This morning upon hearing of the Pope’s abdication, my husband said to me, “I’m sad.”  I was surprised that that would be his overwhelming emotion.    And then he added, “I guess I’m scared too.”  And that’s when his feelings struck a chord with me.  I’m very scared.  I know the Holy Spirit’s in charge.  But I’m scared.

I’m pretty sure that it’s God’s will. Pope Benedict is a holy man; he would not take such a step if he had not studied it in prayer with God. At any rate, even if he’s mistaken (which I find vanishingly unlikely) God will bring good out of it.

Pat, I share your feelings about this.  Good points on how he saw what happened around Blessed John Paul II and how this may have affected his decision.  I heard it from a co-worker this morning since I don’t watch the lamestream media.  I was quite shocked. All we can do is pray for our good shepherd and for the cardinals who will choose our new pope.

Pat, thank you. I felt grief when I heard the news as well.  I felt/thought much of what you have written, except that your insight about Vatican bureacracy had not occurred to me.  Thanks for letting us know that it is okay to feel grief even if we are convinced that the Holy Father is following the will of God.

I’m scared too.

Thank you!  You’ve managed to express what I’ve been feeling, but was unable to put into words.

I am deeply saddened by Pope Benedict’s decision to resign. I have tremendous respect for the Bishop of Rome. This is not about politics or a bureaucracy (God will deal with those people who undermine a Pope’s authority.) It is about a man chosen by the Holy Spirit to be the Vicar of Christ. Cardinal Ratzinger accepted God’s call and now, as Pope Benedict, he must fulfill his vow just as Jonah did. As Blessed John Paul II gave himself to the church until he had nothing left, so too must Pope Benedict give of himself.

Please join me in petitioning those who will participate in the next conclave to RE-ELECT Pope Benedict. He made a decision to resign. The cardinals can make him reconsider.

As always, the will of God will prevail.

Undoubtedly Pope Benedict saw the power jockeying that went on as JPII declined in health and didn’t want that to happen with him.

Our sadness reflects on Benedict’s greatness—as both man and Holy Father.

Perhaps our fear hints at a recognition that, as our Holy Father has told us, this great Church needs some pruning. His resignation signals to my heart the seriousness of the times we live in. Many of us sense an urgency of the call and a deepening seriousness from the events that are playing out around us.

Now is the time—and it’s Lent!—to turn our hearts to the Lord, thank Him for His many blessings, and BEG FOR MERCY!

THE HOLY FATHER HAS FLED ROME!! them that have eyes, let them see, them that have ears, let them hear!!

http://apocalypseparadigm.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-holy-father-has-fled-rome-them-that.html

Maybe his mind is deteriorating, due to one of the many ills of the elderly. If so, it would be in everyone’s best interest if he resigned before it became an obstacle for him to perform his usual duties.

“Jesus still rose, so we will trust.”

Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.—Saint Pio

Your blog actually made me feel better about it.  I had the same “‘til death do us part” feeling.  But, your point about the bureaucracy running the Vatican was a good one.  At the same time, as hard as it must have been to succeed JPII, at least he wasn’t here to critique you.  Not that B16 would do that, but how hard to take that job with your predecessor still here.

Something isn’t right. So the Pope is old and tired…...so was Leo XIII, Pius IX, Paul VI, JP II and the list goes on. Then don’t fly around the world, don’t make all these huge public apperances every week. That was something invented by John Paul II anyway. No pope has to fly around the world all the time. Before the Vatican Council the pope was rarely seen anyway. Benedict could cut audiences down to 2 or 3 a year. Say a public mass on Christmas and Easter only. It would give him more of a chance to clean up the clergy and the nuns and focus on ridding the Church of all the filth that invested it while JP II was flying around the world all the time. No, something else is the reason. Either a huge scandal is about to break involving him or he has some disease that is affecting his mental ability. A man, a priest like Benedict who has given his life to the Church doesn’t give it all up just because he is tired. Something else is behind this.

My humble thoughts. http://theologyofthebody.blogspot.com/2013/02/papa-semper.html

my first instinct was fear, as well, but after some prayer and some time to reflect, I will not succumb to it. The Lord has protected this church and the office of the pope through more than 600 years…if the Holy Father felt that he needed to step down, I am sure it was done with prayer and confirmation. I pray for him and for the successor. Our church really is at a critical point and I pray for the new pope, as well…fear. well there just isn’t time for it…we have much to do.

