Benedict XVI - The Last Pope

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI occurred on 28 February at (8: 00 PM) CET . The pope appeared for the last time in public during his regular Wednesday audience on 27 February By 16 February, 35, people had .
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Paul converted the inhabitants. Pope Benedict made only modest changes to the structure of the Roman Curia. When Martino retired in , the Councils each received its own preside once again. Those Councils maintained their separate officials and staffs while their status and competencies continued unchanged, and in May Interreligious Dialogue was restored to its separate status again with its own president.

As pope, one of Benedict XVI's main roles was to teach about the Catholic faith and the solutions to the problems of discerning and living the faith, [69] a role that he could play well as a former head of the Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Open wide the doors for Christ! Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way?

Pope Benedict XVI - Wikipedia

If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? And once again the Pope said: If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return.

That is all we have to do is put ourselves at his disposal It is a message that helps to overcome what can be considered the great temptation of our time: He took up this theme in his first encyclical Deus caritas est. In his personal explanation and summary of the encyclical, he stated: God wants us to be friends of his friends and we can be so, if we are interiorly close to them.

It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work. Continuing what he said in the pre-conclave Mass about what he often referred to as the "central problem of our faith today", [76] on 6 June Pope Benedict also said:. Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of education is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognising nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires.

And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own ego. He said that "a dictatorship of relativism" [78] was the core challenge facing the church and humanity. At the root of this problem, he said, is Kant 's "self-limitation of reason". This, he said, is contradictory to the modern acclamation of science whose excellence is based on the power of reason to know the truth. He said that this self-amputation of reason leads to pathologies of religion such as terrorism and pathologies of science such as ecological disasters.

He said "Absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism. In an address to a conference of the Diocese of Rome held at the basilica of St. John Lateran 6 June , Benedict remarked on the issues of same sex marriage and abortion:. The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, are rather expressions of an anarchic freedom that wrongly passes for true freedom of man In the discussion with secularism and rationalism , one of Benedict's basic ideas can be found in his address on the "Crisis of Culture" in the West, a day before Pope John Paul II died, when he referred to Christianity as the Religion of the Logos the Greek for "word", "reason", "meaning", or "intelligence".

From the beginning, Christianity has understood itself as the religion of the Logos , as the religion according to reason It has always defined men, all men without distinction, as creatures and images of God, proclaiming for them In this connection, the Enlightenment is of Christian origin and it is no accident that it was born precisely and exclusively in the realm of the Christian faith It was and is the merit of the Enlightenment to have again proposed these original values of Christianity and of having given back to reason its own voice Today, this should be precisely [Christianity's] philosophical strength, in so far as the problem is whether the world comes from the irrational, and reason is not other than a 'sub-product,' on occasion even harmful of its development—or whether the world comes from reason, and is, as a consequence, its criterion and goal In the so necessary dialogue between secularists and Catholics, we Christians must be very careful to remain faithful to this fundamental line: Benedict also emphasised that "Only creative reason, which in the crucified God is manifested as love, can really show us the way.

Pope Benedict wrote three encyclicals: In his first encyclical, Deus caritas est , he said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, is able to practice love: This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary , and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them in Jesus Christ. The encyclical contains almost 16, words in 42 paragraphs. The first half is said to have been written by Benedict in German, his first language, in the summer of ; the second half is derived from uncompleted writings left by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

It is the first encyclical to be published since the Vatican decided to assert copyright in the official writings of the pope. Benedict's second encyclical titled Spe Salvi "Saved by Hope" , about the virtue of hope , was released on 30 November Peter and Paul and released on 7 July He condemned the prevalent economic system "where the pernicious effects of sin are evident," and called on people to rediscover ethics in business and economic relations. At the time of his resignation, Benedict had completed a draft of a fourth encyclical entitled Lumen fidei "The Light of Faith" , [90] intended to accompany his first two encyclicals to complete a trilogy on the three theological virtues of faith , hope , and love.

Benedict's successor, Pope Francis , completed and published Lumen Fidei in June , four months after Benedict's retirement and Francis' succession. Although the encyclical is officially the work of Pope Francis, paragraph 7 of the encyclical explicitly expresses Francis' debt to Benedict: He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him, and as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.

It was made available in various languages 13 March in Rome. The English edition from Libera Editrice Vaticana is pages. This apostolic exhortation "seeks to take up the richness and variety of the reflections and proposals which emerged from the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops" which was held in On 7 July , Benedict XVI issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum , declaring that upon "the request of the faithful", celebration of Mass according to the Missal of commonly known as the Tridentine Mass , was to be more easily permitted.

