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To: Salvation
I am quitting being a Catholic. You know when things get tough my priest has always said that I could endure with the teaching of mother church.

My faith would carry me.

Benedict is a quitter and I will never go back to church again.

We say a prayer every time at mass for the Pope and those who would take up the priesthood. I did not think we would want quitters and those who do not accept the task God presents them.

Never not once did I think the Pope would resign.

This is not a joke. I am no longer a Catholic.

4 posted on 02/17/2013 7:22:23 PM PST by highpockets
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To: highpockets

You are always a Catholic and will have to answer for your statements at the moment of your death when you meet Christ.

While you are alive Christ is total mercy; at the moment of your death Christ is total justice.

Please go in and talk to a theologian about this....not just your parish priest.

On one of the threads, someone quoted a news story about how Benedict’s tailors had to downsize his vestments since he had lost so much weight.

I suspect he may die sooon. Then what will you say?


6 posted on 02/17/2013 7:28:44 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: highpockets

I’m curious - why quit Catholicism altogether, highp? I’m still confused by his leaving. But it seems Benedict isn’t quitting the Church, just the office.


7 posted on 02/17/2013 7:29:17 PM PST by ReaganGeneration2
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To: highpockets
“I am quitting being a Catholic... Benedict is a quitter and I will never go back to church again.”

How you choose to live your life is your decision. Faith must come from within.

Pope Benedict made a wise and humble decision. There is no reason for him to continue the responsibilities of his office if age and ill health limit his abilities. I am moved by his honesty in admitting his human frailty. He is truly a holy man.

Benedict will continue to practice his faith. He is not quitting that.

You are the one quitting your faith. You are the quitter. I wish you wouldn't call Benedict a quitter.

10 posted on 02/17/2013 7:45:01 PM PST by detective
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To: highpockets
Did you read the article? The Pope didn't quit because things were too tough for him to take, and he was somehow scared, personally. He recognized that the Church needed someone who is stronger than he to take Her through the tough times ahead.

Pope Benedict understands that he is not the Church, and that stepping aside to allow the Holy Spirit to bring forth another to take his place would be the best thing for the Church. Staying in office beyond the time his body and mind could be strong enough to withstand the attacks would not be the best for Jesus's Church, and Benedict knows that JESUS is the priority, not himself, as the person sitting in the Seat of Peter.

It was a selfLESS decision, not a selfish one.

11 posted on 02/17/2013 7:45:34 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: highpockets
If this is what chased you away from your Catholic faith, then I really question how serious you were in the first place.

The Catholic Church is not a cult of personality tied to the man who serves as Christ's representative on earth. Go back through history and see how many times the Catholic Church was truly in distress: times when popes were imprisoned, when two or three different men claimed to be the "real" pope, etc.

On top of all that, keep in mind that this is the first time in the history of the human race when people routinely live to the age of 90 or 100 years old. If Pope Benedict XVI was well aware that he had a medical condition that presented a serious threat to his ability to serve (think of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease, for example), would you really want him to continue serving just so that you wouldn't look upon him as a "quitter?"

I think it's time for you to grow up and take a good, hard look at yourself.

12 posted on 02/17/2013 7:57:37 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul.")
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To: highpockets

The Pope is Peter, “This Rock,” and is the focal point for the continuation of Christ’s Church. But the individual Pope is not the Church; otherwise, there would have been no Pope after St Peter.

We have had many bad popes, many indifferent popes, and a few saintly popes. We have had 265 Popes since St Peter, but the Church is still with us. Most of the popes died in office; some of the early popes died in the salt mines during the persecutions, some died at the hands of national powers, some died in disgraceful circumstances, and some died at the hands of corrupt clergy in their own households. But the Church is still with us.

Our Lord only promised that the Church, His Church, would endure, not that an individual Pope would be with us forever. BXVI is leaving for a good reason: I don’t know if you saw his last mass, but he had to be helped from point to point by people on either side of him and I doubt that he is going to live much longer.

I don’t know what medical problem he has, but it has become very acute in the last few months and he has changed enormously. He is frail and out of breath and is barely audible when he speaks. His mind seems to be just fine, judging by the addresses he has given in the last few days, but his body simply is not holding up.

Rather than let the Church grind to a halt while he dies, during a time when the Church has rarely been under more pressure, both from the left and from Islam, he has decided that the times are so urgent that someone physically capable of dealing with it must be called out of the ranks to lead the battle.

I think that is an honorable and good thing and God will reward his faithful servant as He should.


19 posted on 02/17/2013 8:35:54 PM PST by livius
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To: highpockets

It seems that the man is blind in one eye and has little hearing in one ear. You would carry on?


20 posted on 02/17/2013 8:39:49 PM PST by RobbyS (Christus rex.)
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To: highpockets

You just looking for an out?...


21 posted on 02/17/2013 8:39:49 PM PST by oust the louse (You need your parents signature to go on a school field trip but not to get an abortion.)
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To: highpockets

As far as I can tell he was the 5th oldest Pope at his election in 2005, the fourth oldest one was elected in 1730. If he passed today he would be the fourth oldest Pope ever. Out of 265.

Freegards


26 posted on 02/17/2013 9:00:54 PM PST by Ransomed
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To: highpockets

The Pope has that much influence on your faith?

That’s like saying you won’t use a product you’ve used for 50 years, because the current CEO left before his contract was up.

The product is the same.

Your local Bishop has more say about what goes on in your church than the guy in Rome.


