Pope Benedict XVI 'is to resign'

BBC ^

[Sub-Driver]

Pope Benedict XVI 'is to resign' Breaking news

The Pope is to resign at the end of this month in an entirely unexpected development, reports from the Vatican say.

[informavoracious]

Cardinal Burke would be a prayer come true!

[Cronos]

turkson is extremely conservative! Hooray!

[M Kehoe]

The Joe Paterno of the Vatican...

Sheesh.

5.56mm

[Perdogg]

GMTA

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I suspect he is severely ill with a disease that he would not like to bear publicly, nor be able to act with, when action is needed.

Hopefully his first thought was to shepherding the best choice of his successor to avoid contention.

[Cronos]

Actually there were African and Syrian Popes in the first centuries. I think one of the early Popes was also a black African (Nubian) as opposed to the Greek or Berber North African popes

[cardinal4]

My money is on an African. And no it is not ghoulish to speculate. Conclave, of which I have witnessed two, (I lived in Roma from 1976-1979, an era of three Popes) and its secrets breeds speculation..

[TomGuy]

Raymond Arroyo on CNN just said no one was expecting this resignation. NBC reported that the last pope to resign was in the year 1415.

There have been 'rumblings' in the media for a couple of weeks about 'can a Pope resign', etc.

I have a feeling that this has been in the works a while (days, weeks, maybe) and some 'rumors' leaked.

[Cronos]

Turkson is also staunchly against social justice

[mlizzy]

On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous received her first vision of Our Lady of Lourdes. I imagine it is no coincidence that Pope Benedict's announcement comes to us this day... http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-02-11

St. Bernadette, please pray for our German shepherd and the Roman Catholic Church.

[Cronos]

lots, didn’t you read the ones above about resignations?

[NKP_Vet]

“Benedict was a conservative, and good for pro-life Catholics”

The Catholic Church will always be conservative, always pro-life, always for REAL marriage, and will never have woman priests. The reason? The Bible is unchanging. Popes live and die, only the unchanging Holy Word of God remains the same.

[frogjerk]

The Holy Spirit will be invoked and will guide the Church in the election of the next Pope. That is what we believe. That is why there is a conclave.

The absolutely beautiful Litany of the Saints will be sung as the Cardinals enter the conclave once again.

[IrishBrigade]

You’re still an idiot...

...please don’t tell him that...he’ll get a swelled head...

[CatherineofAragon]

I’m not Catholic, but I am curious. Just wondering, do you have a link to the prophecies made about Pope Benedict?

[Happy Rain]

Never heard of Giardini Vatican Sensimilla?

Most potent pot there is and a huge cash crop for the Pontifical Commission...(what, you thought tithes alone kept the randy rascals in booze and broads?)

...plus the "Holy Smoke" exorcises demons;)

[circlecity]

"If he were going to die soon, I don’t think he’d resign."

I would think just the opposite. He would resign to help effect a smooth transition rather than the turmoil as sudden, unexpected death would occasion. Plus, he would get to spend his last days with his God, friends and family apart from the distractions of office.

[virgil]

He’s in his eighties and has had a couple of strokes in the past. No doubt declining health.

[mnehring]

I do not recall one every resigning in my lifetime.

I hope not, last one was in 1415.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Yes, but I wouldn’t call him extremely conservative either.

He has called for taxes on financial transactions in “Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority” was that was very specific, as well as condemning the “idolatry of the markets” and “neo-liberal [economic] thinking”.

http://www.news.va/en/news/full-text-note-on-financial-reform-from-the-pontif Published in October of 2011.