John 21:18, after the Lord’s Resurrection and the breakfast on the shore, Christ says to Peter, and presumably to his successors:

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

Funny. I often find myself strongly disagreeing with you but there, about one of the most important event of both of our lives, you expressed exactly what I feel (for now, I only feel, I don’t think). You are not alone.

Tom,
Giving 2 weeks notice is abrupt,true, but perhaps whatever ails the Holy Father is grave enough to prevent him from participating in Holy Week which is very taxing for any priest, much less an elderly,ailing pope.Better a retired pope than an expired pope.
I wish him rest & God’s blessings.

Thank you for writing this. Everything in your post is exactly what I have been feeling and thinking. Some of the thoughts that I was having was “He is leaving during Lent. How could he do that?” and “Why is he giving up? I am fighting for this church so why isn’t he?”

Then I thought about it some more like you did and tried to put it into perspective. It is hard but you are right, maybe he did not want a de facto Pope situation. We did not know what went on behind the scenes during Pope John Paul’s last days.

It is not easy to be the leader of the Catholic Church and if you do not have the health to keep doing it, then the humble thing to do is step down and let someone else take over the helm. We need to keep him and the new pope in our prayers.

As someone who outwardly appears healthy but has physical challenges and pain that causes a great deal of interior suffering - I am put off by those who want to compare Pope Benedict with Pope John Paul II.  We have no idea what he has been or is enduring on our behalf.  Just because it seems to us that JPII suffered more, it is just as likely that he has been suffering a great deal in silence for months or even years.  It doesn’t take a bullet to cause someone real pain and suffering.
-
Our job - as Pat has reminded us - is to pray and we should try to do a lot of it.  I don’t think it is a coincidence that this announcement came on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and also just before Ash Wednesday and Lent.  Let’s put all of our Lenten prayers and sacrifices at God’s disposal for both Pope Benedict and the man to succeed him.

I logged on to the web this morning (NCR is my home page) and there it was. Pope Benedict resigning.  My brain literally stopped functioning….  My first thought when my brain rebooted itself was not very holy at all.  I feel sorrow for our Pope.  What a decision to have to make.  I watched over the years that wonderfully boyish face age drastically.  God Bless him always.

Our Pope has given us the Lord’s warning and our mission in this year of Faith.  We must trust in the Holy Spirit’s guiding hand.  The question remains “Will our Bishops heed His will over their own in conclave?”  Pray for that outcome my brothers and sisters. Pray and fast for that outcome for Christianity is being attacked with vigor and we need a very strong Pope for the fight ahead.

I’m not sure it’s simply old age.  Now, I know how notorious the Wikipedia is; however, the page mentioned something about Parkinson’s.  Can anyone corroborate this?

I do not mean to start a rumor mill so I would like to get this verified.

To tell the truth, however, I was shocked and then saddened.  I loved his writings and his thought (esp., “In the Beginning,” “Eschatology,” and “Jesus of Nazareth”), and I firmly believe his theological contributions were an important step on par with the other great theologians.  Furthermore, he was the first Pope I really knew since I was starting high school when Bl. Pope John Paul II passed.

God bless him.

Thank God for the Holy Father being such a vision, and a courageous leader, who is willing to buck reformable human tradition for the good of the whole Church!

oops, that’s “visionary,” not “vision”

In my humble opinion as a Catholic, I received the news with surprise. But, I think that this is a moment for our Church, and especially those near the Holy Father to stop giving statements to the press. In times like this, it is important not to be driven by emotion or the pressure of public opinion, but rather by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our Church has to ask, and the Cardinals have to ask whether or not this resignation is what’s best for our Church. A move like this could result in division. We have to be prudent, and consider the effect, not only the cause. We must consider that perhaps it would be better for the Holy Father to continue, even if he is ill.

First, I was only starting to think about the Church when Bl. Pope JPII died.  Who would come next, was it going to be a fruit cake (my family and I had just left the Episcopal Church, we know fruit cake) or a man of deep faith.  I was blown away by Ratzinger.  Anyone the media hated that much had to be good, and after reading some of his works it was clear what a profound theologian the man was.  I am proud that my family and I came into the Church while he was Pope. 

