Pope Benedict to Resign 28 Feb

bayonetbrant · February 11, 2013, 06:29:41 AM

Pope Benedict to resign at the end of the month, Vatican says

QuoteRome (CNN) -- Pope Benedict will resign on February 28, his spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN Monday.
Lombardi did not give a reason for the resignation.
Benedict, the 265th pope, is the sixth German to serve as pope and the first since the 11th century. He has led church after the third-longest papacy in church history and during a time in which the church is declining in his native Europe but expanding in Africa and Latin America.

Obviously more will develop, but this is a bit of a stunner, since no one saw it coming.

bayonetbrant · February 11, 2013, 06:34:56 AM

they were just talking about it on TV, and noted that the last time a Pope resigned was waaaaay back in 1415.

MetalDog · February 11, 2013, 06:46:55 AM

According to Nostradamus, Benedict is the last pope before Armageddon. Sure hope he's wrong.

Staggerwing · February 11, 2013, 07:49:53 AM

I have to wonder if the pertinent infirmity that Benedict refers to is physical or cognitive. He must have had a personal view of what John Paul II went through in his last years including Parkinson's and decline in mental faculties. It must have been very distressing to see a friend in that condition but Benedict would also have been aware of the stress it must have placed on the Church leadership itself and it's ability to respond to world events.

Gusington · February 11, 2013, 08:50:50 AM

Why did the Pope resign in 1415?

Keunert · February 11, 2013, 09:09:27 AM

that's a though blow for the Hitler Jugend. :'(

kudos to Benedict if he really does it because of the stated reasons.

airboy · February 11, 2013, 10:14:19 AM

I think the Pope was being humble. He was not up to the job physically and mentally (according to his brief statement) so he is setting up an orderly transition of power. It's pretty admirable that he is doing this in the face of hundreds of years of convention that the Pope dies in office.

undercovergeek · February 11, 2013, 10:25:09 AM

And the world waits for the cardinals to vote for another vibrant 80 year old - if youth, vigour and an active mind are essential functions of the role, stop picking geriatrics to head the church!!!!!

Keunert · February 11, 2013, 10:30:36 AM

why would you pic a young one? a 54 year old can easily occupy the octogonal office for 29 years! the Borghese aren't into the poisoning any more.

LongBlade · February 11, 2013, 10:50:06 AM

According to the talking heads on TV, Benedict saw how infirmity affected John Paul II and his inability to deal with the sex abuse scandal. He is said to have resolved himself to not allowing himself to get so old as to not be able to handle any possible problems. Therefore he's stepping down.

Also, apparently his doctor has prohibited him from flying. Not exactly good news for someone whose profession requires globetrotting.

As for the length of time it has taken for a sitting Pope to resign - my first thought was to turn to Undercovergeek for some Crusader Kings II insight.

Staggerwing · February 11, 2013, 10:53:03 AM

Quote from: Gusington on February 11, 2013, 08:50:50 AM
Why did the Pope resign in 1415?

There were two men claiming to be Pope then. A deal was made and one resigned. No doubt there was a quid pro quo.

Longdan · February 11, 2013, 11:02:30 AM

Quote from: undercovergeek on February 11, 2013, 10:25:09 AM
And the world waits for the cardinals to vote for another vibrant 80 year old - if youth, vigour and an active mind are essential functions of the role, stop picking geriatrics to head the church!!!!!

OMG!!! I hope Dan Brown's Angels and Demons doesn't come true!!! That was without a doubt the downright stupidest
book i ever read in my life!! I suffered from chronic stupidity for a month after I read it.
Anyway it is time for an Irish pope. A young, unemployed, skeezy drunk from Derry would do.
I have a number of cousins whose names I am willing to submit. They need jobs.

MikeGER · February 11, 2013, 11:30:56 AM

^if you listen to his speech in Latin carefully (he have a Latinum certificate from highschool ;D) ...you know that the Grogardis are behind it ....again ;)

bayonetbrant · February 11, 2013, 11:41:56 AM

Longdan · February 11, 2013, 12:43:01 PM

Even scarier...another headline with a question mark? Why do news headlines sound like teenage girls?
Especially on Fox? They pioneered it? But everybody else seems to be getting in the habit?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/pope-benedict-xvi-retires-canadian-replace-him-140320686.html

Today Ottawa, tomorrow the Vatican and next week or the week after, the Werld, eh!!!
Pends on if my pogey comes in. There's a sale on 50 this week we're playin' shinny if there aren't
too many cars, eh?