Pope to resign? Feb 28

[Librul]

It's all over the internet this morning. Benedict is set to resign on Feb 28th due to health reasons.

[Katiebug]

I wonder if his mental faculties aren't up to it anymore. This apparently hasn't happened since 1415.

[miffy]

I was just about to go to sleep and I got a news alert on my phone about this.

Mind blown!!!

[Drina Adams]

Let the speculation on the skeletons in his closets begin.....

[Palimpsest]

Let the speculation on the skeletons in his closets begin.....

The many skeletons . . .

[Sister_Wife]

I'm not a Catholic, but I do think the whole choosing a pope thing is so fascinating. I remember when Pope JP died, and watching all the goings on, thinking to myself that this would be a once in my lifetime event. Not so......

[mausi]

This hasn't happened in over 500 years. I wonder what is going on (or, perhaps more aptly, what went on and is about to come to light)?

[thekate]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/eur ... ?hpt=hp_t1

He claims it is for ill health. First resignation in 600 years.

I hope he's replaced by someone more liberal, but I won't hold my breath.

ETA cross posted with viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15521

[valsa]

Good. Enough information has come to light to make me believe he was complicit in the sexual victimization of many children.

Hopefully the Catholic church will elect someone more liberal with clean hands.

[alysee]

Good. Enough information has come to light to make me believe he was complicit in the sexual victimization of many children.

Hopefully the Catholic church will elect someone more liberal with clean hands.

I wouldn't hold your breath that they'll actually elect a pope who's more liberal and has clean hands. The higher up you are the more covering up they do about every little thing. I am just hopeful that they will elect a pope that has had some really nice and influential women in his life. It's all I can hope for.

[Esther]

There's no way they're electing anyone more liberal. Get ready for more of the same. There are liberal, nice Catholics - there are even liberal, nice Catholic clergy. Unfortunately, none of them has a chance in hell to become Pope.

[Kitty]

"Health issues" my ass. More like the cover-ups he's been a part of have finally caused him to lose sleep. Sleep deprivation does all kinds of interesting things to the human body.

[thekate]

"Health issues" my ass. More like the cover-ups he's been a part of have finally caused him to lose sleep. Sleep deprivation does all kinds of interesting things to the human body.

Lose sleep? That would assume he felt guilty in the first place.

[Kitty]

Lose sleep? That would assume he felt guilty in the first place.

I like to have some faith in people, tyvm.

[Gertie]

This apparently hasn't happened since 1415.

And 1415 was during the Council of Constance, when they were electing a new pope in order to end the papal schism (there were 3 popes at that time). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Constance

I gotta say, I'm surprised!

[Peas n carrots]

Very interesting. JPII seemd to outwardly be in a lot worse health for a while before his death. Its all very odd...I wonder if he is showing signs of the onset of dementia? Popes just don't retire because they are getting old and frail.

[Triplet3]

He's 86 and (according to the BBC) never wanted to be Pope in the first place, so I think it's plausible that he truly is stepping down for health reasons connected to old age. But I guess we'll never find out if otherwise.

[Chowder Head]

I think he is just tired of the positiin. I think when he became pope there was a discusion on him not really wanting to he pope anyway. There has been other popes mycmuch older than him and sicker that has been pope. I i dont honestly think many people will give a flip he is gone. His pope region was not is not meet with much love. Unlike the last pope.

[Gertie]

So what happens to him? Back to Germany or is there a nursing home in the Vatican? (The Vatican is basically an old folks home anyway...)

[latraviata]

It's all over the internet this morning. Benedict is set to resign on Feb 28th due to health reasons.

Oh my god!! The end of civilisation, first our queen and now the pope. Is there still hope for mankind??

[Palimpsest]

According to this 3 part article (link not broken because it is Der Spiegel) this has been perculating for a while.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 38830.html

Ratzinger has always been more comfortable as the power behind the throne. I also think he was disappointed by not automatically becoming popular as Pope. But look at any scandal in the last 30-40 years (from Vatican bank scandals to clergy sexual abuse) and you will find him lurking in the shadows. People just don't like him. For very good reason.

Perhaps by stepping down now he can work behind the scenes again to ensure rapid progress towards his own canonization!

[OkToBeTakei]

[homeschoolmomma1]

You all ever hear the Prophecy of the Popes by Saint Malachy. He said Pope Benedict XVI would be the last. It will be interesting what happens. The book is called the Last Pope by the way. Here is the wikipedia about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes

[dawbs]

There's a small part of me that is pulling for someone not-white/European to get a serious nod because it'll give some of my relatives such a twitch.

[MysteryHaggis]

I thought the letter he wrote was worded very interestingly.

After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God [...]

If he was so ill as to need to resign, wouldn't something along the lines of "I no longer feel fit enough to serve the Holy Father/Holy See/the world community of Catholicism as they require/deserve" be better? I know he slips something similar in, but it's very...lip servicey.

The conscience is for moral issues. Resigning a papacy is not a moral issue, as far as I know-maybe I'm wrong (I'm not catholic).

Something is going on behind this. Whether we ever find out what it is... :roll:

Both my office mates are expat Italians. Much hilarity and shock in here today: one is wondering if he's secretly gay and the other is repeating "But it can't be, he can't do this, seriously, no". We didn't even realise she was religious.