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

[lucien]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

I was only a toddler when Pope John Paul II was elected so the only one I've ever seen was Benedict XVI's election it a week or two after the funeral of Prince Rainier III.

Oh dear...I was born in the days of Pius XII,saw John XXIII,Paul VI,John Paul I,John Paul II,Benedict XVI....as I said...Oh dear...

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by lucien

Oh dear...I was born in the days of Pius XII,saw John XXIII,Paul VI,John Paul I,John Paul II,Benedict XVI....as I said...Oh dear...

So we'll know hows good office to call on during the Papal election if we're unsure of the events

[Kataryn]

Originally Posted by Bine221

I have a huge respect for that decision of the Pope, especially giving the fact, that is was more than hard to see the previous pope JPII suffering until death finally released him.

Nevertheless it is a funny constellation with having 2 Popes - one "Ex-" or "Emerited" one and the current one. Interested to see what will happen there.
But we have some great examples i.e. with Queen Beatrix and her mother/grandmother, that things can work out extremly smooth as well.

Bye Bine

It is not so uncommon in monasteries - when the abbot retires, he gets back to be one of the brothers and works as much as he still can while a younger monk is voted for as new abbot.

Thus I don't think the Holy See will have big problems with that fact. Josef Ratzinger probably will keep his status as a Cardinal emeritus and be accorded the honours due to him. But he will be free of the restrictions of popedom. He had such a rich social life when he was still just a Cardinal and it was hard on him to become the pope and loose the possibility to enjoy Rome's rich cultural life. He had been often out and about, attending church concerts or having dinner at good restaurants with collegues - all that ended when he ascended the papal throne. so I hope for him that he can have that again to a certain amount, if his health allows for it.

[lucien]

It was announced that the Conclave will start in the week after march 15th.That is very short till Palm Sunday on march 24th and its rites and ceremonies,and the Holy week and Easter on march 31st and april 1st immediatly after.They have a lot of confidence apparently on how fast the Conclave will elect a new Pontifex Maximus and again the : "Habemus Papam" will sound over St.Peter's Square and everybodies i-Pod.....

[Mariel]

They will have assistants to tell the new Pope where to walk in the Cathedral, etc., and, as a priest, he already knows how to say the Mass, etc., so he won't have a big problem with "manning" a new Cathedral. Lucien, I remember Pope Pius XII. I cried when he died, it seemed like the end of the old era, and indeed it was. Nothing was the same for long after that. I read where Benedict has appointed enough conservative cardinals that the new pope will be a conservative like him.

[Alison H]

I thought they'd do it sooner - that's leaving very little time before Holy Week.

[CelestialPrincess]

So the Pope has been ill, and has deemed himself too old to be able to preform his jobs properly. Good for him for recognizing that he was loosing his ability to preform his jobs, all the more respect to him for that

[An Ard Ri]

Juan Carlos speaks of special relationship

Juan Carlos speaks of special relationship - News Summary ROYALBLOG.NL

[Al_bina]

Pope Benedict XVI's resignation: A drama that beats any Dan Brown plot - Telegraph

Pope Benedict XVI has left us with a great legacy on which to build - Telegraph

[An Ard Ri]

Vatican spokesperson denies power struggles between cardinals

Vatican spokesperson denies power struggles between cardinals - YouTube

[cepe]

Well, he wasn't ever going to confirm it, was he?

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by cepe

Well, he wasn't ever going to confirm it, was he?

Hell would have to freeze over first

[An Ard Ri]

Pope Benedict XVI makes penultimate Sunday address

Pope Benedict XVI makes penultimate Sunday address - YouTube

[lucien]

Drawing a crowd gets a different meaning...It's never been so busy at St.Peter Square since years on this occasion...The penultimate sunday address.

[blauerengel]

You will be surprised that also on "normal"Sundays the crowds are very big who listen to the Pope.He is preaching in about seven different languages (some of them he reads from a paper but he´s also fluent in several foreign languages and Latin!)and during the mass people from different countries are cheering or holding up banners. (Containing the place they came from,good wishes for the pope, or anti-abortion slogans) Even if you are not ultra-Catholic it does have a special atmosphere to be there and listen to the mass surounded by people who have travelled a long way to see the pope.But of course his last sunday address was extra-busy and much more crowded than his usual ones:-)

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by lucien

It's never been so busy at St.Peter Square since years on this occasion..

Quite the contrary my brother's been on Rome on two sunday's and the crowd had been massive, as have I. I'm quite short so I had to do a lot of squeezing to get a look in.

[AdmirerUS]

This is a really fact filled look at the body of Cardinals who will be electing the next pope. Cardinals seek identikit for new pope - Yahoo! News

And here is a photo of Mater Ecclesiae monastery which will be the retirement home of Pope Benedict. It abuts the Vatican Gardens and is next to the Vatican Broadcasting Center.
Benedict's post-papal life thanks to nuns | National Catholic Reporter

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by lucien

Drawing a crowd gets a different meaning...It's never been so busy at St.Peter Square since years on this occasion...The penultimate sunday address.

Spotted Spanish,Polish and Irish flags waving in the crowd!

[blauerengel]

Yes,it´s always very international, a great community!Spanish,Polish and Irish people are ALWAYS there,also many people from Latin America who are deeply religious and the pope´s greatest admirers:-)

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Quite the contrary my brother's been on Rome on two sunday's and the crowd had been massive, as have I. I'm quite short so I had to do a lot of squeezing to get a look in.

Had to do a lot of squeezing?In the Vatican?...Oh dear,...and they let you go just like that again...hmm...Cardinals these days.....