NOT being able to resist bit of drama myself, I have also included video of the Vatican being hit by lightning the evening of the Pope's annoucement he is resigning at the end of this post. God's commentary or nature? You decide. This from NPR.....
The names of African cardinals are popping up as possible contenders to succeed Pope Benedict as head of the Roman Catholic Church when steps down at the end of the month.
The Mary Mother of Good Council School is one of a number of respected Roman Catholic schools overseen by the archdiocese of Accra, the capital of the West African nation of Ghana. Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, who trained as a priest at pontifical universities in Rome, is upbeat about the continent's contribution to the Catholic Church.
"The pope himself said that he considered Africa the spiritual lungs of humanity," Palmer-Buckle said, "which means that the pope has a lot of expectation that Africa has something to offer humanity, to give humanity a good breath of life."
With more than 150 million Catholics in Africa and counting, the continent is the fastest growing region for Catholicism in the world. Global bookies are putting the odds on the next Catholic pontiff coming perhaps from Africa.
"Many people look to Africa because that's the place where the church is growing and is very lively," says Father Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. "What we really need is someone who can deal with the problems of the church, which are in Europe and the United States. So I think that argument is going to go on during the conclave."
The conclave is the gathering of cardinals under 80 who will vote to elect a new pope. Names that keep cropping up as possible African candidates include 80-year-old Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria and Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson. At 64, Turkson is youngish by Vatican standards, but he already has considerable experience running an archdiocese. In 2009, the pope appointed him to head the influential Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Related NPR Stories
"Every ordained bishop can be the next pope," Turkson told the BBC. "In that sense, as long as I'm a bishop and a cardinal, I'm a candidate with all the cardinals and bishops around the world."
Turkson said that as the church looks for leadership, it could come from Africa, Latin America or Asia, but that ultimately "we leave it to God to give to the church the leader that would best serve humanity and the task of the church in history."
After Mass in Accra, Ghana, this week, Catholic worshippers shared their views about the possibility of an African becoming pope.
"Considering the fact that the Catholic Church has a lot of hope in Africa, I think there's a very big possibility of us getting an African pope," Marilyn Ofori said. "I think he'll make a lot of difference and then use our African values as well to better the Catholic Church."
HERE are the videos of lightning striking the Vatican.....
Lightning strikes the Vatican -- literally
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/02/12/lightning-bolt-strikes-vatican-pope-benedict-resignation/1913095/
Papal prank? Or did lightning really hit the Vatican?
I know the pope has connections, but this is extraordinary!
An apparent photo of a lightning bolt striking St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican Monday night (left) -- the same day that Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, stunning the world -- has gone viral.
Filippo Monteforte, a photographer with Agence France Press, told England's Daily Mirror that "I took the picture from St. Peter's Square while sheltered by the columns. It was icy cold and raining sheets. When the storm started, I thought that lightning might strike the rod, so I decided it was worth seeing whether – if it DID strike – I could get the shot at exactly the right moment."
Monteforte waited for more than two hours and was rewarded for his patience with not one but two bolts, the Mirror reported.
But could it be fake? One expert, AccuWeather meteorologist and lightning photographer Jesse Ferrell, thinks it's real. In addition to the account from Monteforte -- a trusted and well-known photographer -- Ferrell sees telltale signs of a genuine lightning strike.
"I believe the photo is plausible, and since it was taken by a professional, with potential video to back it up, I'd say that the photo is legitimate," Ferrell writes on his blog.
Also, he notes that thunderstorms were present in Rome Monday afternoon, according to several Facebook users.
What's a bit spooky, Ferrell says, is "that it doesn't appear from a Google Image Search that a similar image has ever been captured before...."
Lightning has a long, symbolic history in the Italian capital, even predating the Catholic Church: "In Rome, from before 300 B.C. to as late as the fourth century, A.D., the College of Augurs, composed of distinguished Roman citizens, was charged with the responsibility of determining the wishes of Jupiter relative to state affairs," writes engineer and lightning expert Martin A. Uman in his book Lightning Discharge.
"This was accomplished," Uman writes, "by making observations of three classes of objects in the sky: birds, meteors, and lightning. In the case of the latter, the observation was always made while looking south, and the location of the lightning relative to the direction of observation was taken as a sign of Jupiter's approval -- or disapproval."
