Pope Benedict XVI Resigning as Pope!!

[julieann]

So could someone please explain the drama around this? I don't see why this is a big deal. Seems to me a rational and fair to all decision to make.

It's quite rational. If he feels he can't to the job with 100% commitment then he is within his right to step down and let someone else lead the one billion Catholics around the world.

Drama? You bet, he's the first one leave his role not by death but by stepping down in almost 600 years. If that's not drama and news worthy, I'm not sure what is, a Kardashian? And although he has alluded to it in the past, I don't think many close to him knew it was even going to happen.

[IceAlisa]

I am certainly not close to him but I am not surprised by this decision. I was surprised when he was elected. I heard he is the oldest Pope to be elected in what, 200 years? Hope the cardinals keep the age and state of health of the candidates in mind this time. Ratzinger wasn't the paragon of health even before he was Pope. This job requires a lot of energy and vigor.

[Prancer]

I am certainly not close to him but I am not surprised by this decision. I was surprised when he was elected. I heard he is the oldest Pope to be elected in what, 200 years? Hope the cardinals keep the age and state of health of the candidates in mind this time. Ratzinger wasn't the paragon of health even before he was Pope. This job requires a lot of energy and vigor.

I remember reading at the time of his election that it was believed he was chosen as a sort of interim Pope between John Paul II and another, younger Pope who would lead for many years.

It was quite clear at the time that Benedict wasn't expected to live very long and that his brief tenure would be used to determine the future course of the Church.

[IceAlisa]

Oh so they thought he was elderly, frail and being Pope would do him in even sooner? Nice cardinals.

OK, that's not what they may have literally thought but still.

Oh well, they had 8 years to get their ducks in a row.

[DarrellH]

I remember reading at the time of his election that it was believed he was chosen as a sort of interim Pope between John Paul II and another, younger Pope who would lead for many years.

It was quite clear at the time that Benedict wasn't expected to live very long and that his brief tenure would be used to determine the future course of the Church.

This was mentioned on CNN this morning.

It will be interesting to hear the name of the new Pope. Usually something significant to the name choice the new pope takes.

[suep1963]

I did not say that. Read my post again.

the job of a pastor/priest is very consuming often leaving inadequate time to nurture a marriage and be a good parent.

Sounds like you did indeed say that.

[Bournekraatzfan]

Ziggy and the Pope shacking up together. That I would like to see.

bahahaha!!!

the job of a pastor/priest is very consuming often leaving inadequate time to nurture a marriage and be a good parent.

Sounds like you did indeed say that.

PDilemma said often, not always.

[cruisin]

Speaking as an Anglican, I don't see any huge influx of ex-Catholics joining the Anglican church because they think the Catholic Church is too liberal.

All the ex-Catholics in my parish joined the Anglican church for exactly the opposite reason.

Just curious, when you say Anglican, is that Episcopalian?

I remember reading at the time of his election that it was believed he was chosen as a sort of interim Pope between John Paul II and another, younger Pope who would lead for many years.

It was quite clear at the time that Benedict wasn't expected to live very long and that his brief tenure would be used to determine the future course of the Church.

I remember that, as well.

[Southpaw]

The Pope sez he'll do the cooking if Ziggy does the laundry. Can a German and a Polish man share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

:cueoddcoupletheme:

[ballettmaus]

Catholicism's biggest strength and why it has survived for as long as it has and become as big has it has is because of its understanding of Revelation and the strong belief that Scripture and Tradition are equal. And I'm talking about Tradition I'm talking about faith and morals.

Yeah, great morals. In Germany, if a Catholic and Protestant want to get married in a Catholic church they have to agree to raise their children in Catholic faith. The Catholic church doesn't recognize gays, they preach to women in Africa where the HIV rate is extremely high, not to use protection when having sex. They don't support equal rights for women and forced millions of people to accept their faith as the only faith. And as far as I know, though I might be mistaken on that, they're the ones responsible for the "witch hunt".
But yeah, they really have great morals.

[bek]

Are you kidding us? Yes, let's look at the tradition. The auto-de-fe was part of the tradition. The raping of the Americas was a part. The corrupt Popes all throughout history was a part. The lip service to the vow of celibacy has always been tradition. The promotion to pope of a man who was a huge part of covering up widespread pedophelia was no surprise to those who know the tradition.

