Breaking news "The Pope resigns"

[Burt]

Ex-Benedict anyone?

:005:

[Mr-ska]

[Forever Fulham]

With a little tweaking, I could see this:  "Somebody told me he was a good Pope, so I said, 'OK, we'll give him a look.'  Obviously, he doesn't want to be Pope.  Not here anyway.  So he has to be moved out.   The chairman got him, and it was news to me.  So now I'm scouring all over Europe looking for a new Pope before the transfer deadline."  Harry Rednapp

[Forever Fulham]

I was listening to a radio discussion about the voluntary abdication "for health reasons", and the conversation took an interesting turn.  The reporter segued into the sex abuse scandal, and priest pedophiles, and how weekly attendance at Mass is down to percentages in the teens in Europe, "and even as low as the single digits."  The very knowledgable commentator then mentioned how, ironically, the percentages are higher in U.S and Canada--around 30%.  These are still shockingly low church attendance numbers.  Then followed a discussion of the effects of the scandals on church attendance in Ireland.  And the report stopped there as the interviewer maddeningly said, "Well, we'll have to leave it there," and ended the interview just as it was taking off.  But I thought about how Ratzinger--the least liked Pope in my lifetime--was previously in charge of oversight on the sex scandals, how he is reported to have hoarded all such reports and perhaps put a muzzle on the issue.  Perhaps the evidence was inescapably pointing to him.   I don't know.  But I do think it is smart to "follow the money" in such announcements.  If church attendance is so poor (single digit percentages!!!), then it doesn't take an accountant to guesstimate the impact on the collection plate.  Follow where I'm going with this?  Perhaps the hierarchy has decided we need a new face, someone the people will trust and love and rally around.  Someone to get attendance up, causing more money to flow into the collection plate again.  I had heard the Church's faithful were steadily shrinking in numbers, that the Church was in financial trouble.  Makes you wonder if "poor health" was really why he's suddenly stepping down...

[F(f)CUK]

Just read that any male born and baptised Catholic could be the pope. You can refer to me as "his Holiness" from now on.

[King_Crud]

He wants to spend less time with the children

[..Kya.ffc..]

A highly unusual twist in the Papal saga, as a potential successor to Pope Benedict, Peter Odemwingie, has just arrived at the Vatican!

This made me laugh, very nicely made   064.gif

[Vinnieffc]

I believe the resignation happened despite a vote of confidence from the Boss upstairs..  075.gif

[Bassey the warrior]

One of his egg on face moments:
"the distribution of condoms...aggravates the problems [spread of aids]"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/17/pope-africa-condoms-aids

[Logicalman]

Perhaps this helps explain the reason a little ..


Pope Benedict has a pacemaker, the Vatican confirms



A day after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, the Vatican has acknowledged that the pontiff has had a pacemaker for years.

But Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi reiterated that he was not stepping down because of any specific illness.

His last public appearance will be his final mass in Saint Peter's Square on 27 February, Fr Lombardi said.

The pontiff would have no role in the running of the church after his resignation, he added.

The unexpected development - the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years - surprised governments, Vatican-watchers and even the Pope's closest aides.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 after John Paul II's death.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says that in theory there has never been anything stopping Pope Benedict or any of his predecessors from stepping aside.



... cont (click heading at top).

[The Equalizer]

I'd be inclined to quit too if I did a job where my boss never turned up.