[Sparkle]

My personal (conspiracy) theory is this:

I think Ratzinger's resignation is purposeful. I think the plan is for him to martyr himself for the church.

Ratzinger as Cardinal and as Pope has lead the church in dealing with the sex abuse cases, and he's done everything he can to protect the name of the Church and put the Church above the victims.

The Catholic Church is in the worst position in terms of PR, in terms of "membership" and in terms of international support -- that it ever has been in, in the entirety of it's history...and *that* is saying something because it has a long gory history of murder and theft on an international scale.

But the sex abuse cases have not been squelched, despite the Church's best efforts. The predators have, for the most part, not been brought to justice and the Church has not been made accountable in any real or substantial way; and yet the victims keep coming forward and the cases keep mounting and it is impossible for the international community to ignore.

This is a case of the masses truly turning the tide, I believe; leading a revolution really. The threat to the Church is that serious, and they know it. And they are far too clever to go down in a blaze of paparazzi flash bulbs during international tribunals.

I think Ratzinger will resign, I think he will leave the protection of VC and I think he will make himself the kingpin for the legal cases. He's 85, he's in ailing health; he is unlikely to live to see the end of legal battles of this size.
Make no mistake, the Church is still on trial, but while there is a "face" to the evil, the public will be focused on him. (and oh, he has a perfect face for this kind of thing, doesn't he? he oozes evil.)

And while Ratzinger sits it out in international court and in front of the AP; the Church distances itself from Ratzinger and all those "bad guys", and begins its own campaign, with a new puppet, to improve its image and standing in the world.