Pope Benedict XVI resigns

After eight years of service as the Pope of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation early Monday, leaving much of the Catholic world in surprise.

“I was very surprised. I never expected him to resign,” said Father John Joseph Meany of the St. Paul Catholic Center. “John Paul was very sick at the end. You know it would have been a good idea to have him resign considering the demands of the office. So, I thought Benedict would do the same thing, die off, because that’s more of the tradition.”

In his official statement, Pope Benedict XVI said, “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.”

While it is rare for the Pope to resign, this resignation is not unprecedented.

“As you know, this is not without precedent,” Archbishop Tobin said in a press release. “The law of the church has provided the possibility of a Pope to resign, but in fact it hasn’t happened for nearly six centuries. And so it’s going to cause some wonderment and anxiety among the people.”

Rev. Meany said the job of the Pope is very demanding with endless meetings, speeches and discussions about important matters.

In his official statement, Pope Benedict XVI said, “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.”

During his press conference, Archbishop Tobin said that while the Pope’s physical health was deteriorating, there was no impairment to his mental health.

“We express gratitude for his eight years of papal service, but also for his years of service to the Catholic Church,” Archbishop Tobin said during his press conference.

Pope Benedict XVI will officially leave office Feb. 28. Following his resignation, the Papal election process, based on centuries of tradition, will begin.

What’s next?

Many Catholics and non-Catholics are wondering what’s next for the Church at large. Logistically, how will the next Pope be chosen?

The time between a Pope’s death or resignation is called the “Interregnum.” Until a new Pope is elected, no changes to Church governance are allowed, as the Interregnum is a period largely focused on the election of the new Catholic leader.

Fifteen to 20 days following a Pope’s death or resignation, a conclave of the College of Cardinals is called to elect the new Pope.  Voting for Pope Benedict XVI’s successor will begin March 1. Cardinals younger than 80 are eligible to vote. Currently, there are 118 cardinals who qualify. There are 67 who were appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. Those eligible are sequestered in Vatican City and meet four times a day, with two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon, to vote on the potential successor.  A two-thirds-plus majority is required to elect a new Pope to the seat. Technically, any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible for election. However, only Cardinals have been elected since 1378.

After each round of voting, the ballots are burned. Smoke wafts out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney — if it’s white, a new Pope has been elected, and he has accepted. If the smoke is black, no decision has been made. In 2005, when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, there were four votes.