Stable groups who previously had to petition their bishop to have a Tridentine Mass may now merely request permission from their local priest. In an accompanying letter, the Pope outlined his position concerning questions about the new guidelines. He pointed out that use of Tridentine Mass "was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.

The Pope considered that allowing the Tridentine Mass to those who request it was a means to prevent or heal schism , stating that, on occasions in history, "not enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity" and that this "imposes an obligation on us today: Near the end of June , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document approved by Benedict XVI "because some contemporary theological interpretations of Vatican II 's ecumenical intent had been 'erroneous or ambiguous' and had prompted confusion and doubt.

Benedict XVI condemned excessive consumerism , especially among youth. He stated in December that "[A]dolescents, youths and even children are easy victims of the corruption of love, deceived by unscrupulous adults who, lying to themselves and to them, draw them into the dead-end streets of consumerism.

Speaking at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square on 7 June , Pope Benedict asserted that Jesus himself had entrusted the leadership of the Church to his apostle Peter. Let us pray so that the primacy of Peter , entrusted to poor human beings, may always be exercised in this original sense desired by the Lord, so that it will be increasingly recognised in its true meaning by brothers who are still not in communion with us.

In their Common Declaration, they highlighted the previous 40 years of dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans while also acknowledging "serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress". When Benedict ascended to the Papacy his election was welcomed by the Anti-Defamation League who noted "his great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust ".

Critics have accused Benedict's papacy of insensitivity towards Judaism. The two most prominent instances were the expansion of the use of the Tridentine Mass and the lifting of the excommunication on four bishops from the Society of St. In the Good Friday service, the traditional Mass rubrics include a prayer that asks God to lift the veil so they [Jews] may be delivered from their darkness.

This prayer has historically been contentious in Judaic-Catholic relations and several groups saw the restoration of the Tridentine Mass as problematic. Pope Benedict's relations with Islam were strained at times. On 12 September he delivered a lecture which touched on Islam at the University of Regensburg in Germany. He had served there as a professor of theology before becoming Pope, and his lecture was entitled "Faith, Reason and the University—Memories and Reflections".

The lecture received much attention from political and religious authorities. Many Islamic politicians and religious leaders registered their protest against what they labelled an insulting mischaracterisation of Islam, although his focus was aimed towards the rationality of religious violence, and its effect on the religion. The passage originally appeared in the Dialogue Held with a Certain Persian, the Worthy Mouterizes, in Anakara of Galatia [] [] written in as an expression of the views of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus , one of the last Christian rulers before the Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim Ottoman Empire , on such issues as forced conversion , holy war , and the relationship between faith and reason.

Benedict planned on 5 March , to meet with Muslim scholars and religious leaders autumn at a Catholic-Muslim seminar in Rome. In China was accused of using its political influence to stop a meeting between the Pope and the Dalai Lama. While visiting Brazil in May , "the pope sparked controversy by saying that native populations had been 'silently longing' for the Christian faith brought to South America by colonizers.

As pontiff, Benedict XVI carried out numerous Apostolic activities including journeys across the world and in the Vatican. Benedict travelled extensively during the first three years of his papacy. He also visited Poland and Spain, where he was enthusiastically received. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters [] and was placed under unprecedented security measures. In June , Benedict made a personal pilgrimage and pastoral visit to Assisi , the birthplace of St.

Patrick's Cathedral , met with disabled children and their families, and attended an event for Catholic youth, where he addressed some 25, young people in attendance. On 19 July, in St. Mary's Cathedral , he made an apology for child sex abuse perpetrated by the clergy in Australia. During his visit, he suggested that altering sexual behavior was the answer to Africa's AIDS crisis, and urged Catholics to reach out and convert believers in sorcery.

Pope Benedict XVI Last Public Mass 13th February 2013

The Vatican is also the only regular place where Benedict XVI traveled via motor without the protective bulletproof case common to most popemobiles. Despite the more secure setting, Pope Benedict was victim to security risks several times inside Vatican City. On Wednesday, 6 June during his General Audience a man leapt across a barrier, evaded guards and nearly mounted the Pope's vehicle, although he was stopped and Benedict seemed to be unaware of the event. On Thursday, 24 December , while Pope Benedict was proceeding to the altar to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter's Basilica , a woman later identified as year-old Susanna Maiolo , who holds Italian and Swiss citizenships, jumped the barrier and grabbed the Pope by his vestments and pulled him to the ground.

The year-old fell but was assisted to his feet and he continued to proceed towards the altar to celebrate Mass. Roger Etchegaray , 87, the vice-dean of the College of Cardinals, fell also and suffered a hip fracture. Italian police reported that the woman had previously attempted to accost the Pope at the previous Christmas Eve Mass, but was prevented from doing so.

