Quote:
Pope Benedict XVI will resign on Feb. 28, citing his deteriorating strength, making him the first pontiff to step down in almost 600 years.
In a statement on Vatican Radio's website Monday, the 85-year-old Pope said his health is the reason for the surprise announcement.
"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," the Pope said.
Benedict said his strength, over 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."
The head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Benedict said he was "well aware of the seriousness of this act."
The last pontiff to quit in office was Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
Benedict announced his decision in Latin during a meeting with cardinals Monday morning.
There will be no pontiff until a successor is chosen, the Vatican said. That selection process is expected to take place in mid-March.
Formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict, who was born in Germany, was chosen Pope by cardinals on April 19, 2005, following the very popular Pope John Paul II.
Praise for Benedict quickly poured in following the announcement of his pending departure.
"During his period [as Pope] there were the best relations ever between the church and the chief rabbinate and we hope that this trend will continue," Israel's Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said via a spokesperson, Reuters reported.
|
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...signation.html
He was also very anti-Liberation Theology and anti-gay (but from the Pope, what's new), so I can't say I'll miss him.
Sometimes it seems to me like the powers that be in the Catholic church resent some of the changes of Vatican II and have been pulling back on progressiveness, so I wonder if they'll choose someone as conservative or more so, or if embarrassed by how the pontiff has been portrayed, if they'll choose a more liberal dude.
