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Pope Benedict XVI leads the Ash Wednesday service at St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday.
A capacity crowd in St Peter's Basilica gave Pope Benedict a thunderous standing ovation on Wednesday night at an emotional last public Mass before he stands down at the end of the month.
"Thank you. Now, let's return to prayer," the 85-year-old pontiff said, bringing an end to several minutes of applause that clearly moved him.
In an unusual gesture, bishops took off their distinctive hats in a sign of respect and a few of them wept.
Earlier Wednesday, the pope explained that he had reached his decision to resign after prayer led him to conclude it would be for the best for the Catholic Church.
"I have done this in full freedom for the good of the church, after much prayer and having examined my conscience before God," Benedict said at his weekly general audience speech, according to an English transcript from the Holy See press office at the Vatican.
On Monday, when he revealed the news publicly, Benedict, 85, said that the papacy required "strength of mind and body," and that his health had deteriorated.
Later, the Vatican revealed that the pope had a pacemaker installed 10 years ago.
In Wednesday's remarks ahead of the Mass, the pontiff said he felt uplifted by the outpouring of support that followed his surprising resignation announcement.
"Thank all of you for the love and for the prayers with which you have accompanied me," he told the packed general audience hall. "In these days, which have not been easy for me, I have felt almost physically the power of prayer -- your prayers."
Benedict also said he had made his decision "knowing full well the seriousness of this act, but also realizing that I am no longer able to carry out the Petrine ministry with the strength which it demands."
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Reuters that on the pope's last day in office, Feb. 28, Benedict would receive cardinals in a farewell meeting. Afterward, his ring of office, used to seal official documents, will be destroyed, as is traditionally done when a pope dies.
'A very quiet' role
The pope is to live in a four-story building attached to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery inside the Vatican, something that the church's senior communications adviser, Greg Burke, told The Associated Press was significant.
"It is something that he has wanted to do for a while," Burke said. "But I think it also suggests that his role is going to be a very quiet one, and that is important so you don't have a situation of ... two different popes at the same time, and one influencing the other. I think the obvious thing is when he says retirement, it really means retiring."
As for the soon-to-be ex-pope's new name, Burke told the AP that Benedict would most likely be referred to as "Bishop of Rome, emeritus" as opposed to "Pope Emeritus."
Other Vatican officials said it would probably be up to the next pope to decide Benedict's new title, and wouldn't exclude that he might still be called "Your Holiness" as a courtesy, much as retired presidents are often referred to as "President," the AP reported.
It is unclear if he will keep the name Benedict, which he took on becoming pope, or return to being Joseph Ratzinger again.
Javier Barbancho / AFP - Getty Images
Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Look back at his life from childhood through his papacy.
Immediately after his resignation, Benedict will spend some time at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, overlooking Lake Albano in the hills south of Rome, where he has spent his summer vacations reading and writing, the AP said.
Afterward, he will return to the building in the Vatican's grounds, which was built in 1992 on the site of a former residence for the its gardeners, the AP reported. The building, which was occupied by an order of nuns until October, has a garden, where the nuns would tend to the lemon and orange trees as well as the roses.
The pope's older brother, Georg Ratzinger, confirmed that Benedict has no intention of returning to live in his native Bavaria. "You don't transplant an old tree," Ratzinger said.
Ratzinger said Tuesday that, in addition to his health issues, Benedict had been troubled by episodes such as the "Vatileaks" scandal in which a butler leaked secret documents. He also brought up "the relationship to the Pius Brotherhood" as a problem that troubled the pope.
That organization, formally known as the Society of St. Pius X, fell into a harsh public spotlight in December when its leader, Bishop Bernard Fellay, said Jews were "the enemies of the church." His comment drew criticism from all corners of the church and from the public in general.
Ratzinger said he thought his brother had handled those problems well, but that they had taken their toll.
On Wednesday, the pope asked for continued support for him and the church.