With JPII, the world was a simpler place, around about when he died.  Is there anyone who would not willingly go back to 2004 or 2005, and stay there?  Sure there was trouble, there always is, but who would have thought that eight yeras later the world financial system would melt down, more crazy countries would have the bomb, formerly stable western democracies were begin taking baby steps towards religous persecution, and that obvious things like marriage itself would be redefined by the lords of the culture?  The Church needs an alert Pope, these are not safe times.  As an analogy, Warren Harding could die in office while Franklin Roosevelt should have resigned for health reasons.

JPII gave an example, made a gift if you will, of his suffering.  But it was a safer time to take leave to suffer.  And what would giving wittness to Pope Benedict suffering add to the wittness that was to be had from JPII?  JPII had gone from being an vigorous and active Pope to a frail one.  Benedict had gone from elderly to more elderly.  If JPII gave us an example of suffering, Benedict gives an anti-post modernist example of refusing power as the ultimate end. 

I have to admit, this hit me in the gut when I read it this morning.  I felt like little Joey at the end of Shane yelling “Shane! Come back!”.  But upon reflection, I think my reaction should be the reaction Christians should have to everything in their lives.  Love and prayer. 

As Catholics we should love Benedict and the service he rendered to the Church.  And we should pray for him and his continual growth in closeness to our Lord, as wella pray for the Church and the Cardinals that we have a good and holy man to appointed Pope.

I seriously thought i was hallucinating (i am not a morning person!)

At first i felt betrayed (just being honest)
and then, and still, absolutely terrified.
It was Ratzinger that brought me from atheism to the The Church. God Bless him.

Tom, perhaps he felt that going into hiding was no alternative.  I think the simple and boring explanation is the true one more often than we like.  But beyond that, I’m not really inclined to speculate.

Like many here, for some reason or another I have felt more of an affinity for Pope Benedict than for Blessed John Paul II, despite the latter being the Pope during the years of my youth (I was 8 when he was elected).  Privately I have even come to think of Pope Benedict as Papa Bene in a very affectionate way.  I say this only so everyone will understand how greatly I respect the man.

Now, here are my thoughts.

1. Pope Benedict is one of the oldest four popes in the last 700+ years (maybe ever).  The modern papacy certainly places more demands on a Pope today than it did prior to the start of the 20th century.

2. Benedict might fear not only becoming infirmed like Blessed John Paul II but becoming totally incapable of communicating for an extended period.  The wonders of modern medicine is that it can save lives that would have been lost even 10 years ago; unfortunately it can not always restore the person’s mind or ability to interact.  Imagine a scenario where the Pope is in a coma for years?  Particularly at a point where the Church needs a leader. 

3. I can’t help but wonder if the failure to come to terms with the St. Pius X society may broken his heart.  Bringing Christians back to the Church was certainly a major aspect of his pontificate… this singular failure may have hurt him deeply.

I can’t agree more!  I grew up with Pius XII as my Pope and “Father Knows Best” as a favorite show on television - the modern technology of the day.  It was a shock to realize that PXII wouldn’t always be the Head of our Church on earth.  That was a simpler time and we didn’t think much about things beyond our personal scope.  We closed the door and turned off the tv and felt safe. Now, the world comes into our homes and can track our every move via computers and even newer technologies.  Does anyone feel safe any more?  As I’ve aged I’ve developed an NCIS mentality.  Even though we think we are being told everything that is going on in government and church - there are things that are happening that we don’t know about. We may never know the REAL stories but I believe they aren’t the ones we are told and I don’t think we need to know every detail.  World War II was won by leaders who knew when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em (or was that the Wild West?). This is where I get on my knees and pray, “Jesus, I trust in You!”  I don’t have to know the gorey details. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Scared. Sad. Yep.  I’m a John Paul II convert and when I heard Ratzinger had been elected my neighbors probably heard my joyful shouting.  But we walk on.  And I’m also rather excited.  Us middle aged folks have been privileged to see a lot of history and this is certainly history and we have a ringside seat.

I agree with Elaine. It was clear that well before JPII died, he was not really leading the church. He was simply incapacitated.