In his homily , Pope Benedict forgave Susanna Maiolo [] and urged the world to "wake up" from selfishness and petty affairs, and find time for God and spiritual matters. Following meetings with various dignitaries on his first day on the island, 50, people gathered in a drizzle for Papal Mass on the granaries in Floriana. The Pope also met with the Maltese youth at the Valletta Waterfront, where an estimated 10, young people turned up to greet him. Prior to , the primary responsibility for investigating allegations of sexual abuse and disciplining perpetrators rested with the individual dioceses.

In , Ratzinger convinced John Paul II to put the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in charge of all investigations and policies surrounding sexual abuse in order to combat such abuse more efficiently. From that point forward, he and his staff seemed driven by a convert's zeal to clean up the mess". According to Charles J. Scicluna, a former prosecutor handling sexual abuse cases, "Cardinal Ratzinger displayed great wisdom and firmness in handling those cases, also demonstrating great courage in facing some of the most difficult and thorny cases, sine acceptione personarum without exceptions ".

One of the cases Ratzinger pursued involved Father Marcial Maciel Degollado , a Mexican priest and founder of the Legion of Christ, who had been accused repeatedly of sexual abuse. This was not always met with approval in the Vatican". In March , the Pope sent a Pastoral Letter to the Catholic Church in Ireland addressing cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests to minors, expressing sorrow, and promising changes in the way accusations of abuse are dealt with.

The guideline dictates that "Civil law concerning reporting of crimes Pope Benedict XVI re-introduced several papal garments which had fallen into disuse. Pope Benedict XVI resumed the use of the traditional red papal shoes , which had been used since Roman times by popes but which had fallen into disuse during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Contrary to the initial speculation of the press that the shoes had been made by the Italian fashion house Prada , the Vatican announced that the shoes were provided by the Pope's personal shoemaker.

On only one occasion, 21 December , the Pope wore the camauro , the traditional red papal hat usually worn in the winter. On 6 September , the Pope began wearing the red cappello romano also called a saturno , a wide-brimmed hat for outdoor use. Rarely used by John Paul II, it was more widely worn by his predecessors. The journalist Charlotte Allen describes Benedict as "the pope of aesthetics": Prior to his election as pope in , Ratzinger had hoped to retire—on account of age-related health problems, a long-held desire to have free time to write, and the retirement age for bishops 75 —and submitted his resignation as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith three times, but continued at his post in obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II.

In September , Ratzinger suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily but he recovered completely. Following his election in April there were several rumors about the Pope's health, but none of them were confirmed. Early in his pontificate Benedict XVI predicted a short reign, which led to concerns about his health.

French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin said that since the first stroke Ratzinger had been suffering from an age-related heart condition, for which he was on medication. In late November Vatican insiders told the international press that the Pope had had a routine examination of the heart. On 17 July , Benedict was hospitalized after falling and breaking his right wrist while on vacation in the Alps; his injuries were reported to be minor. Following the announcement of his resignation, the Vatican revealed that Pope Benedict had been fitted with a pacemaker while he was still a cardinal, before his election as pope in The battery in the pacemaker had been replaced three months earlier, a routine procedure, but that did not influence his decision.

Currently, Benedict has multiple health problems including high blood pressure and reportedly has fallen out of bed more than once, but the Vatican denies any specific illnesses. On 11 February , the Vatican confirmed that Benedict XVI would resign the papacy on 28 February , as a result of his advanced age, [] becoming the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in The move was unexpected.

Benedict was the first pope to resign without external pressure since Celestine V in In a statement, Benedict cited his deteriorating strength and the physical and mental demands of the papacy; [] addressing his cardinals in Latin, Benedict gave a brief statement announcing his resignation. He also declared that he would continue to serve the church "through a life dedicated to prayer". According to a statement from the Vatican, the timing of the resignation was not caused by any specific illness but was to "avoid that exhausting rush of Easter engagements".

On the eve of the first anniversary of Benedict's resignation he wrote to La Stampa to deny speculation he had been forced to step down. Speculation about its invalidity is simply absurd," he wrote. On the morning of 28 February , Pope Benedict met with the full College of Cardinals and in the early afternoon flew by helicopter to the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo. He stayed there until refurbishment was completed on his retirement home, the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens near St Peter's, formerly home to 12 nuns, where he moved on 2 May It has a garden of more than 2, square meters that overlooks the monastery and is adjacent to the current "Pope's garden".

