Pope Benedict XVI has announced his intention to resign the papacy,
effective February 28, 2013. It is the first time since the 15th century
that a pope has abdicated the papal throne. The VIS announcement appears
below...
POPE RENOUNCES PAPAL THRONE
Vatican City, 11 February 2013
(VIS) The Holy Father, at the end of today's consistory for causes for
canonization, announced his resignation from ministry as Bishop of Rome to
the College of Cardinals. Following is the Holy Father's complete
declaration, which he read in Latin:
"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 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."
Also from the VIS mailing...
"The Director of the Holy See's
Press Office explained that the Holy Father 'will move to Castel Gandolfo on
28 February, and, once he has finished the tasks he has in progress, he will
take up residence in the former cloistered monastery in the Vatican. The
process for the election of a new Pope will begin on 1 March. We do not yet
know the exact date of the conclave, but obviously there will be no need to
wait the normal eight days of mourning (novendali) after the death of the
Pope. Thus, in two weeks, during the month of March, in time for Easter, we
will have a new Pope ... Benedict XVI will have no role in next March's
conclave, nor in the running of the Church during the time between popes,
the time of Sede Vacante. The Apostolic Constitution gives no role in this
transition to a pope who resigns.'"
[2/11/13]
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