On average, according to Uman in his book All About Lightning, there are about 8 million lightning strikes each day around the world.
Pope Benedict XVI To Resign On Feb. 28 Due To Health Concerns
11 FEB 13
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resi_n_2660670.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=021113&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FeaturePhoto&utm_term=Daily%20Brief
The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI will resign on Feb. 28, The Associated Press reported. The 85-year-old pope announced the decision on Monday, and cited health concerns as the reason for his departure.
Here's more from The Associated Press:
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign on Feb. 28 because he was simply too infirm to carry on — the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.
The 85-year-old pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning.
He emphasized that carrying out the duties of being pope — the leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide — requires "both strength of mind and body."
"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," he told the cardinals. "I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by 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 St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths 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 last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.
Benedict called his choice "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."
The move sets the stage for the Vatican to hold a conclave to elect a new pope by mid-March, since the traditional mourning time that would follow the death of a pope doesn't have to be observed.
There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner — the same situation when Benedict was elected pontiff in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.
When Benedict was elected pope at age 78 — already the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years — he had been already planning to retire as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the "peace and quiet" of his native Bavaria.
Contenders to be his successor include Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the archbishop of Vienna, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican's office for bishops.
Longshots include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Although Dolan is popular and backs the pope's conservative line, the general thinking is that the Catholic Church doesn't need a pope from a "superpower."
All cardinals under age 80 are allowed to vote in the conclave, the secret meeting held in the Sistine Chapel where cardinals cast ballots to elect a new pope. As per tradition, the ballots are burned after each voting round; black smoke that snakes out of the chimney means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke means a pope has been elected.
Popes are allowed to resign; church law specifies only that the resignation be "freely made and properly manifested."
Only a handful have done so, however and there's good reason why it hasn't become commonplace: Might the existence of two popes — even when one has stepped down — lead to divisions and instability in the church? Might a new resignation precedent lead to pressures on future popes to quit at the slightest hint of infirmity?
Benedict himself raised the possibility of resigning if he were simply too old or sick to continue on in 2010, when he was interviewed for the book "Light of the World."
"If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said.
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy.
___
Daniela Petroff contributed from Vatican City.
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10:45 PM – 02/12/2013
Pope's Brother Says Benedict XVI Won't Return Home
AP reports:
REGENSBURG, Germany — Pope Benedict XVI is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month but may stand ready to advise his successor if asked, his brother said Tuesday after talking with the pontiff.Speaking to reporters at his home in the southern German city of Regensburg, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who was ordained on the same day in 1951 as his brother Joseph, said he didn't expect Benedict's continued presence in the Vatican to intimidate the next pope.
Continue reading here.
9:46 PM – 02/12/2013
The Latest Betting Line On The Next Pope
Keith Thomson writes in a blog post:
Much is at stake with the selection of Pope Benedict XVI's successor, including a lot of money. Paddy Power, Europe's largest bookmaker, has already taken more than £100,000 in bets, and expects to see multi-million-pound action closer to next month's conclave at the Sistine Chapel.While Las Vegas casinos refuse to accept such bets for reasons of "taste," Paddy Power is one of several major international bookmakers currently offering papal markets, not only on who will be the next pope, but what papal name he'll choose, his country of origin, and the length of the papal conclave, among others.
Continue reading here.
6:09 PM – 02/12/2013
Topless Feminists Hail Pope Benedict's ResignationA group of topless activists scandalized visitors at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday by disrobing in public to celebrate Pope Benedict XVI's resignation.The small group of women, all affiliated with radical feminist group FEMEN, flashed their breasts and banged on bells in the cathedral, shouting slogans such as, "Bye Bye Benedict" and "No more homophobe," according to the Agence France-Presse.
Continue reading here.
