Pope to Resign?

[Guinness]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/9862194/Pope-Benedict-XVI-to-resign.html?fb

The 85-year-old Pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning.

"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," he told the cardinals.

Only 3 other popes in the history of the Church have ever resigned:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_resignation

The last was in 1415.

And to add a little flavor:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes



Anyway, very interesting.

[Puffymuffin]

He wants to dedicated more time to kids apparently.

[bh]

Yeah, he was behind the scenes during the last 5-10 years of PJII's life and maybe he realized that declining body and most importantly a declining mind are not in the best interests of the church.
My guess is he has something like Alzheimer's where he knows he will not mentally be able to function.
Interesting for sure.

[Guinness]

Even given that, it is so rare for this to happen... I'm interested in Doc's take on this.

[penny lane]

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.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/new ... z2KawRePMb

side note; wish the penguins would play with the "bark of Saint Peter."

[shafnutz05]

I noticed that the new pope could be Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah, the first black pope in 1500 years, who is relatively spritely at 64. I think the tradition of nominating so many popes that are already old and frail makes no sense.

[Guinness]

At this point I'm pretty resistant to the idea that the reason Benedict is resigning is because of health.

bh brought up the question of Alzheimer's, which is compelling...

But the election of a pope through the conclave of Cardinals is considered to be ordained by God. That is - or SHOULD be - no small matter; it isn't unreasonable to suggest that this resignation is then in a sense a rejection of what God has ordained.

The first pope to "legitimately" resign, Celestine, in 1294, had to issue a papal decree granting that the pope may actuall resign. There has only been one other resignation of the papacy since then.

*Disclaimer: I'm Catholic by birth and baptism, but no papal historian.

[columbia]

No matter what happens, I'm sure Bill Donohue will yell at someone on tv about it.

[TheGhostofGoulet]

I hear The X has an opening.

[Gaucho]

He wants to dedicated more time to kids apparently.

Oy...

[Guinness]

To add to the above, the pope who resigned in 1415 did so to resolve the Great Schism, as I've been reading today.

Therefore, the only pope who ever just resigned without a question of corrpution or conflict within the Church would have been Celestine in 1294.

This is almost as unprecedented as it gets. I'm actually considering going to church next Sunday to hear what they have to say about it.

[Alejandro Rojas]

The fun part of the next month or so will be watching the media show how uproariously ignorant they are of Religion.

[Idoit40fans]

I don't consider that fun, jump into any religious discussion and you get to see how everyone is ignorant of religion. Its pretty tiresome.

[Alejandro Rojas]

Anyone want to take bets on when the first NY Times op-ed that pushes for the RCC to appoint a Pope that will allow the ordination of women and consecrate gay marriage?

[Idoit40fans]

Do they have evening editions?

[count2infinity]

Anyone want to take bets on when the first NY Times op-ed that pushes for the RCC to appoint a Pope that will allow the ordination of women and consecrate gay marriage?

would that be a bad thing?

[Kaizer]

VC will never make the playoffs if they keep switching popes. joke franchise.

[JS©]

Anyone want to take bets on when the first NY Times op-ed that pushes for the RCC to appoint a Pope that will allow the ordination of women and consecrate gay marriage?

would that be a bad thing?

I think it's more likely that the first would happen before the second. That's not my personal stance, but asking the church to turn their head or at least acknowledge gay marriage is asking a lot.

[count2infinity]

absolutely. i don't think that they will ever do the latter, but I could see ordination of women and possibly allowing priests to have a family at some point.

[shafnutz05]

How about they elect a Pope that will end the child-abuse causing, human nature-suppressing vow of celibacy? That's a good start.

[obhave]

I'm not sure if it is the best thing or the worst that I will be in Rome in March during the media circus.

I think this is good for the Catholic church for a Pope to resign if he is not mentally able to be at his post anymore.

[Idoit40fans]

Wait. Is it resign or re-sign?

[shmenguin]

How about they elect a Pope that will end the child-abuse causing, human nature-suppressing vow of celibacy? That's a good start.

i don't believe in the foundations of christianity, but for my wife, i'm having my daughter baptized and we'll be catholic church goers. however...i will not support, under any circumstances, the pope or any other catholic figure head to be revered in my household.

[count2infinity]

I'd love to see a pope that sells all of the riches of the vatican and gives the money to the poor. WWJD?

[Dickie Dunn]

Wait. Is it resign or re-sign?

Re-sign. The Pope re-signed with Vatican City. 10 years, 87 million. God told him no one deserves more than Crosby. Pope wasn't sold on it until he was offered a no-movement clause and a guaranteed spot in heaven.