A few tens of meters away is the building of Vatican Radio. After his resignation, Benedict XVI retained his papal name rather than reverting to his birth name. He ceased wearing red papal shoes. The inscription on the statue, according to Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo , has the coat of arms of the two popes to symbolize the fact that statue was commissioned by Benedict XVI, and consecrated by Francis. Benedict XVI made his first public appearance after his resignation at St.

Peter's Basilica on 22 February to attend the first papal consistory of his successor Pope Francis. Benedict XVI, who entered the basilica through a discreet entrance, was seated in a row with several other cardinals. He doffed his zucchetto when Pope Francis came down the nave of St. Peter's Basilica to greet him. In August , Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at the Vatican and met with his former doctoral students, an annual tradition he has kept since the s. Benedict XVI attended the consistory for new cardinals in February , greeting Pope Francis at the beginning of the celebration.

Lombardi told journalists on 15 June. Benedict XVI remained there for two weeks. It includes books by or about him and his studies, many donated by Benedict XVI himself. In March he gave an interview expressing his views on mercy and endorsing Pope Francis's stress on mercy in his pastoral practice. The pope emeritus was honoured by the Roman Curia and Pope Francis in at a special audience, honouring the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. On 28 June , the Pope Emeritus received the newly created cardinals in his chapel and "spoke with all of them in their native tongue" while also remarking that they were "from the four continents, the whole church".

He further said that "The Lord wins in the end" and "thank you all", he said, before giving them his blessing.

Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

In his message, the Pope Emeritus referred to Meisner as a "passionate shepherd and pastor" who found it "difficult to leave his post". The former pope also said that he had spoken on the telephone with Meisner the day before the latter died and related that Meisner was grateful to be on vacation after having been present for the beatification of Teofilius Matulionis in Vilnius.

The former pope suffered the hematoma earlier after having slipped. The best-known title, that of "Pope", does not appear in the official list of titles, but is commonly used in the titles of documents, and appears, in abbreviated form, in their signatures as "PP. Before 1 March , the list of titles also used to contain that of a " Patriarch of the West ", which traditionally appeared in that list of titles before "Primate of Italy". The title of "Patriarch of the West" was first introduced into the papal court in at the time of the First Vatican Council in the publication Annuario Pontificio and was removed in the edition.

Pope Benedict chose to remove the title at a time when discussions with the Orthodox churches have centered on the issue of papal primacy.

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In , the Pope listed several ways to combat the spread of HIV, including chastity, fidelity in marriage and anti-poverty efforts; he also rejected the use of condoms. I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome merely with money, necessary though it is. If there is no human dimension, if Africans do not help, the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: The solution must have two elements: In November , in a book-length interview, the Pope, using the example of male prostitutes, stated that the use of condoms, with the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection, may be an indication that the prostitute is intending to reduce the evil connected with his immoral activity.

Further, in December , the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith explained that the Pope's statement did not constitute a legitimization of either contraception or prostitution, which remains gravely immoral. In the CDF sent a letter to all bishops entitled: On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons. The letter condemned a liberal interpretation of the earlier CDF document Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics , which had led to a "benign" attitude "to the homosexual condition itself".

On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons clarified that the Church's position on homosexuality was that "although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.

Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs. In , he again approved CDF documents declaring that homosexual "inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder" and extended this principle to civil law. On 22 December , the Pope gave an end of year message to the Roman Curia in which he talked about gender and the important distinction between men and women. The Pope said that the church viewed the distinction as central to human nature, and "asks that this order of creation be respected". The church, he said, must "protect man from self-destruction.

He attacked gender theories which he described as "man's attempt at self-emancipation from creation and the Creator. Father Federico Lombardi , a Vatican spokesman, claimed the Pope had not wished specifically to attack people with homosexual inclinations, and had not mentioned gays or lesbians in his text. Father Lombardi insisted, however, that there had been an overreaction to the Pope's remarks: During a Christmas speech, [] the Pope made remarks about the present-day interpretation of the notion of " gender ".

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He stated that "sex is no longer a given element of nature, that man has to accept and personally make sense of: Although he didn't mention the topic, his words were interpreted by news media as denunciations of same-sex marriage , [] with some sources adding that Benedict would have called it a threat to world peace similar to abortion and euthanasia. In a message released 14 November , during a Vatican press conference for the annual observance of World Day for Migrants and Refugees , the Pope urged the ratification of international conventions and policies that defend all migrants, including refugees, exiles , evacuees and internally displaced persons.