6:06 PM – 02/12/2013
With Pope Benedict's Resignation, Gay Rights Advocates Hope For Change
HuffPost's Lila Shapiro reports:
Jeannine Gramick, a Roman Catholic nun and co-founder of a U.S. ministry for gay and lesbian Catholics, met Pope Benedict XVI only once, by chance, on a plane flying from Baltimore to Rome in the late-'90s. Because of her work with the lesbian and gay community, Gramick had by then been under investigation by the Vatican for more than two decades.The encounter was serendipitous, Gramick recalled Monday after hearing news of Benedict's resignation. Gramick and leaders at her ministry had been worried that she would be excommunicated. She was traveling with the head of her order to Munich, via Rome, to pray that she would keep her place in the church. When she boarded the plane, she saw Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became pope, sitting with two empty seats beside him. She mustered her courage and sat next to him. "When he found out who I was, he just smiled and said 'Oh, I've known about you for 20 years,'" she said.
Continue reading here.
5:52 PM – 02/12/2013
Nuns Pray Inside St. Peter's Basilica
Nuns pray inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. With a few words in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation Monday and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its 1 billion followers by Easter. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
5:24 PM – 02/12/2013
Vatican Plans Big Send-Off For Pope Benedict XVI
Reuters reports:
VATICAN CITY, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Cardinals around the world began informal contacts to discuss who should next lead the Church through a period of major crisis and the Vatican said it planned a big send-off for Pope Benedict before he becomes the first pontiff in centuries to resign.At a Tuesday news conference on how the pope plans to spend the next two weeks before he steps out of the limelight, the Vatican also disclosed that the 85-year-old Benedict has been wearing a pacemaker since before he was elected pope in 2005.
Continue reading here.
5:10 PM – 02/12/2013
Cardinal Seán O'Malley, OFM, Cap: Pope Benedict Was Committed To Ensure Abuse Would Not Be Repeated
Yesterday morning the Church and the world learned that Pope Benedict XVI, following an extended period of prayer and reflection, discerned that he would resign the papacy at the end of this month. This news certainly came as a great surprise to all of us. It would be reasonable to consider that the Holy Father's advancing age and the responsibilities of being the leader for more than one billion Catholics, including the demands of extensive international travel, played a central role in his decision. We join the universal Church in offering prayerful gratitude for the Holy Father's faith, courage and his leadership as the successor of Peter.
At this time it is appropriate for the Church and all people of good faith to reflect on Pope Benedict's legacy and achievements. He brought unique capabilities to the papacy as a highly qualified scholar and teacher, and as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in service to Blessed John Paul II. His fidelity to maintaining the truth and clarity of the Catholic faith, to cultivating ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and in reaching out to inspire the next generation of Catholics have been great gifts to us all.
During the course of the past eight years Pope Benedict embraced the papacy with the heart of a kind and caring shepherd, always holding the spiritual and pastoral care of the people of God to be the highest priority. The Holy Father also generously used his superior intellectual gifts, well established through his reputation as a renowned scholar, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church with people from all walks of life throughout the world. He guided the Church through unprecedented challenges, always finding strength in Jesus' promise to be with us always, and led a world-wide renewal of evangelization that will influence the Catholicism for generations to come.
The Archdiocese of Boston in particular has been greatly blessed by Pope Benedict's care and concern.In all of my conversations with him he has always asked me to assure this local Church of his prayers and encouragement. I will always hold the Holy Father's 2008 meeting with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and our presentation of the Book of Names of living and deceased survivors, as one of the most powerful experiences of my life and priesthood.
His overwhelming sorrow that such heinous crimes were perpetrated on the survivors and his heartfelt expression of love and concern were deeply moving, as was his absolute commitment that the abuse never be repeated and that the Church maintain her vigilance to do everything possible to insure the safety of children.
While there will be much speculation in the days and weeks ahead regarding who will follow the Holy Father to the Chair of Peter, at this moment we are called to reflect on Pope Benedict's leadership; offering prayers of gratitude for this servant of Christ who so dearly loves all of God's people. At this extraordinary moment in the life of the Church, we pray for the wisdom and grace of the Holy Spirit and the strength given by our Lord, who, assures us that he will be with us always.
4:58 PM – 02/12/2013
Cardindal Francis Arinze: 'We Know You Have Done This For The Love Of The Church'
Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship, releases a statement:
3:32 PM – 02/12/2013
The State of Catholic-Jewish Relations During Pope Benedict XVI
Rabbi Burton Visotzky, director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Jewish Theological Seminary, discusses the positive state of Jewish-Catholic relations under Pope Benedict XVI's leadership and his hopes for the future.
