Pope Benedict to retire on 28th February 2013

A few hours ago, on the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes and on the World day for the sick, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation. As from 28^th February 2013, at 8pm, the Chair of St Peter will be vacant. This is the first time in over 600 years that a Pope has resigned. Here is the full text of his declaration:

Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, 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 recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

For many young people in the UK, and the world over, he is very much loved. For some, that may seem like a strange word to use for an aging religious man whom most have never met. However, for a vast number of young people, he has touched their lives, his words have spoken to their hearts, and he has been responsible for the conversion, reversion and deepening of faith of so many young people. For this, they have a great deal of affection for him, calling him El Papa, Papa B or even their German Shepherd. Some even see him as a grandfatherly figure.

Among many people there is confusion, shock and even tears. People are saddened  but we must recognise the bravery of His Holiness, who has sometimes been referred to as the reluctant Pope, in recognising his strength has deteriorated and making the decision to do something that is almost unheard of in the Catholic Church.

In the book, Light of the World, Peter Seewald asked the Pope if he could imagine a situation in which he would consider his resignation appropriate. The Pope replied;

“Yes. 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.”

In his blog, On this Rock, Fr John Hollowell wrote a post over a year ago entitled Why it might be good if Pope Benedict does resign. The post points out

I believe that if Pope Benedict were to resign it could be very instructive and catechetical for both the Church and the world at large.

Blessed Pope John Paul II chose not to resign, and I think it was because his NOT resigning allowed him an opportunity to teach the world about suffering, about the dignity of the elderly, and it gave him a chance to put into practice the teaching on end of life issues (specifically the teaching he helped clarify – the idea that all people should be hydrated and fed until life is no longer sustainable).

Just as JP II clinging to his papacy to the very end served to educate the world, I think Benedict RESIGNING could serve as a very helpful and much needed teaching moment as well.

We must continue to pray for Pope Benedict. A worldwide rosary will be said today at 3pm GMT for the Pope and for the Church. We should also continue to pray for the cardinals, his successor and the Catholic Church.