Pope Benedict XVI to Retire

[La literatura]

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/be...aratio_en.html

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, 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 barque 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 recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill 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

On one hand, I am floored by the news. On the other hand, I am glad he is able to rest and enjoy retirement. I think this will set a healthy precedent.

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

NO SHIT! This guy was point man for protecting pedo priests for a long time. He knows all the dirt. He's getting out before the shit hits the fan.

He's about 15 years late, if so.

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Are you implying that you think it would be a good idea for Popes to have term limits?

And like I said, as an outsider looking in, this looks bad for the church considering all the crushing accusations that have come down over the last decade. Maybe it's nothing, I don't know. I'm sure this isn't the first scandal to ever have rocked the organization.

No, I don't think the Pope should have term limits, but I do think it's good to hand over the Papacy when the time comes. I do think that it would perhaps been better if PJII had done so.

I don't think this retirement is a scandal, and it's not related to the sexual abuse crisis.

[Cave Johnson]

Originally Posted by La literatura

That is inaccurate from all that I know, which is that B16 pursued Marciel, and wrt the statute of limitations, actually expanded them.

Ratzinger buried allegations of Maciel's sex abuse, allegedly due to kickbacks to the Church. He's a scumbag cloaked in Papal infallibility.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcial_Maciel

[mnchiefsguy]

I think history is going to look unfavorably upon his term as Pope.

[Cave Johnson]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

I think history is going to look unfavorably upon his term as Pope.

Elevating the kiddie rape fixer to Pope was a bad idea? Who could have guessed??

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Are they not trying to make john paul II a saint? Don't you have to perform miracles? Wine into water kind of thing?

I think I remember reading that the kindly-looking grandpa pope has even been fast-tracked.

These miracle things seem to have a fairly low bar as well. Bascially if you say you were sick, but prayed to _____ and got better, then that person gets credit for a miracle.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by GoWalrus

It's kind of like saying Obama isn't the worst President ever because he didn't rape slaves....um, no one rapes slaves these days.

Actually, I read on breibart.com...
I'm sure they'll be breaking the news soon.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

oh shit

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by Cave Johnson

Ratzinger buried allegations of Maciel's sex abuse, allegedly due to kickbacks to the Church. He's a scumbag cloaked in Papal infallibility.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcial_Maciel

Ratzinger was told not to pursue him, and he seems to have been admired by JPII and other Vatican authorities (largely due to the finances, you are right). But one of the first things B16 did as Pope was go after him.

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

I think history is going to look unfavorably upon his term as Pope.

It wouldn't be fair. I think history will look more regretfully on JPII's final years.

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

I think I remember reading that the kindly-looking grandpa pope has even been fast-tracked.

These miracle things seem to have a fairly low bar as well. Bascially if you say you were sick, but prayed to _____ and got better, then that person gets credit for a miracle.

It's a pretty extensive evaluation, actually.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by GoWalrus

oh shit

Yet she is a Kraut herself — a member of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by La literatura

It wouldn't be fair. I think history will look more regretfully on JPII's final years.

Actually, I think it will completely be fair. I do not care what the rules were, he had a moral obligation to protect children from bad Priests, and instead he participated in actions that allowed those Priests to repeat their crimes ad nausea m. He will be judged by God and history for that.

[La literatura]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Actually, I think it will completely be fair. I do not care what the rules were, he had a moral obligation to protect children from bad Priests, and instead he participated in actions that allowed those Priests to repeat their crimes ad nausea m. He will be judged by God and history for that.

Certainly not as Pope did he participate in those actions. Will he be judged for his reforms of the Church wrt reporting and child protection, too? I hope so.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by La literatura

It's a pretty extensive evaluation, actually.

Yeah, but isn't that essentially the gist of it? I mean, how far can you really go in confirming a miracle and who performed it?