Pope to resign!

[Mandy2003]

Didn't know this was allowed - thought they saw themselves as "chosen" by a higher power and it was a job for life

But no reason has been given yet following the simple announcement from the Vatican.

[Badvoc]

i have a bad feeling that some awful revelations are about to hit...if it was ill health they would have said so straight away.
the silence is telling imo

[piprabbit]

How odd. I can't help wondering if there is more to it than that announcement suggests, not because I'm into conspiracy theories but because it is almost unprecedented.

Perhaps the ill health is mental as much as physical.

[Annunziata]

I am very very scared. Italian newspapers are saying 'for the good of the church.'

[scaevola]

He has said ill health.

If there was about to be a scandal, I'd have thought they would be making every effort to keep him in place. He absorbed the crisis that emerged just after he took over, so there would be a strong line of argument to continue with one Pope covering the time of revelations.

[SestheBrave]

I hope you're wrong Badvoc. I think you are. There wasn't a long silence, they have read the statement and it specifically talks about lack of physical and mental strength. It is also reported that he advised Pope John Paul II to resign due to ill health so not out of character or suggestive of a sudden resignation for other reasons.

[Annunziata]

That's true scaevola.

[PandaWatch]

"I am very very scared. Italian newspapers are saying 'for the good of the church.'"



And you don't think him resigning because he's a very sick elderly man who can no longer carry out official duties to his full capacity would be "for the good of the church"?

You lot have been reading too many Dan Brown books

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

I thnk dementia would make it impossible to carry out his duties.

[scaevola]

Vatican press conference just starting: on SKY, but so far in Italian and translation not yet begun.

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

The possibility was flagged up in 2010, so not totally out of the blue

'Yet Benedict himself raised the possibility of resigning if he were simply too old or sick to continue on, when he was interviewed for the book 'Light of the World,' which was released in November 2010.
'If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign,' Benedict said.
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy. After John Paul's death at age 84, it was revealed that he had written a letter of resignation to be invoked if he became terminally ill or incapable of continuing on.
And it should be recalled that at the time Benedict was elected pope at age 78 - already the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years - he had been planning to retire as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the 'peace and quiet' of his native Bavaria.

Sorry, Fail link
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075667/Health-fears-ailing-Pope-heads-hectic-festive-season.html#axzz2KadCDQqv

[SignoraStronza]

Ooh, I love a bit of 'Pope Watch'. Was living in Italy last time a new one was elected and the whole country was on tenterhooks for the puff of smoke.

[DadOnIce]

He's resigning to spend more time with his family.

Oh, no, hang on...

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

One thing is does anyone think it's a bit annoying that his statement starts "Dear Brothers" rather than "Dear Brothers and Sisters" - but I realise he was addressing a specific group consisting of only men (there's a surprise )
But couldn't he have written to all his brothers and sisters in the Church of which he is leader ?

Anyway other thoughts, yes they need a younger leader, hopefully one in favour of contraception and women's rights ?! But perhaps that's a lot to ask !

I also think, provided there's no scandal about to break, that it's a good thing that he's considering where best his service lies as he grows older - and perhaps the role could beneficially evolve into one that wasn't necessarily for life ?
I like the idea of older Pope's retiring to a life of prayerful support. Perhaps he will make that more possible for those that follow him too ?

[DadOnIce]

Do they actually need to replace him? In the current climate of cuts and employment restructuring, they should be asking if his duties can be efficiently redistributed among other departments to save money.

[piprabbit]

Perhaps he will become The Dowager Pope.

[Happyasapiginshite]

Am I alone in hoping that this is an opportunity for change in the catholic church? He was just a continuation of JPII, no desire to change or revisit anything eg his stance on the possibilty of women priests. Radical change is needed in the hierarchy of the church. That's too much to hope for but maybe, just maybe, there will be a change for good???

[FashionFail]

Maybe we can have a hot, young one?

[piprabbit]

Not exactly hot - but much more fun

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

HaHaHa FashionFail

[GrimmaTheNome]

He's resigning to spend more time with his family.

[seeker]

He's resigning because the Papal Bull has turned out to be horse.......

[FashionFail]

Blimey, apparently there is a pin-up in the Papal running ...

www.patheos.com/blogs/publiccatholic/2013/01/gorgeous-george-the-vaticans-first-pin-up/

[RedToothBrush]

I think this HAS to be a good thing.

If there is a scandal in the wings, then a resignation would force change, which is therefore clearly needed.
If its ill health, then it simply not in the interests of the Church to have someone in the job who can't do it (and therefore its people in the shadows who are doing his work instead).

I don't think there is anyway this can be a bad thing for the Church in the long run. I don't think that even if there is a scandal, it will destroy the Church from the present Pope alone - it will be down to his successor.

If it is age related, it also means that younger people will start to be much more important in the church and given the fact its viewed as so out of touch with the modern world, having a bit more visible youth in its higher ranks can only be to its benefit. It doesn't mean older people will be less important, more that those in charge are more reflective of those they serve.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Ooh, perhaps the Pope has noticed how gorgeous George is too !!
( hence his recent promotion to Archbishop ! )

< quickly ducks under the libel radar - hopefully ! >