI, January 2006 - February 2013

[lucien]

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 85th birthday on april 16th.

[lucien]

A classic!!The butler did it:


BBC News - Vatican detains 'Pope's butler' as suspect in leaks probe

[Alexey 1904]

What is it about butlers thinking they have the right to steal important, CONFIDENTIAL material from their employer's private quarters?

[lucien]

Or didn't he?..

BBC News - Leaks and power plays in Vatican City

[Biri]

Noblesse & Royautés » Point de Vue «*Histoire*» consacré aux papes

[Rhys82192]

Pope Benedict XVI recently visited Lebanon last September 14-16:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/wo...gion.html?_r=0
Pope signs momentous document on Church in the Middle East :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Pics:

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon « Gallery
Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit To Lebanon in Pictures « A Separate State of Mind | A Lebanese Blog

[Rhys82192]

Pope Benedict XVI joins Twitter for the first time! His Twitter name is Pontifex, which means "Bridge Builder" in Latin:

Pope Benedict XVI Joins Twitter - Real People Stories : People.com

[wbenson]

Reuters and several other news agencies are reporting that Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28th.

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/300922108811284480

Vatican confirms Pope Benedict to resign on February 28 #BREAKING

[lallyvee]

Good for him. He's 85.

[wbenson]

Vatican Radio - Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation at end of month

Full text of 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

[Rhys82192]

How sad! I pray for His Holiness! :'(

[Lumutqueen]

Now that's one job I didn't think you could resign from.

[Artemisia]

A pope can resign and it has actually happened several times before.

Pope Benedict XVI to Resign on February 28

Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28. Shortly after news surfaced, Vatican released Papal Declaration announcing Benedict XVI’s decision. Unusual as the announcement may seem, Papal resignations are actually nothing new. It is part of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Easter Churches. The only condition is that the decision must be made freely and be manifested in a proper way. There are plenty of precedents too.

Pope Benedict IX was apparently the first Pope to resign his position; he did it for less than savoury reasons though – for financial gain (incidentally, he became Pope again after one of his successors resigned as well, and the other died). The last Pope to resign was Gregory XII. His reasons were rather more noble: he wanted to end the Western Schism – a point in history when there three claimants to the Papal Throne, namely Gregory XII (Roman Pope), Benedict XIII (Avignon Antipope), and John XXIII (Pisan Antipope).

[Kataryn]

His health is not very good, hasn't been for quite some time. He is a man rather simple in his wishes of life and has always voiced the wish to retire at 80 to his and his brother's house in Regensburg, Germany, to spend his last days there in peace and prayer with his brother Georg who is himself a priest.

When he was elected pope at 78, he took over the office and tried to give the Church long-needed impulses. Alas, he is not really a man of this day and age, maybe never was, so surely has suffered from his office through these last years. On acknowledging that he is not longer able to fulfill his duties, he will retire. Good for him! I wish him some more years together with his brother, he deserves them.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by wbenson

Vatican Radio - Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation at end of month

Full text of 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

I think it a very wise and also very brave decision by His Holiness,absolutely!As a (choosen-) Monarch he thought it wiser to step down and give new opportunities in conjunction with this time and age a chance instead of holding on to the Santa Sede.

The procedure to elect a new Pope will be the same as usual.Tha Cardinals below the age of 80 will gather in the Sixtine Chapel for their conclave in which they will elect a new Pope,until then we have a Sede Vacante situation we haven't seen...well,none of us has as it is not since Gregory XIV in 1415 that a Pontifex Maximus resigned.

Quite a decision,and quite an impact.

[Jacknch]

An historic moment we are witnessing and once again we will see the traditions of the Vatican as a new pope will be elected. I am glad though that the circumstances are not through Benedict's death and I do hope very much that he will be able to spend many years of quiet prayer as is his wish.
2013 has started out in quite an extraordinary way with an abdication and a resignation with a conclave, consecration and inauguration all to come! Historic days indeed!

[Kit]

My respect for this decision! A very brave and wise decision to openly admit he is no longer capable to fulfill his duties as pope.

[Dman]

Well, that was a very brave of him to admit he's getting older and can no longer carry out his duties as Pope.

Why are older Popes are elected anyway? Shouldn't there be a younger person considered for the job?

[NGalitzine]

Well when his doctors advised against more travel ,and his brother says the Pope is having trouble just walking, clearly his physical health is not up to the task. Hopefully the Cardinals will elect someone more in tune with the 21st century although that is probably wishful thinking when it comes to the Vatican.
I wonder what becomes of an ex-Pope. Does he simply go back to live with his brother in Germany or does he retire to a monastery? Is he still a Prince of the Church or merely a retired priest?

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by Dman

Well, that was a very brave of him to admit he's getting older and can no longer carry out his duties as Pope.

Why are older Popes are elected anyway? Shouldn't there be a younger person considered for the job?

Well "younger" is a relative term when it comes to the Cardinals. I suspect they do not want someone who will reign for decades so electing someone of a certain age limits that possibility.