Quote:
Originally Posted by alexri
This was a total surprise. A pope has not resigned since 1415.
Disclaimer- I am not Catholic, though my family raised me with that religion. I left it in college. But I still have some mixed feelings about this, and wonder what the future is regarding a lot of issues.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/...ion/index.html
Rome (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28, his spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN Monday.
The 85-year-old pope is resigning "because of advanced age," Benedict told the cardinals of the Catholic Church on Monday.
"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," the pope told the cardinals, according to the Vatican. |
Yeh this has me a bit piffed right now. I too am not a practicing Catholic but was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Hardcore. My mom has pictures hanging on the wall where my grandfather is seated with popes. My grandfather was a tour guide in the Holy Lands for many many years and so I was raised with all these known understandings of what is expected in the church and of a pope.
That his reasoning is "because of advanced age" doesn't cut it with me and I can bet a million bucks my mom will have much to say about this. She had her doubts about this pope from day one. A pope reigns till death. Age is not a reason to resign....
I really don't want to be judgemental about this decision of his. If he has any doubts of his ability to reign then he really doesn't need to be sitting in the Vatican. I have to let this go....
The oldest reigning pope was Pope Leo XIII - age 93yo.