"Continue to pray for me, for the church and for the future pope," he said. "The Lord will guide us."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
Pope's abdication could thwart Silvio Berlusconi's political comeback
Vatican history of 'cover-ups and disarray' will challenge new pope
Why the buzz over St. Malachy's 'last pope' prophecy outdoes 2012 hype
This story was originally published on Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:07 AM EST
Leave a Comment:
its funny how the government and athiests think that a belief in a supreme being who created the universe to be a mental illness yet they will defend lgbt as NORMAL behavior that dosent need treatment. wow you got it backwards
according to leftist kooks we MUST be accepting of everyone.... ( gays,transvestites, lesbians, animal gropers,) but we must not be accepting of ANY religious people.
Give the man a gold watch, thank him for putting the church back 200 years and send him off to shady pines.
Oh?
What did he do to take the Church backwards. Be specific.
If you have to ask, apparently you closed your eyes during his reign
sbsstarlite,
Yes, I must have had my eyes closed. So, open them for me.
Tell me what he did to take the Church backward. Be specific so I can see.
Shouldn't you be trolling somewhere else instead of inquiring about the church....which i respect...not moving into the 20th century....let alone the 21st. Be it the condemnation of contraceptives when disease is so prevalent, the condemnation of abortion even for rape or the condemnation of gay people even though the church is apparently rampant with them. Lets not forget the parishioners money which was to go for good deeds being used to pay so-called abuse victims while the vatican sat upon billions in their coffers.
Is that specific enough or do you need glasses?
theyre stance is abstinance until marriage in which case you should know by then if your partner is safe, abortion is murder even in rape cases , its not the babys fault, lets let him be adopted if the mother dosnet want him some parents out there that cant have a child , but 99% of abortions are nothing more than birth control because the child is an inconvience to the mother or she is coerced into it because the parents are embarressed. gays have a mental disorder, it is not normal and need help and love not condemnation which the catholic church will provide not condem, the catholic church is repsonsible for more charity than all others combined
Thank you...although i respect the church and perhaps your beliefs, i still find it quite unconscionable these relics of earlier ideology exist. These are the tenets i find appalling within the church today. They reflect an institution unable or unwilling to adjust with the times and filled with hypocrisy. Eliminating the latin mass, which was a beautiful thing to behold did not mean they embraced the 21st century when the very items we speak above were left undisturbed.
By the way...per your earlier comment.....what is a catholic jew?
should have been a comma there, i do regret their move on the latin mass, but some parishes still offer one and of course the orthodox church still holds to the old form. but although the church is meant to adapt to changing times like a living document or faith, it cannot comprimise its core values to satify a secular society
If putting on a condom or not putting on a condom is a core value, i would suggest the church has plenty of room to move into secular society.
its not the fact of putting on a condom, its using it to engage in reckless premarital sexual activity. which typically leads to the hit it and quit it syndrom that is emotionaly destructive as well.
sbstarlite,
Still no answer as to what needs to be done to make the Church modern, eh? No answer as to how he took it back 200 years? Nothing specific? Just your vitriol?
But you were so sure than that you knew. What happened?
There is no need to satisfy a secular society.
now that being said ill be the first to admit i engaged in alot of premartial sex, took me alot of years to figure out it was wrong, thankfully we have a savoir who forgets repentent sins but there is always a price to be paid for sin even when its forgiven, sometimes emotionally some times physically. i think sometimes people come off as if they had never done anything wrong in thier lives when they speak out on these things. only one perfect human that was Jesus Christ and thats only because he was God in human flesh
Wow, these comments are pretty horrible. Just a couple things.
1. There is a difference between pedophiles and homosexuals. Please educate yourself. You look either uneducated or just plain hateful.
2. Take a breath. Both sides of this are pretty nasty. By acting like a fool you're not helping your argument, you're helping the ones you're fighting against.
