Pope Benedict XVI is resigning! But why?
The head of the Vatican and leader of the Catholic Church says he will step down on February 28th. The move is extremely rare, since a Pope traditionally accepts his position for life and only leaves through death. Benedict will return to his former name, Joseph Ratzinger and will be the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. His role in the church, where he will live and other valid questions are still to be determined.
The Pope’s decision to resign caught millions of Catholics worldwide off guard. In his formal announcement, Benedict said that at 85, his advanced age has taken a toll on him to fulfill his duties. However, with the Catholic Church still embroiled in the sex scandal involving pedophile priests that rocked the church and tainted the papacy, his choice to leave so abruptly has many wondering if there is more behind this story.
Here is the full text of his resignation:
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
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