3:17 PM – 02/12/2013
The Monastery Where The Pope Is Expected To Live After He Resigns
A view of the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, right, next to the Tower of San Giovanni, inside the Vatican State where Pope Benedict XVI is expected to live after he resigns, on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. For months, construction crews have been renovating a four-story building attached to a monastery on the northern edge of the Vatican gardens where nuns would live for a few years at a time in cloister. Only a handful of Vatican officials knew it would one day be Pope Benedict XVI's retirement home. On Tuesday, construction materials littered the front lawn of the house and plastic tubing snaked down from the top floor to a dump truck as the restoration deadline became ever more critical following Benedict's stunning announcement that he would resign Feb. 28 and live his remaining days in prayer. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
3:15 PM – 02/12/2013
FEMEN Protest Against Pope Benedict XVI
Activists of the Women's Movement FEMEN, protest against the Pope Benedict XVI who announced his resignation yesterday, in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
2:56 PM – 02/12/2013
The Missing Element From The Conversation On Benedict's Resignation
Andreas Widmer writes in a blog post:
The Vatican moves very slowly -- they measure time in centuries, not years. Thus the news from Pope Benedict of his impending resignation during the last stretch of his seventh year as pope struck the public like lightning."Shocking! Unbelievable!" was the sentiment that came to mind when I (and I presume you) first learned of Pope Benedict's abdication.This reaction is a natural initial response -- but there's a lot more to the story. The mainstream discussion about Benedict's decision is a regrettable oversimplification. We don't do justice to this important announcement declaring the pontificate a failure and proceeding to a guessing game of "who's the next pope."Before we move on, we need to stop and reflect on what just happened -- not just in the past seven years, but the last 70 years. Upon closer examination of the facts, observers will see that this was a strategic decision, and not one done in a moment of weakness or despair.
Continue reading here.
2:12 PM – 02/12/2013
Pope's Resignation Inspires Humor
Agence France Presse reports:
French President Francois Hollande had his knuckles rapped for it but most of Europe felt free Tuesday to start cracking jokes about Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, sometimes with a sharp anti-clerical edge.The paedophilia scandal that has engulfed the Roman Catholic church in recent years ensured many of the quips flooding the Twittersphere and some of the cartoons published online and in newspapers across the continent had a dark theme.
Continue reading here.
12:47 PM – 02/12/2013
St. Peter's Basilica
Media gather in front of St. Peter's Basilica, at The Vatican, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. With a few words in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation Monday and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its 1 billion followers by Easter. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
12:42 PM – 02/12/2013
Pope Benedict's Abdication Shows Strength In Weakness
Kim Daniels, director of Catholic Voices USA writes:
Catholics mark our year with feasts and fasts, times of repentance and times of rejoicing. Our calendar sets the rhythm of Catholic life. Given that, it's no accident that Pope Benedict XVI announced his abdication on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, patron saint of the sick.Those focusing on papal politics miss the real story. With his resignation Pope Benedict -- arguably one of the most powerful people in the world -- has chosen to give up that temporal power to align himself with the sick, the weak, the frail. In doing so he's affirming the central Christian truth that "when I am weak, then I am strong."
Continue reading here.
12:38 PM – 02/12/2013
Latin American Pope? Odds Are Slim
AP reports:
MEXICO CITY -- Latin America is home to the world's largest Roman Catholic population, but hopes that the next pope will come from the region appear faint, experts said Monday.The predominance of Europeans on the College of Cardinals means that the odds are stacked against a Latin American pope, even though the names of a number of high-ranking churchmen from the region have been bandied about, analysts said. The 118-member college, with 62 European members and only 19 from Latin America, will elect a successor for Pope Benedict XVI, who announced Monday he will resign due to age.
Continue reading here.
12:36 PM – 02/12/2013
Pope Benedict's Legacy In Ireland
David Quinn, director of the Iona Institute, writes in a blog post:
As the Pope himself admits, he had his flaws and he made mistakes, but he was and is undoubtedly a holy man. He should be remembered above all for that.
Continue reading here.