Pope Benedict also promoted various UN events, such as World Refugee Day , on which he offered up special prayers for refugees and called for the international community to do more to secure refugees' human rights. He also called on Catholic communities and organizations to offer them concrete help. In , it was reported that the Pope was "praying for migrants and refugees" from Syria. In , Benedict sent a letter at Easter to Catholics in China that could have wide-ranging implications for the church's relationship with China's leadership. The letter provides long-requested guidance to Chinese bishops on how to respond to illicitly ordained bishops, as well as how to strengthen ties with the Patriotic Association and the Communist government.

On 13 November , Benedict said that the dispute over the North Korea nuclear weapons program should be resolved through negotiations, in his first public comment on the security issue, a news report said. In a Le Figaro interview, Ratzinger said that Turkey, which is demographically Muslim but governmentally secular by virtue of its state constitution , should seek its future in an association of Muslim nations rather than the European Union, which Ratzinger stated has Christian roots.

He said Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake". Later visiting the country to "reiterate the solidarity between the cultures," it was reported that he made a counter-statement backing Turkey's bid to join the EU. In May , he visited Israel. Vatican officials called the meeting "a significant stage in the progress of bilateral relations with Vietnam.

In , the Pope intervened in global economic and political affairs with his third encyclical, Charity in Truth Latin Caritas in veritate , which can be viewed on the Vatican's web site. Also included in Charity in Truth is advocacy for tax choice:. One possible approach to development aid would be to apply effectively what is known as fiscal subsidiarity, allowing citizens to decide how to allocate a portion of the taxes they pay to the State. Provided it does not degenerate into the promotion of special interests, this can help to stimulate forms of welfare solidarity from below, with obvious benefits in the area of solidarity for development as well.

Pope Benedict XVI called for nuclear disarmament. At the same time, he supported the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a tool for development and the fight against poverty. In his message for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Atomic Energy Agency , he confirmed: Benedict is known to be deeply interested in classical music, [] and is an accomplished pianist. He is also known to be fond of cats.

A book called Joseph and Chico: This story was inspired by an orange tabby Pentling cat, which belonged to the family next door. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart. As pope, Benedict was Grand Master of the following orders: Gregory the Great and the Order of St. The asteroid Ratzinger was named in his honor for the role he played in supervising the opening of Vatican archives in to researchers investigating judicial errors against Galileo and other medieval scientists.

The name was proposed by the asteroid's first discoverers, L. But the majority of the people denied the Messiah on his first coming,' reads the February issue's cover story According to the newsletter article, this is why the Bible's Gospel of Matthew states, 'His blood be upon us and upon our children,' a phrase historically used by some Christians to justify anti-Semitism.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Introduction to Christianity Eschatology: Blaise Pascal Nicolas Malebranche. John Henry Newman G. Pope Benedict XVI and ecumenism. Catholic sex abuse cases. Ceremonial of Benedict XVI. Homosexuality and the Catholic Church. Foreign relations of the Holy See. People's Republic of China — Holy See relations. Holy See — Turkey relations. Holy See — Vietnam relations. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.

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    • Retrieved 9 October Retrieved 28 February He will keep the name of "His Holiness, Benedict XVI" and will dress in a simple white cassock without the mozzetta elbow-length cape. From Liberal to Conservative". Retrieved 17 February Archived from the original on 6 October Retrieved 6 May Archived from the original on 2 April Retrieved 12 September Retrieved 12 March Pope to meet Benedict XVI".

    Why did Pope Benedict XVI resign?

    The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 October Retrieved 17 September The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July The Word from Rome. Retrieved 15 April His Central Writings and Speeches. Memoirs — in German. Retrieved 7 October Retrieved 8 June The Journal of Religion. The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Retrieved 20 February Archived from the original on 4 September Retrieved 17 July Retrieved 14 July In he created the successor to the decree. In the book, Benedict reflects on his time as pope, which he said was happy, but says that the papacy was always a burden, too.

    The presence of a retired pope has made possible new traditions in the life of the Church that would have been unthinkable before, including Pope Francis taking newly appointed cardinals to see Benedict as pictured in below and Benedict XVI following Pope Francis through the Doors of Mercy at St. Five years later, now age 90, Pope Benedict continues to serve the Church through a life dedicated to prayer. He receives few visitors in the former convent in the Vatican Gardens that has served as his residence since shortly after his resignation, but occasionally a glimpse of Benedict XVI still finds its way to the outside world — such as with the celebration of his 90th birthday in April As he continues to live out his time on earth, each day is a deeper fulfillment of the monumental decision to leave the stage, which he made five years ago.

    Confessions of a Catholic Dad Editor's Notebook. CNS photo via Reuters. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St.

    Peter, entrusted to me by the cardinals on 19 April , in such a way, that as from 28 February , at Related articles Who is Pope Francis?