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.

[SVTCobra03]

Actually, the next pope will be Petrus Romanus, the False Prophet who will introduce the Beast to the world. End Times events are accelerating.

[TomGuy]

I bet the jockeying for position is in full flow, no friends there when it comes to getting the top job, its like any office, they’d eat their own foot off to get the job, groups will form and the bargaining begins

I've been watching The Borgias on Showtime, and it can get vicious -- almost like House of Cards on Netflix.

:)

Politics and power.

[garbanzo]

It was just yesterday I was in a bookstore looking at a book about the life of Celestine V, the last pope to voluntarily resign.

[TSgt]

My heart doesn’t bleed for pedophiles or those who protect them.

[jboot]

When I first saw this I prayed it was not true. It is deeply troubling. There are so few voices for orthodoxy left in leadership, be they Catholic or Protestant. B16 was a lion among simpering sheep. He will be sorely missed.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

If true, that was Gregory XII who was one of three popes. He resigned essentially so there could be one pope. (so sayeth google)

Not to question google, but, although there were three men claiming to be the pope, only one would be the true pope. The other two would be regarded by Catholics as "anti popes."

In every era, there are oddballs who claim to be pope. That wasn't the case in the 1400s, where the true papal succession was controversial.

[paterfamilias]

“Benedict isn’t slavic....”

Yes, I am aware of that.

“Windswept House” was a novel of intrigue that Martin described as “faction.”

“The Slavic Pope” was a thinly veiled reference to John Paul II, who was Polish, Poland being one of the Slavic nations.

[mnehring]

You are right. We’ve had 3 African Popes. Pope Gelasius I (492, Berber North African), Pope Miltiades (314, African but no details as to what part), & Pope Victor I (189, Roman African Provinces which could stretch from Libya to Ethopia).

[mnehring]

Forgot to add that Pope Victor I was generally called the first Black African pope.

[fatima]

Hi CatherineofAragon,Pope Benedict did not say that.I don’t have a link I just remember reading it.If someone reminds me I’ll ping you.

[fatima]

I read that one too.Bad source.

[mnehring]

Actually, the next pope will be Petrus Romanus, the False Prophet who will introduce the Beast to the world. End Times events are accelerating.

I hope the next one will be George the Ethiopian or something like that so the History(sic) channel and websites can stop pushing these Nostradamus crackpot prophecies(sic)

[ELS]

NNNOOOOOOO!! :-(

[NCC-1701]

“...Former Popes usually join monasteries....”

Well, in our lifetime, most former Popes are dead. This is a first in our lifetime, a Pope is resigning. Thought I’d never, ever see that. I wish Pope Benedict well with the rest of his life.

[CatherineofAragon]

Thanks, fatima...I appreciate it.

[chickpundit]

I am not Catholic, but I am saddened to hear this. Pope Benedict is a man who wasn’t afraid to uncompromisingly stand for traditional Christian values, no matter how unpopular.

[John W]

Don’t think that one is from Nostradamus.

[Preston Manning]

If there’s a chance that ‘Peter the Roman’ is an Italian, Cardinal Scola might be a good pick.

[NCC-1701]

“...Cardinal Dolan of New York is said to be one possible candidate....”

I read something about Papal succession that said the someone from a superpower country wouldn’t be considered. If true, that would rule Cardinal dolan out.

[Cronos]

With time to reflect, do you think the conclave would be more inclined toward a younger Pope having a longer tenure or an older Pope having a shorter one? (Recognizing, of course, that God can call any of us home at any time.)

Frankly, I don't think we can predict anything. The conclave's have shocked before -- who would have thought that a SLAVIC Pope from a communist country would be made Pope? And who would have thought that a 78 year old, tired cardinal would be made Pope? One thing is sure -- God will laugh at all our predictions :P

And, the question already asked about the conclave, is there a group(s) within the church known for their spirituality who could give insight into the actual needs of the church?

Well, the majority of Cardinals are conservative selections by Pope JPII or Benedict. At the end, as I said above, it really is the Holy Spirit which directs the conclave - one can't give any other reason for the past 2 popes. I believe that the next Pope and the Pope after that should continue in the same vein as JP II and BXIV -- knocking out the liberals, bringing the Catholics closer to the Orthodox and the Oriental Churches by emphasising the first among equals nature of the Western Patriarchate and tossing away a lot of the medieval baggage. This will help in rapprochements with other Christian brethren. Also, Pope Benedict was tough -- not tough physically, but spiritually and mentally. I look forward to a Pope who is both -- and my hopes rest on Cardinal Turkson