28 posted on 02/17/2013 9:03:48 PM PST by Vermont Lt (Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?)
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To: highpockets

((((Hugs))))Easy to say but look to The eternal Christ.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/17/us-pope-resignation-appearance-idUSBRE91G04J20130217”Peter Seewald, a German journalist who wrote a book with the pope in 2010 in which Benedict first floated the possibility of resigning, visited him again about 10 weeks ago.

“His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn’t see with his left eye. His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes ... I’d never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down,” Seewald said.”


33 posted on 02/17/2013 9:21:01 PM PST by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
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To: highpockets
Never not once did I think the Pope would resign.

Consider for a moment that perhaps Pope Benedict is wiser than you or I and that his judgement is better than yours or mine.

I don't think that requires too great a stretch.

38 posted on 02/17/2013 10:06:39 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: highpockets

I am of the Lutheran heritage. There have been doctrinal and behavioral differences with the Catholic church/faith during my lifetime. In all my years I still maintained a very friendly relationship with many Catholic friends. Of particular heart for me was my friends faith in their Catholic beliefs and the leadership of the Pope. I do not understand your attitude towards your church because the Pope recognizes the need for a more physically stronger person to carry on the enormous tasks for leading the Catholic Church.


41 posted on 02/17/2013 10:37:39 PM PST by noinfringers2
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To: highpockets
Benedict is a quitter

I think I understand that feeling. Even though I could understand and respect the decision from an intellectual standpoint, underneath it all my gut-level emotions for the first few days were still telling me that this was quitting.

Then I watched Benedict on Ash Wednesday. As I wiped my tears I had to admit a few things to myself. First, I've noticed for the past year or so that he seems to be having neurological difficulties. And on Ash Wednesday he looked much worse. So I had to admit that I've been in denial. Not wanting to acknowledge what I've observed for a long time: He's deteriorating. Quickly. I have such an affection for Benedict (won't bore you with the reasons). I just didn't want to admit to myself that we won't have him for decades as we did John Paul.

Second, I had to admit that I was still honestly disappointed. But in whom? It was easy to project my feelings onto Benedict. To see him as not fulfilling his role. But who was I to say that? Does he take direction from me? Or from the Holy Spirit? If it's the latter, then it really isn't Benedict I'm disappointed in. It's the Holy Spirit. It's God. Do you see how arrogant and judgmental I can be? To think I know what God should do in His Church? To think I know better than Benedict whether it's best to delegate his responsibilities or relinquish them altogether?

Third, I realized that if I have trusted that Benedict has followed the lead of the Holy Spirit all these years in exercising his role as Supreme Pontiff, then I have to trust that he's done so before, during, and after the announcement of his decision to step down. That's been very comforting to me.

I don't know if my experience is similar to yours in any way. I just thought I'd share with you the way I came to terms with the announcement. And tell you that you aren't alone in your reaction of disappointment. I hope you stay in the Church. I will pray for you :) Please pray for me too! May the Holy Spirit give you His comfort and His peace.

42 posted on 02/17/2013 10:55:31 PM PST by PeevedPatriot
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To: highpockets
"This is not a joke. I am no longer a Catholic."

Good, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

The sooner all those who don't really believe the Holy Spirit guides the One Holy,Catholic, and Apostolic Church Jesus Christ Himself founded, are all gone, the better. The Jews refuse to believe Christ because He didn't measure up to their expectations and people who think the Pope and/or the Church don't measure up to their expectations have a good example to follow, the Pharisees.

I'm sure those who don't mind the pews being full cafeteria food addicts feel differently.
Especially the folks who seem to think keeping foxes snug and warm in the hen house is an act of Charity.
43 posted on 02/17/2013 11:58:57 PM PST by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: highpockets

Why are you quiting?

Pope B16 is not quiting, he is simply coming to terms with the reality that he has to give thanks to God just to be able to put his two feet unto the floor each motning. When one is in one’s 80’s just being ALIVE each new day is a blessing. He could be dealing with health issues and seeing Blessed JP2 suffer from ill health while still Pope may very well has haunted him and wants peace and quit in what remains with his life.


45 posted on 02/18/2013 3:06:31 AM PST by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: highpockets

Good grief. You’re the quitter — not the Pope. How shallow your faith must be.


48 posted on 02/18/2013 3:50:00 AM PST by WashingtonSource
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To: highpockets

I sincerely hope that you follow what you yourself have written on your profile page: “... everytime I have an understanding of a given problem another poster provides insight I had not considered. I am not always openminded, but the wealth of experience and knowledge shared helps to change or modify my positon(sic).”

Perhaps you should consider that the Holy Father, Benedict, was led by the Holy Spirit to make this decision. That is what many faithful Catholics believe. They believe that it was WISDOM that led to this decision.

PS. It is clear that he did NOT *quit* the Church. He loves the Church and has done much to help the Church.


57 posted on 02/18/2013 6:02:28 AM PST by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo....Sum Pro Vita - Modified Descartes)
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To: highpockets
Benedict is a quitter and I will never go back to church againNever not once did I think the Pope would resign. This is not a joke. I am no longer a Catholic.

Benedict is an old man and he realized thet he couldn't continue to do the job...I didn't think that he would resign either.....until I looked at myself. I am 74 and active, but I certainly wouldn't be able to handle the job of being Pope.

as far as your statement that you are no longer a Catholic....yes you are, you will always be a Catholic...get your act together, repent of your nonsense, and come home!!!

68 posted on 02/21/2013 9:39:48 PM PST by terycarl
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To: highpockets

“quitter” is a word from vernacular of the world of American sports. More precisely, thug sports. The Pope is not a jock!


70 posted on 02/21/2013 9:54:22 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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