Free Republic

Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, director of the Vatican Press Office, met today with reporters to answer questions concerning yesterday’s surprising announcement of the Holy Father’s impending resignation. Catholic News Service has a very thorough report on the meeting, which yielded many interesting details about Pope Benedict’s decision and what the coming weeks will hold; that story can be read here. Vatican Radio’s report on Lombardi’s remarks is here. Some items of particular interest: — Father Lombardi confirmed that Pope Benedict has a pacemaker, and that it was put in before his election to the papacy. He also confirmed that Benedict...

ROME — A day after Pope Benedict XVI stunned Roman Catholics by announcing that he would resign at the end of the month, the Vatican disclosed new details about his physical well-being on Tuesday, saying he had been fitted with a heart pacemaker a decade ago but that had not influenced his decision to become the first pope in almost 600 years to step down. The disclosure about the device, whose existence was not widely known, came as the Vatican grappled with a series of logistical questions raised by a decision that gave Benedict just 17 days to wind up...