Benedict has long hinted at possible resignation. He is resigning at the right time, when he has the faculties to do so in order to avoid the problem of the church having a leader who is not really in charge.

I admire Pope Benedict’s humility and his brave decision. Only a true man of faith would be able to do that.

I suspect he has recently received some sort of grim diagnosis, maybe Alzheimer’s, with a quick onset.  My guess is that, with all due regard for his privacy, whatever decline he references will become clear by midyear.

Don’t you remember Bl. John Paul II’s first words to us at the beginning of his papacy: “Be not afraid!” We know the gates of Hell shall not prevail against our Church.

@Howard,
I am not sure it is that simple.  That being said, some level of dementia will occur in about half of all individuals who see their 85th birthday.  That being said, lets keep in mind that so far, the evidence supports his mental faculties being essentially intact.  We do know however that he is becoming increasingly frail.  His physical frailty I am sure was a major part of his decision.  In our modern media age, a pope who rules only by written documents released by the Curia is one that would loose much credibility.  And a Pope who is so frail that he can’t celebrate midnight mass and then offer his Christmas message the next day is a Pope who is close to that state.

I suspect that there is nothing immediate, rather he will retire (as he has stated) and then after another few years (or who knows, maybe 10), we will hear that he has passed quietly in his sleep.

I’m scared too.  I guess I’m too negative but have read a lot of books by Catholic authors with conspiracy theories in them, and wonder if somehow he was forced to resign.  I hope not.  And yes, the Holy Spirit will guide the new Pope, but wonder if Pope Benedict knows something we don’t.

And yes, I wish Pope Benedict hadn’t resigned.  Pope Paul gave us an excellent lesson in suffering, but the world is so complex now and so many decisions have to be made, perhaps he thought that was the best he could do.

He is a holy man, so what comforts me is I think since he prayed about it and examined his conscience, God knows what he is doing.

JPII died when he was 84 and Benedict is almost 86. It does make sense that he might have seen the difficulties of having a Pope who is not at his best & the troubles it can bring to the Church. I don’t believe he is doing this without much prayerful consideration.

From one of my Favorite Saints: 

Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.—Saint Pio

So, please try not to worry.  I feel that all will be ok. 

My first thought was that it was a hoax when I read the news feed on my phone.  Then, as I read, I realized it was true.  Pope Benedict XVI has always had my heart (and not just because my son was born on his 60th birthday).  Every time I read something truly profound, I would see his name at the end.  I loved that he was a scholar and a theologian, a gentle man yet was capable of standing up for Truth.  Many of the comments here talk about the incapacity of old age, but this year alone our family has lost 3 relatives all in their 90’s and our own parents are now in their 80’s.  The world is speeding up—as witnessed how fast we all heard this news.  The consequences of war, economic failure, natural disasters, etc. affect the rest of the world at an unbelievably swift pace compared to just a decade ago (there was no facebook in 2003!).  I think you are right—as Cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI witnessed JPII’s slow loss of health and the ability to serve the Church.  We are now living in a time where that inability can have far reaching effects.  How lucky we are that he will now be able to add his prayers to ours for the Church to be blessed with a Pope who will be able to meet the demands of the time we now live in and keep Peter’s barque afloat.  God bless you, Papa Ben.

  I can’t believe many of the comments I have seen on this blog today. Why all the fear and dread. The talk about conspiracy theories, of being forced by those around him even about Alzheimers? Come on people the man is 85 and a half years old,and he is now the fourth oldest Pope in history. Why can’t you trust take him at his word that like he told Peter Seewald in 2010 that when a pope feels he can no longer perform his duties (this was at the revelations of Abuse in Ireland and Europe) that he was getting the blame for, the war in Libya, the Vatileaks scandal and now the religious liberty issue are weighing hard on him obviously, but we have to trust what he says and support him (and pray for him) even if we don’t agree with it. We always have to remember the words"Thy Will Be Done”

i thought it was a hoax too! Then I felt scared, then sad, then a little mad that he was giving up on us. Now I’m just back to sad. I have loved him and I know God is in charge, but I’m still sad.

Pat, yours is the second post I’ve read suggesting that il Papa’s decision may be partly motivated by a desire to prevent the Vatican bureaucracy from taking advantage of his increasing infirmity by acting as a bad-faith Papal Regent.  I dislike this speculation because it smacks of detraction.  It is my sense that grace has abounded in the Papacy as evil has abounded in Christendom, and that God’s grace will abound in our next pope as well.

