The conclave that will elect Benedict XVI’s successor will have 117 members on the day his resignation becomes official, at the end of this month. There are 61 Europeans, 19 Latin Americans, 14 North Americans, 11 Africans, 11 Asians and one from Oceania among the voters. Benedict XVI will not participate in the conclave. The Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope resigns’
How the traditional pope is redefining the papacy
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013Pope Benedict XVI came into office with the reputation of a conservative hard-liner, a vigorous defender of orthodoxy who wanted to restore Tradition — yes, with a capital “T”– to a church that was seen as disturbingly undisciplined. Yet with the stunning announcement that he is resigning as the 264th successor to Saint Peter, Benedict Read more
A legal guide to the Pope’s resignation
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013Pope Benedict XVI, who is stepping down at the end of this month, will become the first pope in six centuries to resign the papal office. The rarity of such an event raises many questions about Catholic law and its handling of this historic transition. For insights, Law Blog spoke with two experts at the Read more
Obama praises Pope Benedict
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013President Obama praised Pope Benedict XVI on Monday, just hours after the pontiff announced his resignation. “On behalf of Americans everywhere, Michelle and I wish to extend our appreciation and prayers to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI,” Obama said in a written statement. The president said he “warmly” remembers the meeting he and the first Read more
Angela Merkel: Pope Benedict one of the most important religious thinkers of our time
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013Many in Germany haven’t always had an easy relationship with the conservative-minded Pope Benedict XVI, but most on Monday praised their countryman’s courage in deciding to step down from his position amid failing health. Chancellor Angela Merkel, a Protestant, said that the 85-year-old pope’s decision that he was no longer fit enough to continue in Read more
Benedict wont be the last pope to quit
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign is likely to be repeated by future pontiffs, a professor of theology says. Professor Neil Ormerod, from the Australian Catholic University, says the Pope’s resignation shows that being the head of the Catholic Church does not have to be a life-long role. “His resignation is a precedent for other Read more
Pope Benedict’s resignation speech
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Dear Brothers, I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are Read more