The Pope's resignation speech . . .

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 bark 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

Hope this upcoming election result is 100% better than the US 2012 one!

It doesn’t take much to get the news people going. Last look at the news reports, the following clergy are purported to be in the ‘running’ for the next pope. Time will, of course, tell, but it is interesting to read up on each of them and wonder who will appeal to the voting cardinals as the newly-appointed pope will affect their lot in church life.

Cristoph Schonborn of Austria is on the list. From Italy,Angelo Scola is named as a possibility. Marc Ouellet of Canada is a consideration. I have a good friend and monsignor in Nigeria and know that he and his country would welcome Francis Arinze as the next pope. From Ghana, Peter Appiah Turkson is recognized as a good possibility. Not to be left out, Timothy Dolan from the United States has come into the discussion. One of the conservative talk show hosts just put in his two cents on the possible outcome and suggests Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines.

We will be in the dark about the final vote among the cardinals until after February when Pope Benedict XVI steps down. The world is always full of surprises and we will either be pleased and happily surprised about which of the list is actually elected pope or shocked at the election of a man we never considered. It’s all in God’s own time and we can only pray for the discernment of the cardinals as they vote in this rather historic papal election.

You won't know the time or the place . . .

It was a shock to find out the Pope was stepping down at the end of February. It's been around 600 years since the last time this happened. The first thing that happens are the flurries of speculations of whether this is the end times or not. As I recall, it has been pretty clear that our concept of time is not God's knowledge of time so trying to guess or make educated surmises are a waste of time. These days should be ones of faith in God's touch in our lives. We shouldn't be trying to out think God's timeline for us and the world. I'm willing to bet that thousands upon thousands of people will have their personal 'end time' long before the final end of the world. A parishioner asked our pastor this morning if this was a prelude to THE end times and he sighed and said that it had about as much veracity as the end times we were warned about last year. In frustration at events in our life, many are often heard to exclaim, "God only knows!" I think this little exclamation applies to current circumstances because it IS only God who knows!

Being aware of this and abiding by the knowledge doesn't stop the rumors from flying. One person said this is coming about because we didn't consecrate Russia to the Blessed Mother. When this event was questioned, I believe they went directly to Sister Lucia of Fatima who confirmed that it had been done correctly. Naturally, the nay sayers said the information from Sister Lucia hadn't been truthfully transmitted.

Others are nodding sagely and saying that the successor of Pope Benedict XVI will be the last pope of all time. Some even go as far as to say the last pope will be the Antichrist. So, how do they know and why are they the privileged ones to be receptors of this information?

Some religions are sure that this as yet unnamed pope will not only be the last pope but the Antichrist. At one time, they also thought that Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II would plotting together to form a one-world religion. I'm pretty sure it didn't happen!

Whenever there is a major change in the world, people panic and start digging up reasons to explain it. Personally, I don't know if the end times are on the horizon and I wouldn't dare to state an opinion on that as an option for our seemingly limited future. Aside from prayer and sacrifice during the upcoming Lent, my only plans for the future are to live my life the best I can until my time here on earth is done.

Lately, the world is not a great place. Sin has replaced modesty, religion, and common sense. Instead of worrying about the last days, we might make the best of each day as if it were to be our last. Prayer turns hearts to a higher level.

Placing bets on the new pope . . . already?

I guess it isn't quite so bad betting on the outcome of the next papal election as we aren't in mourning for a recently deceased pope . . . but . . . still . . .

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/11/pope-resigns-betting-idUSL5N0BBF9X20130211

Pope Benedict . . .

When people of faith make decisions, they pray and find examples . . .

http://www.taylormarshall.com/2010/07/pope-benedict-xvis-new-devotion-to-pope.html

Prayers for Pope Benedict XVI

It was with great sadness that I read the news, this morning, that Pope Benedict will be resigning the end of this month. In our strange and changing world, another odd occurrence seems to be part of it. I can understand his reasons of health but it feels like a real blow.  A lot of prayer needed to insure we have a successor that will hold up the precepts of our Faith as well and as diligently as Pope Benedict. I'm happy that he will find some rest from the enormous duties of overseeing the Catholic Church but will miss his guiding hand in our world. God bless him for all he has done for us and God bless him in his well-deserved retirement.

There have been so many firsts in our world over the last few years and nothing should surprise us . . . but, yet, we continue to be surprised and wonder at God's Hand in all this and how things will all work out. No time to stop praying but to increase those prayers.

“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. http://www.lifenews.com/2013/02/11/pro-life-pope-benedict-xvi-resigns-citing-poor-health-concerns/