Pope Benedict knows better than anyone what may have taken place by bureaucrats when John Paul II was deteriorating.  The atmosphere - spiritually and politically - is much more toxic than it was eight years ago.  I think he is smart enough to know that others may want to take advantage of a less-than-vital leader.  We see that many dioceses are ‘run’ by less-than-faithful Catholics.  Is it such a stretch to think that could happen in the Vatican?  It might not be happening YET but a leader as smart as Benedict may choose to prevent that from happening by not allowing a period when the hen house was not being watched.

I heard the news this morning and immediately thought, “Be not afraid” followed by “Jesus, I trust in you”. 

Not surprisingly, the Divine Mercy Chaplet has been prayed and replayed in my head throughout this day.

“Ticked” is not an appropriate response to Pope Benedict’s decision.  He is not “your” pope and you do not have some special right or claim over him.  He is the servant of God, and the servant of all the Church. So instead of being “ticked” like some petulant, I’m-14-and-I’m-mad-at-my-dad adolescent, you should instead be grateful for Pope Benedict’s ministry, and all the good he has done for us.  He has prayed heavily on this matter, and has discerned with the Holy Spirit that this move is the best for the Church.  He isn’t abandoning us, nor is he shirking his responsibilities.  On the contrary, he has shown tremendous humility and graciousness in admitting that he can no longer function at the level the job demands, and has chosen to relinquish his office into the hands of one of his brother cardinals.  That is the hallmark of a humble and holy man who puts the needs of the Church first.  Not only that, but the timing is excellent.  What better time for a conclave, than during Lent when the whole Church is fasting and praying?  Benedict is a class act, and although I will miss him, I do wish him well.  Honestly, Pat, get over yourself and grow up.

It is rather sad that so many Catholics doubt his stated reasons for his resignation. There always has to be some other, unstated reason, right?

Poor Pope; he appears to be the only one who doesn’t know why he really resigned.

I am quite nervous and excited all wrapped up into one.  I’m nearing 30 years old.  I have only encountered a papal vacancy once before.  Now, my hero and spiritual guide has decided to walk away.  I am reminded of a book I read by Cardinal Arinze, God’s Invisible Hand.  Now is definitely a time to follow the lead of our Holy Father and trust in God’s Invisible Hand.  Divine Providence will guide us to glory!

I trust our Pope.  He has not abandoned us.  He simply would not do something sinful.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he announced this on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. It might be a hint that he has been diagnosed with a disease that would prevent him from carrying out his duties, maybe one that would affect his cognitive abilities. So while it is totally shocking to me and I feel sad too, I trust that he is following God’s will and made a very careful discernment about this.

http://listverse.com/2013/02/11/top-10-popes-who-resigned/

Thank you for writing exactly what I have been thinking and feeling today.  I want my pope back too!

Sorry, but I’m not really worried at all.  The Church is 2000 years old.  This has happened before, under different cicumstances,and will probably happen again over the next 2000 years.  I pray for Pope Benedict, the Cardinals, the future Pope and the Church.  We are watching history. May God bless us all.

I don’t understand why people are saying Pat was wrong to be “ticked”. It is permissible to be irritated by any decision anyone makes that inconveniences you, and a Pope resigning is inconvenient in the extreme for the whole Church. One’s irritation simply should not lead one to lack of charity. E.g., Benedict is not stupid, so he wouldn’t do this if he didn’t have a very good reason, which probably needs our prayers. Thus we should remember to pray for him in that regard, even while praying that this turns out well for the Church at large.

When I heard the news this morning I too was stunned. But I was never frightened for my Church. The Holy Spirit guides the Church and he guides the Holy Father. This I know because the Lord told me so. I have no fear for the Church. The reason for this resignation may not be known now but will become apparent in the future. God knows what the Catholic Church needs and He will provide it. God Bless The Holy Father and God Bless the Catholic Church.

I woke up this morning and, as usual, grabbed my phone on the bedside table to check the time, and noticed a tweet from one of the Catholic sites I follow that the Pope is resigning.  I got a huge pit in my stomach. 

