Pope Resigns, World Cares (Not)

Tagaziel

Tagaziel

Panzerkatze
Orderite
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.
The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415. He did so to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope.
Benedict, the 265th pope, is the sixth German to serve as pope and the first since the 11th century. He became pope in 2005.
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.
Benedict's time as pope has been marked with a series of scandals and controversies, including hundreds of new allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Click to expand...

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-benedict-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

I'm reserving judgement. Benedict XVI was a poor pope, especially considering his predecessor, who had the courtesy of not flaunting his ultraconservatism. However, Ratzinger's successor may be even worse, if that's even possible.

Doubt he'll be held accountable for the sex scandal coverups, though.
 
Finally. It's been 1081 days since Merkel expressed her „full confidence“ in the Pope.
Usually people resign much faster when Merkel does that.
 
I can always count on NMA to inform me about the relevant world news I can't be bothered to find out about myself.

Seriously, on 9/11 if it wasn't because of all the people that was talking about it I would have not found out about it until days later, even weeks. Hell I even saw the second plane hit and the towers fall live, if my sister hadn't woke me up I would have slept right trough it.

That's how I find out about world events, trough rumours mostly.

Back on the subjet, yeah, forgettable pope, but you know, that was probably a good thing. Also, overshadowed by his predecessor, JPII was a huge media figure.
 
Is his advanced age really that much of an abberation from other popes? It seems like a false reason considering every other pope has died while holding the position.
 
SimpleMinded said:
Is his advanced age really that much of an abberation from other popes? It seems like a false reason considering every other pope has died while holding the position.
Click to expand...

Two other popes in history have resigned, but it was like 600 years ago. Yes it's basically an excuse; I'd wager we will learn quite some things about some scandal or another (probably the coverup) before long. Ratzinger probably just wanted to be out of here when it happened.
 
It's probably something like alzheimer's, where he'll slowly lose communication and motor functions, which you could get away with 600 years ago, but not today.
 
I wonder if the church has the balls to go outside of europe this time.

Now, I'm not expecting a black pope (say Desmond Tutu), but I think there might be some room for a very white looking south-american perhaps?

That said, if I had to gamble, I'd go with Italian.
 
This isn't entirely surprising with all that's been going on in the Vatican lately-- banking scandals, power struggles, et al. I'm not hinting at anything like some shadowy faction forcing him out, but maybe he just got tired of the B.S. and the realities of the position, or he's stepping down because he knows that if he lets the current climate develop until he dies in office and they've got to select the next Pope amidst the muddied clierico-political waters that would chum up, things could get ugly.
 
SimpleMinded said:
Is his advanced age really that much of an abberation from other popes? It seems like a false reason considering every other pope has died while holding the position.
Click to expand...

He also wears a silly hat. And try to take over the world, if you believe the Assassin's Creed Franchise.
 
Nos eramus Papa.
Dingus, dongus, venefica mortuus est (aut decedet), nunc est bibendum.

Man, I really need to brush up on my latin again.

/edit:
The next pope should be from Molvania.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBHfXPqbgI[/youtube]
 
There was a feeling that Benedict was elected pope after the passing of John Paul II to be an interim Pope who would just keep thing stable.

John Paul II was well-liked and anyone who followed him would have had tremendous shoes to fill and during a time when the child abuse scandals were tearing up the Church from the inside. For what it was worth, steps were made into keeping the Church stable.

After 8 years, he finds himself unable to do the job he set out to do, for whatever reason, why not let him resign and let someone more outgoing take up the office of the Holy See?

However, if resignation is related to a scandal, fair enough. But I would rather say that he hasn't exactly been sweeping much under the rug during his time as Pope, even though he's done some objectionable things.
 
If he as sweeping things under the rug, we wouldn't know about that, would we? A lot of things can be said about the Vatican. Being sloppy with information control is not one of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top