In the Wake of the Resignation from the Papacy of Pope Benedict XVI

“It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength.” Pope Benedict the XVI wrote this in “God is Love” which was published a mere eight months after he assumed office as the leader of Catholics around the world in 2005. In the book, “Light of the World,” he expressed his views on the necessity of resigning from office should a pope realize his inability to continue fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities due to physical, spiritual, and psychological limitations. On February 11, 2013 during World Day of the Sick, a holy day for the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI publicly announced his resignation and cited declining health as the reason for his decision to leave the Papacy. His official statement reads thus in part: “…that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”

Pope Benedict XVI who was born Joseph Ratzinger, announced his resignation from the Sala del Concistoro during the early morning gathering for the observance of the Consistory for the canonization of the martyrs of Otranto. He delivered the message in Latin to a stunned congregation and added that he dedicate what remains of his life in prayer.

Shocked response

In the wake of the events that followed, many are saying that the signs were already there. Though it was not openly predicted, there already were talks in the past few years that the Pope would be succeeded by another not in the event of his death but by voluntary abdication of office. Still, the acute response was surprise and the news of the Pope’s resignation sent shockwaves amidst Catholic communities around the globe. Pope Benedict XVI had already stepped down as Pope on February 28, 2013. In this transition period called “Sede Vacante,” the Vatican is preparing for the conclave that will choose Benedict XVI’s successor and the next shepherd of millions of leaderless Catholics.

An uncertain time

The Vatican is said to be in a state of disarray, a situation that is not totally blamed on the last Pope in office, but is generally attributed by critics of the Vatican and the Catholic Church on the existing bureaucracy in the Roman Curia. There is a pervasive belief that the Vatican bureaucracy did not serve Benedict XVI well and that for the Catholic Church to remain relevant in these modern times, the next Pope would need to prioritize cleaning up the Roman Curia.

The world demands transparency and accountability from the Catholic Church and the Vatican, especially after the recent scandals and leaks revealing the culpabilities of the clergy. Pope Benedict XVI had his share of problems and controversy, and like the Popes before him, he dealt with them in the best way he knew how. Critics are saying now that though Benedict XVI was a good teacher and did his best to govern the Church, he did not assign the right people to the most critical posts, and that this contributed to the known failures of his office.

Early signs

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI became effective in the morning of February 28, 2013. This act made Benedict XVI, 85 years old, the third Pope in history to step down from office and the first one to do so in six centuries. The last one to resign was Pope Gregory XII in the year 1415. Benedict XVI is the first Pope in the modern era to relinquish his post.

Observers claim that the Pope has been dropping hints of his intention to resign as early his first year as Pontiff in 2005 when he was elected in conclave upon the death of the revered and beloved Pope John Paul II. At that time, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then 78 was looking forward to retirement and said that he never wanted to be Pope. In 2009, during a visit to the tomb of Celestine V who served as Pope only for five months in 1294 and chose instead to become a monk, Benedict XVI set down the wooden stole that was presented to him during his Installation Mass on the tomb. The first concrete indications of the resignation became evident when renovations were started on a monastery in the Vatican. Prior to this, his plan was said to be voiced out by Benedict XVI to those close to him in March 2012 after a visit to Cuba and Mexico which exhausted the Pontiff.

Benedict XVI made appointments and promotions, resolved scandals, and even prepared the media accreditation function of the Vatican, probably to prepare it for the Conclave. In his final days in office, the Pope also met with the investigators of the Vatileaks scandal which involved leakage of Vatican documents that detailed reports of corruption and the blackmailing of gay priests which was exposed in January last year. The purpose for all these activities is now clear – the Pope was preparing the Vatican and its affairs for his successor.

Sede Vacante

The Ring of the Fisherman as well as the lead seal of the pontificate had been destroyed by the Cardinal Camerlengo and the Papal Seat is empty. Effective the date of his resignation, Benedict XVI would bear the official title, Pope Emeritus or His Holiness Benedict XVI Roman Pontiff Emeritus. He would wear the white cassock but not the red papal shoes and the mozzetta (a short cape with a hood). The Pope Emeritus is now temporarily residing at the Papal Palace within Castel Gandolfo in Vatican City and will move to a cloister, the Mater Ecclesia as soon as renovations are completed. His security is provided by the Vatican Gendarmerie.

Pre-conclave deliberations

The 115 electoral cardinals are all in Vatican City. The last one to arrive, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man from Vietnam came on Tuesday and the stage is now set for the conclave. Their primary task at this period in time is to determine the date and the first closed-door meeting has been conducted. A decision needs to be reached soon since the Conclave has to be conducted no later than March 20, 2013 at the Sistine Chapel. The meetings are intended for the cardinals to get to know each other before the vote for the new Pope is made. Soon enough, the world will again see the white smoke emerge from the roof of the chapel, the first announcement to the world that the Catholic Church again has a leader. Benedict himself changed the rules pertaining to the Conclave so that the selection would not need to be done 15 to 20 days after the Pope’s seat is vacated as originally set.

The current favorites to succeed the 265th Pope are cardinals from Canada, Ghana, and Nigeria. The names that might soon dominate the media as the conclave approaches are Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada (the frontrunner), Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, and Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria. Benedict XVI appointed 67 of the 115 electoral cardinals who will soon gather together to elect the new Pope.

The world media are also congregating in Rome. And while journalists and photographers wait for the cardinals to announce something concrete, the cardinals rush with dour looks, ignoring the media that are hungry for information. There are also reports of a culture clash within the general congregation and that the eleven cardinals from the United States have received a request from the College of Cardinals to “refrain from talking to the press.”