But I know the Holy Spirit will guide the conclave.  I’ve lived through 5 Popes, although I have no recall of Pope Paul VI being selected.  I know with the selection process for John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, everyone fussed and worried and speculated and predicted. . . yet each of these men was selected to the surprise of all the prognosticators.

Yes, I would like Benedict XVI to be our shepherd for much, much longer, but a part of me thinks that he’s decided to retire before anyone in the world could suggest, as Pat has noted, that his mind is no longer sharp, thus questioning his ability to make decisions.  I also think there are going to be some wickedly difficult years ahead of us, and this is his way of making way for a younger man to shepherd all of us through whatever is coming. 

Look at the composition of the College of Cardinals.  Unless I misread the list this morning, they’ve all been appointed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, with it already having been noted that Benedict has appointed particularly conservative Cardinals.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s a most excellent thing.

So I know the tendency is to worry, but I truly believe that we’ll be pleased with the next Pope whose selection will be guided by the Holy Spirit.

This is the year of Faith, likely because he expected to resign this year and wanted to encourage us to have faith even though we’re confused and upset. Lent is upon us so we must fast, pray and give alms, focusing on bringing ourselves closer to Christ. Pray for Papa. Pray for the Cardinals to travel safely to Rome and to have clarity on the Holy Spirit’s direction. Then pray for our new Papa, while still loving and praying for our old Papa.

Now that I am in my 50’s and I have experienced what it is like to have a serious illness that severely compromises one’s ability to function, I am able to understand, entirely, the Pope’s decision. I honor his honest choice and applaud his humility in this. Also, I see that he has a magnificently important truth to impart to us: Imagine being the leader, in Christ’s stead, of over 1 billion individuals and their immortal souls while on Earth. Then imagine the demands for travel, for writing, for deep prayer, for saying Mass and offering other Sacraments, for overseeing every Catholic Bishop and Cardinal on Earth. And then notice that anti-Christian sentiment is rampant in growing in this, our day & age. All of this demands a tremendous amount of energy from one person who truly has strong physical health and a sharp, clear, prayerful mind. It is obvious in the extreme, to me, as to why Pope Benedict is to be lauded and loved for stepping down. His concern is that the Church be led, in these treacherous times when the faith of many is either slipping or is dubious; by one who can put all of his earthly energies into the Petrine Office. He sees that, at nearly age 86, he can no longer do this.

Blessings to you, and thanks for this, Pope Benedict. I revere and love you, and pray for a peaceful and prayerful retirement for you. You will always be in my prayers. Thank you for your humble service in the vineyard of Our Lord.

Gut reaction to the news and the video of the announcement, The Holy Father does not have much time left…  I am scared, I am confused, and I will pray, because that is all I can do.

This the first post or article I have read today that sums up how I feel.

I too was 11 when Pope John Paul II was elected.  By the time he passed away, my oldest daughter was 11.  As sad as it was to lose Pope John Paul II, there was at least the feeling that it was all in God’s time.  My sorrow and disappointment today is in many ways worse.

The last few times I heard Benedict speak and sound so feeble and seeing the motorized platform he needs to get around St. Peter’s made me fear that this day was not far off.  I’ve seen people long for their 65th birthday because they can hardly bear the burden of their work any more.  For Benedict 65 was 20 years ago.

This is bittersweet.  We are sorry to see this happen.  But he has accomplished great things for the Church that are worthy of celebration.  His love of learning, his courageous stand for the truth coupled with deep humility and his love for all people are examples to us all.  JPII bore his suffering valiantly at the end but I too wonder if he was able to discharge the duties of his office by then.  Benedict with his typically startling clear-headedness placed the Church’s welfare first.

He does indeed deserve a retirement party.  A 1.2 billion strong party.  He deserves our prayers and our thanks.  And I don’t put it past him to write another book or two.

He’s leaving now as an act of love for us, so that the Chair is handed down from strength to strength.  God bless him.

I could’ve written this post myself, especially about the “pious scolding[s].” It’s like the people who tell you not to grieve when a loved one dies because they’re in heaven (even though we don’t KNOW that but HOPE that it is true). It’s a denial of human nature; we grieve when we are sad and there’s no reason to be happy that Benedict is resigning (and I do question the prudence of such a move though he is within his rights). Of course we will have a new pope and Christ will not abandon his bride. But there’s no guarantee things will be better or even go well and it’s simply mean spirited to make people feel like their grief is in bad faith.