11:49 AM – 02/12/2013
Former Grand Mufti Of Bosnia Releases Statement
Sheikh Mustafa Ceric, the former grand mufti of Bosnia, releases a statement on behalf A Common Word Initiative and the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute:
The news today about H.H. Pope Benedict XVI's resignation at the end of this month (February 2013) after nearly eight years as the successor of St. Peter and head of the Catholic Church was highly noticed by all the Muslims who had dialogue with him. First as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and then Pope Benedict XVI from 2005 to 2013 after John Paul II's death, he will be remembered as a foremost Catholic theologian and a sincere pastor for the Catholic faithful.Although initially hurt by his remarks about Islam on September 12, 2006, while lecturing on "Faith, Reason and the University" at the University of Regensburg, Germany, Muslim Scholars appreciated his apology afterwards and his subsequent friendly visits to Islamic countries and mosques, particularly the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Continue reading here.
11:27 AM – 02/12/2013
How Traditional Pope Benedict Is Redefining The Papacy
Religion News Service reports:
Pope Benedict XVI came into office with the reputation of a conservative hard-liner, a vigorous defender of orthodoxy who wanted to restore Tradition -- yes, with a capital "T"_ to a church that was seen as disturbingly undisciplined.Yet with the stunning announcement that he is resigning as the 264th successor to Saint Peter, Benedict may wind up fundamentally changing the way the church and the world view the papacy.
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10:44 AM – 02/12/2013
Timothy Cardinal Dolan: The Splendid Pope Benedict XVI Will Have A Worthy SuccessorSede vacante: It’s a Latin phrase, and it means, “the chair is empty.”On Monday, the 264th successor of St. Peter, the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, announced that, at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28, the Chair of St. Peter would be empty.For the first time in six centuries, a Pope is resigning.We Catholics cherish symbols. A chair is a symbol, a sign, of authority, unity, wisdom.
Continue reading here.
10:23 AM – 02/12/2013
Vatican: Heart Surgery Did Not Have Any Impact On Decision
Reuters reports:
Father Federico Lombardi [Vatican spokesman] said the batteries on the appliance were replaced three months ago in a minor, routine intervention but that had played no part in persuading the pontiff to take the shock decision to step down."It had no influence on the decision, the reasons were in his perception that his strength had diminished with advancing age," Lombardi told a press briefing at the Vatican.
Continue reading here.
10:02 AM – 02/12/2013
How Will Pope Benedict's Resignation Affect Vatican Tourism
After the Vatican announced Pope Benedict XVI's decision to abdicate as the head of the Catholic Church on Monday, front-page headlines across the world grew a few type sizes. The decision was surprising both for the faithful and for the guides and tour operators of Rome, a deeply tourist-dependent city where the Vatican is arguably the star attraction.
Local tour operators said yesterday that they plan to continue tours as usual, until either massive crowds, which descended during the last papal conclave, or the Vatican's dictates make doing so impossible.
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-- Andrew Burmon
10:00 AM – 02/12/2013
Pope Benedict XVI Had Heart Surgery Less Than Three Months Ago
HuffPost Italy reports:
Less than three months ago, Pope Benedict XVI had heart surgery in the clinic Pius XI in Rome for the replacement of a pacemaker, "in absolute secrecy." This was reported on the front page of ‘Il Sole 24 Ore’in an article by the newspaper editor, Roberto Napoletano.
"The surgery went well," Napoletano said. "The Pope recovered regularly, he never missed an appointment with the Sunday Angelus, showed his usual serenity and good endurance. He was operated by Louis Chiariello, a heart surgeon who studied in the US and director of The University of Rome Tor Vergata. Chiariello has been treating the pulse and heart rates of the Pope for more than 10 years, since when he placed his first pacemaker."
Dr Chiariello “didn’t wanted to confirm the news,” writes Napoletano.“He entrenched behind a barrier of silence.” According to Il sole 24 Ore, before and after the surgery the Pope did not appear either troubled or extremely tired. He didn’t want to miss the appointment with the believers even on the Sunday immediately after the operation and “smiled on the hidden forces of his heart.”
“People close to him, by the way, saw him simply and firmly questioning about his ability to drive – in full force – the boat of St Peter and to proclaim the Gospel with the same courage and the same commitment demonstrated in recent years."
-- Giulia Belardelli
2:16 AM – 02/12/2013
Pros And Cons Of Each Possible Papal Candidate
Over at Business Insider, Michael Brendan Dougherty weighs the odds, and assesses pros and cons of each possible candidate for the papacy.
