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Meaning that the "supreme pontiff" would have a different see? Where do you have in mind?

Hoboken?

His Holiness wants to retire, not take on more. It's come out that he's had a pacemaker and just had the battery replaced in the last year. His arthritis is bad, causing pain in walking, kneeling, etc. He's 85. I don't know about you, but I'd have turned the job down at 78 when he took it up. I'd turn the job down now with my own health issues and he's got 23 years on me. There are some things to be said for having a few quiet years to just stop and smell the roses, refocus one's relationship with the Lord, and not have the weight of the world on one's shoulders.

Bob

Amen!!!!

I think of Bishop Theophan the Recluse. What's so wrong in moving out of the public eye and doing the prophetic witness of pointing to the Kingdom with one's remaining years?

I think of my own mother. By God's grace, she's 83, lives alone, and is still very active in church and community activities. But in the last year, she's slowed down and her arthritis is really beginning to bother her--and it shows. So why would His Holiness not think that the focus of his service would soon become his health and not the mission of proclaiming the Gospel forcifully to the world?
And for the good of the Church and the Lord's mission to evangelize the world, why not pass the baton?

Going back to the topic or retirement, I've looked forward to having some time to just putter around the house on some hobbies, do a vegetable garden, and work a couple days a week by appointment. I've put in 47 years as a funeral director: on call 24/7 for all but one week a year in all that time. The stress and strain of the lifting and hours takes its toll--trust me. His Holiness has the added stress of the back-room politics that goes with any human institution--because the Church, although of Divine origin, runs according to some very human mechanisms. Spare me the intrigues.

Bob

One of the most significant points that has been made about Pope Benedict's recent announcement of his retirement is that, good theologian and teacher that he is, he has given the Church a good lesson on the Petrine Ministry; exemplifying that it is a ministry that belongs to the office of Bishop of Rome, rather than a vocation that belongs to the person. The next person who is appointed to the office by election does not succeed Bishop Joseph Ratzinger, but St. Peter, himself in the Petrine Ministry. This ministry is essentially one of service given by Christ to the Church for the Church. Pope Benedict's humble resignation, like his good ministry, was a wonderful and timely ecclesiastical
act whose significance will be felt for years to come, IMHO.

True on that regard. Although I'm not sure if he would be on hand to be the one to elect his successor, though, not sure if he'd be allowed to vote with the other Cardinals if he resigns.

it is not "retiring" he has renounced the papacy as per the Latin Code of Canon Law

Christ is in our midst!!

The Vatican news says that His Holiness will have absolutely no role in the conclave. That shouldn't be a surprise becasue even if he weren't Pope the rule is that no cardinal over 80 can enter the conclave to vote. So if no cardinal could enter, why should he? On another note, when a Pope dies, he is vested as a cardinal for burial the thinking is that the office does not die but the holder may do so.

What troubles me is the suggestion that His Holiness might have to give up hsi theological writing in order to keep the low profile they expect him to maintain. What a waste of a brilliant theological mind, if that's true.

Bob

Well, this is the first I've heard of that. But even if that is a major concern, surely he could still write works to be published posthumously?

Pope JPII was dressed as pope at his funeral, you can see the red shoes visible under his vestments when he's lying in state.

If you go back to John XXIII's funeral, you can see that he is wearing the papal fanon over his vestments. ( Image Here [corbisimages.com])

I pray that Pope Benedict and his brother will enjoy their remaining days on earth in each other's company, as (if I am not mistakenly remembering), he had intended to do before being elected Pope.

May the Lord bless His Holiness.


I saw it referred to as 'abdicating' yesterday on some news channel.

I found this news story. It seems like there's a local news station that predicts that our next Pope will be an American, right from our own backyard, here's the story, and the link:


More of the history, and why they think he should be Pope is on their website here: http://fox8.com/2013/02/21/could-lakewood-native-become-next-pope/

Actually, wasn't this the Cardinal that spearheaded the Fortnight for Freedom movement back in the summer? I thought that name O'Malley sounded familiar from somewhere... Or was that another Cardinal that made it big? I forget now.

So the former presidents of the US continue to be addressed as "Mr. President" with all the perks that go with the title?

If you notice, the vestments are red, indicating his actual rank. Pictures of JPII show the same thing, as do pictures of preceding Popes. I took this information from a book about Roman Catholic insignia for clergy, bishops, cardinals, etc.

Bob