It’s not childish and petulant to be miffed at losing someone you know and love - that’s part of being human. What would be childish would be to not accept what has happened and to try to do something to stop or change the events that have occurred.  As much as we love Papa Benedict, I truly believe that he was and is being guided by the Holy Spirit.  From the events in the world, that seem to be occuring at an ever dizzying pace, it just may be that the Holy Spirit has determined that the Barque of St Peter needs a younger, more agile Skipper at the helm.  Thank you for all you’ve done for us, Holy Father - we continue to love you and pray for you.

C’Mon snap out of the funk-  we can speculate or accept in good faith that Papa B. made this call with all of us in his mind and heart. He and we do not need to publicly second guess that decision- it is sad news but not deserving of bitterness. If Papa B. could see his days of walking and travelling at an end, and knowing as he does the way forward for our New Evangelization- the importance of symbol and rigorous response to the 24-7 global media/economy/culture-  I think he is making the wisest move possible to do the smart thing. He is a fighter but sometimes you use your head and pick the right battle or take a temporary retreat to live to fight another day. If I am going to speculate I’m going to go in a postive direction and give Papa B. all the necessary benefit of doubt. One thing Papa B. doesn’t need is for those who truly love him to call him out in public with anything negative- purge those emotions in the company of those who love him and do so privately. The Church moves into a new Papacy- this is a time for hope- so many positives are waiting to happen. Let the Holy Spirit and the Cardinals do their job in peace and give thanks and only thanks to Papa B along with prayers for this whole process of ‘new things’.

“I wonder if it was what Cardinal Ratzinger witnessed at the end of his predecessor’s pontificate that led to this decision today?”

Absolutely Pat, he always knew I think that he was only going to be sitting in Peter’s chair for a brief time.  He’s coarse corrected the Church on Vatican II, done his best to right the wrongs of the sexual abuse, allowed throngs of Anglican’s find refuge in the Church, and now he’s done.

“He must have seen how during those years of decline the Vatican bureaucracy becomes de facto pope and how that de facto Pope can thwart and subvert the will of the legitimate Pope.  I wonder if Pope Benedict made the decision early that he would not subject the Church to a papacy of bureaucrats?”

Correct again Pat.  I mean we’ll never really know, but how much of Blessed PJ II’s inability to really coherently watch over his flock led to the sexual abuse cover-ups?  Again, we’ll never know…but when you have too many chiefs and not enough indians, bad things happen.

I came into the Church 4 years ago…he’ll always be my pope : )

I feel sad, too. However, I am certain that the Holy Father sought counsel from his physician and his confessor in addition to much prayer. There is probably much we do not know, so I give him the benefit of the doubt and more. I am sole care giver for my 91 year old mother, and it is alarming to see how fast a human being can go down hill.

I too felt first stunned and then sad, but at the same time felt the deepest respect for what had to be a very difficult decision, made only through deepest prayer, a step taken out of what I see as great faithfulness and love for Lord and Church.
I believe it is a mistake, though, to represent this as “leaving the job.” What he is doing, according to his expressed wishes, is dive even more deeply into service and self-giving, through devoting himself even more fully to a life of prayer. That is most certainly not “retirement”!
Now I look forward to finding out how the coming conclave goes and what happens next. And always, Benedict XVI will live in our hearts with our respect and affection. He had a significant role in both my mother and I—retired ordained Protestant clergywomen—deciding to become Catholics a year and a half ago.

...oh, ouch!!! ahem!!! ok… For health reasons, I am quitting my vocation to marriage, I am doing what is best for my wife, she needs someone that CAN support her and the kids… so good luck and goodbye… OR… after much prayer and deliberation, I am quitting the priesthood, I am retiring to Miami to read and pray.  Sorry but these whole quitting thing smells like a 3-day-old dead fish… there’s got to be more to this quitting than meets the eye… specially after JPII’s example of ‘divine’ self-giving.  The last homily (ash wednesday?) of the Pope where he describes INTERNAL DIVISIONS and FACTIONS within the Church smells to me as the real reason he is self-immolating his vocation… this can’t just be a selfish act… say it ain’t so, dear Pope.