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Pope Benedict XVI to resign.

G

GAGrathea

TS Founding Member
Vatican confirms Pope Benedict XVI to resign on 28 February
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Very interesting times, I know very little about this but it would seem that papal resignation is a very very rare thing...

I'm sure more politically-aware people can add more to this!

(I just like Tim Minchin's Pope Song...)

EDIT: Statement from Pope:
Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, 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 recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil 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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I'm hoping the next Pope will be a bit more progressive on...well...EVERYTHING.
 
How can he be to old to do his job, when the last pope was frailer than Rod Stewart in South Park, but kept on going till he dropped?

Something's up, methinks.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
How can he be to old to do his job, when the last pope was frailer than Rod Stewart in South Park, but kept on going till he dropped?

Something's up, methinks.
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With the scandal on child abuse, he may have been 'asked' to leave....
 
I'm thinking that Sam needs to start one of his inimitable topics on this subject ;)
 
Child abuse in the Catholic church has been going on for centuries. I doubt it suddenly makes a difference to them now. :/

I reckon it's aliens.
No seriously, what if he's heard about some ETs contacting us (which is naturally covered up by the governments of the world), and it's challenged his whole preception of the universe to the point where he has lost his faith?

Oh no, wait, it can't be that. He's already a Reptillian.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Child abuse in the Catholic church has been going on for centuries. I doubt it suddenly makes a difference to them now. :/

I reckon it's aliens.
No seriously, what if he's heard about some ETs contacting us (which is naturally covered up by the governments of the world), and it's challenged his whole preception of the universe to the point where he has lost his faith?

Oh no, wait, it can't be that. He's already a Reptillian.
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This is precisely why you won the member's award ;)
 
Maybe he just realised he's going to die a virgin, and is leaving to spend his last years making sex to many dirty whores.

Either that or he's going back to his youth and is off to fight for the Master Race.
 
It deserves it because we are discussing the retirement of an old man, who was too old to do the job when he was appointed.

I do think it deserves some debate though. How does this leave the Catholic Church in the eyes of the Western World? Whilst I don't condone literally working people to death, why does this one get he freedom to 'abdicate' whereas all other popes since the 13th century have believed so much in the job they do that they never considered this an option.

Is he more respected for doing this, or will he be viewed with some ridicule for essentially turning his nose up to all the Popes before him. Has he lost his faith in God? Since he is meant to be the closest man will ever be to God, does this mean that God has given up on him? Or is he turning his back in God?

Or, will this lead to further scandal? I don't hold much with the Catholic Church, or any religion for that matter. But this is an interesting twist in the credibility of their crazy rituals
 
I wasn't being sarcastic Satch! I really do think that this ridiculous position with its funny little rituals and outdated moral teachings fully deserves our ridicule. ;)

I'm not really one for conspiracy theories, but there's quite an interesting historical curiosity to this. There's a document called the 'Prophecy of the Popes', written about 900 years ago.

It consists of 112 phrases, describing the last 112 Popes. The 111th Pope since that document was written is the current Pope Benedict XVI.

The prophecy predicts that under the final Pope after the 111th, "the city of seven hills will be destroyed" (meaning Rome). The final Pope is referred to as 'Peter the Roman'.

And the name of the front-runner to succeed Benedict is... Cardinal Peter Turkson!

Obviously prophecies and premonitions are a load of rubbish, but it's a real historical document, and it's fascinating that after 900 years, we have reached the end of its predictions. And kinda spooky with the 'Peter' coincidence! Of course, there's a very good chance he won't be picked at all...
 
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