Cardinal Marc OuelletCountry: CanadaPosition: Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, formerly Archbishop of Quebec.Age: 68Likelihood: Paddy Power ranks him 5/2. He has done missionary work in South America. Last year we said that our money was on Ouellet. His rank among the betters has shot up dramatically.What His Election Would Mean: It's a global Church now. His work in helping to vet and select bishops would give him the ability as pope to dramatically shape the Church for a generation or more.Reasons He'll Get Elected: Most qualified. He speaks English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and German fluently. He has done missionary work in South America.Reasons He Might Not Get Elected: He might decline. (You can decline your election) He has given every indication that papacy is a "crushing responsibility" that he would hesitate to take. Then again, that is exactly what makes him an attractive candidate.
Continue reading here.
1:50 AM – 02/12/2013
Palestinian Catholics Wary Of Pope Benedict's Resignation
The Sydney Morning Herald's Ruth Pollard reports:
He is viewed as the Pope who helped improve relations between the Vatican and Israel, while also providing open support for the recognition of a Palestinian state.As the news of Pope Benedict's retirement spread, Palestinian Catholics expressed their shock at his decision and their fears that it may reduce the authority of the church and the next Pope.“We want the representative of the Holy See to be supportive of the marginalised, of the downtrodden and in this case, the Palestinians who are living under a brutal Israeli occupation,” said Zoughbi Zoughbi, the director of the Wi'am Palestinian Centre for Conflict Resolution.“Anyone who comes into this position [of pope] has the responsibility of correcting injustices in all four corners of the world,” Mr Zoughbi said as he sat with friends in a café in Bethlehem.
Continue reading here.
11:53 PM – 02/11/2013
Archbishop of Canterbury: Pope Benedict, A Witness To The Universal Scope Of The Gospel
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, released the following statement on the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI:
It was with a heavy heart but complete understanding that we learned this morning of Pope Benedict’s declaration of his decision to lay down the burden of ministry as Bishop of Rome, an office which he has held with great dignity, insight and courage. As I prepare to take up office I speak not only for myself, and my predecessors as Archbishop, but for Anglicans around the world, in giving thanks to God for a priestly life utterly dedicated, in word and deed, in prayer and in costly service, to following Christ. He has laid before us something of the meaning of the Petrine ministry of building up the people of God to full maturity.
Continue reading here.
11:38 PM – 02/11/2013
Muslim Leader Praises Pope Benedict | @ nwarikoo : Imam Qazwini, who heads the biggest mosque in Michigan, met with Pope Benedict XVI twice. He said: "I have so much admiration for the Pope." |
10:06 PM – 02/11/2013
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Pope Benedict Leaves An Indelible Mark
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew released the following statement on Pope Benedict's abdication:
It is with regret that we have learned of the decision by His Holiness Pope Benedict to retire from his Throne, because with his wisdom and experience he could have provided much more to the Church and the world.Pope Benedict leaves an indelible mark on the life and history of the Roman Catholic Church, sealed not only by his brief papacy, but also by his broad and longstanding contribution as a theologian and hierarch of his Church, as well as his universally acknowledged prestige.His writings will long speak of his deep theological understanding, through his knowledge of the Fathers of the undivided Church, his familiarity with contemporary reality, and his keen interest in the problems of humankind.
Continue reading here.
h/t @nunblogger
9:21 PM – 02/11/2013
Pope's Benedict's Jewish LegacyPope Benedict XVI shocked the world by announcing his resignation, effective the end of February, and there are many ways to think about the significance of the event, including both the challenges and the opportunities in Catholic-Jewish relations that may come in the decision’s wake.While some Jewish leaders have been troubled over the years by certain comments and actions by the outgoing pontiff, upon close examination, I think we see that there has been little if anything to be disturbed by, and much for which to be quite pleased. In fact, in his relationship to issues relating to Jews and Judaism, Pope Benedict has been, as he has been in regard to so many other matters, a fascinating figure -- deeply principled and highly intellectual, if sometimes frustrating in his seeming to be less than fully aware of the full emotional and public relations implications of some of his words and deeds.
Continue reading here.
