Pope Benedict to Resign

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 6:26am

On February 28th

Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month in an entirely unexpected development, saying he is too old continue at the age of 85.

He became Pope in 2005 following John Paul II's death.

Resignations from the papacy are not unknown, but this is the first in the modern era, which has been marked by pontiffs dying while in office.

At 78, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest new popes in history when elected.

He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades - the scandal of child sex abuse by priests - was breaking.

In a statement, he said: "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...

"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 recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me."


Pope Drops the Mic

Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than f**ckin' perfect!

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 06:26 AM

[D2]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 6:42am

Interesting...

I wonder how ill he really is.

As a friend of mine just posted on Facebook:
"I didn't know the pope could step down. I thought once you were in you were in like any other crime family."

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 06:42 AM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 6:51am

I called my grandmother to tell her and she didn't think you could step down, either. I wonder if he has something terminal. I thought since it was a "God chosen appointment" that you were in until death. It's been almost 600 years since anyone stepped down. I was under the impression that that was the reason they chose such an old pope this time, because John Paul was in there too long.

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 7:26am

He is God's regent on earth. Whatever he says is the de facto word of God and, therefore, True.

"Don't question me, Eddie".

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 7:50am

He's retiring on my birthday!

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 8:34am

I guess all of those years of concealing and enabling child rape finally took their toll.

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 8:45am

I've gotten several e-mails this morning in which people allege that he is being forced out b/c some of the upcoming lawsuits--in which he has been personally named--have a good chance proving their case, and the Vatican Lawyers want him out.

As a gay NYC Jew, I have little or no direct contact with the Vatican, so I can't comment on these theories, but they make for fun breakfast reading.

[bobs3]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 8:53am

Probably Alzheimer's. At least he accepted the fact, I've had several relatives who completely denied their doctor's opinions that they had the disease and entered dementia without ever knowing.

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 08:53 AM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 8:59am

I'm not buying the "health reasons" either. I'm remembering John Paul II being wheeled around when he was clearly just not there. The legal explanations seem more likely, frankly.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 8:59am

Addison, here in Los Angeles new evidence emerged against Cardinal Mahony - and I would not doubt that it led right up to the Pope.




Cardinal Mahony - Shame. Updated On: 2/11/13 at 08:59 AM

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 9:17am

There is NO doubt that the health thing is BS.

The average age of new Popes over the past 300 years is 65. The average age at death has been 78. This is a job in which old men either die quickly or grow to be VERY old men.

There is a long and proud tradition of gibbering old Popes drooling into (jewel-encrusted) buckets while the "barque of the Church" is steered by Cardinals. The notion that a fully rational, reasonably healthy Pope would step down for "health reasons" is as utterly ridiculous as...well...anything else the Catholic Church says or does or tells the sheep to believe.






Wiki-Pope

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 09:17 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 9:32am

And then, of course, this happened:
Acrobats strip for Pope Benedict XVI, perform topless in Vatican

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 9:36am

Good. May he burn and rot in the deepest parts of hell.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 10:01am

"Dementia" is being bandied about -- which is horrible, horrible way to exist. Maybe that's good enough for your wishes, Jordan.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 10:28am

I have a lot of problems with Ratzinger, but I don't think he's lying here. He really isn't moving well at this point and his speech patterns have slowed down significantly in the last year. He was in charge of interpreting Catholic law for decades. He knows better than anyone else when it would be justified to remove himself from the papacy rather than die being unable to fulfill his duties.

And believe me, he ain't stepping down because of the abuse. He was in charge of setting up the rules that conveniently allowed pedophile priests to be transferred to different parishes until disciplinary action could be taken. If the lower level Catholic officials conveniently forgot to investigate the crimes after the shift to a new location, it wouldn't technically be the pope's (then the rule interpreter's) fault. Technically. Like it was technically okay to name a former Hitler Youth who went well beyond the compulsory service to the papacy.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 10:38am

So does the Dowager Pope have a hand in choosing the new one?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 10:45am

Did he finally save enough for a place on Fire Island?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 11:15am

Reg, the article I read on CNN said that he stated he would not be involved in the process.

Going by that Wiki list he is now the oldest Pope in modern history, already older than John Paul II was when he passed away. I actually do believe that he wants to step down before he does become one of those "gibbering old Popes drooling into (jewel-encrusted) buckets while the "barque of the Church" is steered by Cardinals."

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 11:18am

They should do it like American Idol.

[DAME]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 11:22am

Time for a gay black pope. This to me is like Micky quitting Disney. What are they going to do with all that merch in the Vatican?

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 11:22 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 11:45am

dramamama, that's a tough question. My Great Grandmother had Alzheimer's and I saw what that did to a beautiful, wonderful person. Then my Father's Mother (I don't refer to her as a Grandmother because she was an odious human being) got it and I felt no sympathy for her. None. For a woman, a MOTHER, who sat by while sexual abuse took place in her home for years and years and did absolutely nothing to stop it and then decided to disown my part of the family when the abuse was brought up years later, denying it ever happened and saying how horrible my Father is for making up such vicious lies - I think she got what she deserved and even got off easy.

It's an awful thing to say, trust me I know. But when something that awful happens to someone who is even worse than the disease, there's a bit of "You got what you deserve" but there's also a whole lot of "You deserved so much worse".

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 12:38pm

Meh. I admit i haven't been much of a Catholic since I graduated high school, but I still do identify as one. Can't imagine a new pope making much of a difference to any of us, Catholic or not. They're just gonna have a hell of a time choosing one that will appear current and relevant.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 12:45pm

They have no desire to pick one who is current or relevant. The response to the clergy abuse has been to blame relevancy and modernity. The young clergy who enter seminary now are Opus Dei Latin Mass groupies, hard liners who who deliver punitive sermons.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 12:46pm

I like the AMERICAN IDOL idea. I bet they'd have some Rabbi's show up just hoping to make it on the show and be silly.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/11/13 at 12:56pm

I think the premiere episode might get good ratings but it would all go downhill when the pranksters started voting. Pope William the Hung.

Updated On: 2/11/13 at 12:56 PM