I am a religious person who respects other people's beliefs, so I can respect the various Catholics I have known who sincerely believe in the Church's tenents. Sadly the higher the leaders of the Church become, the less they seem to adhere to those teachings. Though this is common among many other religions. But don't tout the Church's traditions & worry about changes leading to corrupt leadership when one of the most evil person in our lifetime steps down from a position he had no business having in the first place & when much of the leadership is already corrupt.

I never said changes would lead to corrupt leadership. I said that I worry about corrupt leadership getting carte blanche to change teachings.

We have had corrupt Popes/leaders throughout time. How could we not considering the power in our Church. However all of these folks were bound by Church teaching.

So i.e these folks might be outright hypocrites, but they never "repudiated the official teachings." For example there were popes who went out and had affairs/illegitimate children. But they never got up and announced to the world that premarital and adultery were not mortal sins. Why because these folks are bound by Scripture and Tradition.

The pope for example no matter how much he may want to cannot repudiate the Nicene Creed. He can't say the book of James is no longer Scripture. He's bound by quite a lot of things because of Scripture.

And what i worry about is if you take away that yes straight jacket! Than you give a lot of very corrupt people far more power than they had before.

For example during the Reformation so much corruption in the Church so many corrupt popes. But I remember one day as a Protestant reading the Council of Trent on faith and works, and I was amazed by the use of Scripture and how perfectly James and Paul were correlated together as it talked about we are justified by faith, but faith without love means nothing. Beautiful stuff. And its beautiful because it came really not from those folks but rather from the tradition of the Church. And it was the Tradition of the Church that was speaking in that bright moment.


Not any of those folks bright ideas.. That's what I go to, and that's what I look at. Those folks are bound to reiterate it.

And for the record tradition relates to faith and morals. Practices can change. Priestly celibacy is a practice and its really a little tradition. It can change whenever the church feels its necessary to change. It is not part of the rule faith, it is not dogma.

When I talk about Traditions/teachings I'm talking about these wonderful teachings on love. Reading folks like St Francis, Theresa of Liseaux. Reading church teachings on how the poor and the marginalized really should be treated. Examples like Archbishop Romero. These are things that I find as Catholic meaningful. 2,000 years of contemplation of the meaning of God and who He is....Its amazing stuff. And its stuff that draws me far closer to the Lord.

When I ask myself on things of doctrine or how I should live my life I look towards the traditional teachings of the Church. At times our leaders hypocrites but then I try to do as Jesus says "what they say and not what they do." And I know at times I to am a hypocrite.

Yes we have had corrupt leaders, and people who will answer to the Lord for their actions. However we have also had folks throughout time who in their own imperfect way have lived the teachings of the Church...Or at least truly attempted too.

[Cachoo]

One of the men being mentioned to replace him is from Montreal. Now that might be interesting--a non-European pope.

[oleada]

Ratzinger appointed half of the cardinals; JPII the other half. It'll be the same crap, different guy.
I don't expect the Church to change at all with this. It'll remain the backwards, elephant of an institution it always has been.

For the record, I grew up Catholic.

[Ziggy]

The Pope sez he'll do the cooking if Ziggy does the laundry. Can a German and a Polish man share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

:cueoddcoupletheme:

I like doing the laundry but hate cooking. That's perfect!

And German men are hot and awesome.

[Aussie Willy]

The Pope sez he'll do the cooking if Ziggy does the laundry. Can a German and a Polish man share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

I think they should become the latest crime fighting due "Ziggy and the Pope".

[falling_dance]

I think they should become the latest crime fighting due "Ziggy and the Pope".

The hit theme would be titled "Ziggy Stardust and the Bishop of Rome".

[bek]

One of the men being mentioned to replace him is from Montreal. Now that might be interesting--a non-European pope.

There are two African cardinals on the list as well as a few Latin American popes!

[overedge]

Just curious, when you say Anglican, is that Episcopalian?

It's the Episcopalian church in the US and in a few other places, but the Anglican church or Church of England everywhere else.

[overedge]

I must admit that when I heard this news, I wondered if there is something scandalous about to break (maybe involving the Vatileaks affair: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatileaks_scandal) and if the current Pope is leaving to avoid having to deal with the fallout.

[Prancer]

There are two African cardinals on the list as well as a few Latin American popes!

I remember reading at the time of Pope Benedict's election that the next Pope would likely come from Africa or Latin America because that is where Catholicism is expanding. That was part of the prediction about a younger Pope leading the Church into the future.

I wouldn't bet on either one, though.