3. Christians, just like everyone else, don't fall into neat little boxes that you can label. They are as different as everyone else in the world. Don't blame the next one for the last one.
4. Atheists, just like everyone else, don't fall into neat little boxes you can label. They are as different as everyone else in the world. Don't blame the next one for the last one.
I am not religious. I am not an atheist. However, I am a human being with my own unique views points on issues. Please try to remember that there is a unique human being behind each of these comments. I am sure none of us would like to be held accountable for other people who happen to share some of our labels.
Nah, I sense that Athiest is having a bit of fun trolling here ;) as his twists show far more intelligence than the ignorance he is portraying.
It is sad for him. There is none so blind as those who will not see.
Yes, I agree with Tyrannosuar, athiest is playfully yanking chains. Seriously though, I think he wants to start Catechism classes, but is too afraid to admit it. ;)
Perhaps so. He may really be trying to find help.
yea its funny if he didnt feel an inner need for God he would care less and would not even post here
Exactly.
He cant handle the backlash from those sleazy child abusing priests, Quit covering for them publiclly name them and prosocute the scum ,then and only then will the church gain respect again
Tafor,
He is/they are.
Next.
apples and oranges quit covering for these scum,maybe you know from experience
Tafor,
Jealous?
so you think we should punish the innocent along with the guilty? thats what would happen if every priest accused was punished. how would you feel if someone who didnt like you had a boy accuse you of molesting him even if your innocent? no matter what your image is forever damaged. its funny how its only after 20 years do these ppl come foreward. trust me even if we let a few guilty get away to protect the innocent, God will judge them one day, "better a millstone hung around thier neck"
If you knew the number who were actually molested versus the number who laid monetary claims, you would probably see a big discrepancy. While the situation was serious, i do believe it was blown out of proportion by the easy money attached.
These comments have degraded pretty rapidly. Just a few things:
1. There is a difference between pedophiles and homosexuals. Please educate yourself. You look either hateful or just plain uneducated when implying this.
2. Before commenting, try to remember there are actual people behind these comments. Responsibility for your words doesn't stop just because you hit send.
3. Christians can not be labeled as a whole. Like everyone else, they are individuals with their own views and should not be held accountable for the actions of other Christians. Don't blame the next one for the last one.
4. Atheists can not be labeled as a whole. Like everyone else, they are individuals with their own views and should not be held accountable for the actions of other Atheists. Don't blame the next one for the last one.
I am not religious. I am not an atheist. I am an individual with my own unique set of thoughts and views. I would hate to be held accountable for the thoughts and actions of others that happen to fall into the same categories as me. By spouting hate and bile, all you're doing is helping those you're fighting against. You're no better than the rest when you just recycle that hate and throw it at the next guy.
so god was wrong?
Nope and God never has been wrong.
http://www.themediareport.com/fast-facts/
Indeed! Adios Padre! Hopefully, we will get some real church reform, and one day I will be able to confess without wondering about my priest.
hrfdez,
How does your confession concern who is a priest? He sins and must ask forgiveness also.
Worry about yourself. It is a full time job.
just remember hrfdez your confessing to God , the priest is acting inpersona, so his state of grace is irrelevant
Pope tweets on real reasons for stepping down – “no one was listening to me.” Read sorrysods.com for his full confession. See rationalexaminer.com for why the world won’t miss Pope Benedict.
This is nothing more than the Catholic Church giving up a Pope for Lent.
LOL. At last, something that is funny. Well, kind of....
Ok, I'll give you that one!
claps
The only thing that could be more shocking is if he says he's now going to be an Adventist.
So many layers to think about! Retiring for age/health, owning up to "not enough" to be able to give it his all: OK -right so far -so many before him should of, but died in bed! Then there is, for those of us who grew up in it..."is that the whole story?" At the very least, before this Pontiff fades into vague memory, if you read, don't miss the opportunity to do a little probing. It's very enticing info: so important to many current issues. He still belongs to the present day order and office that traces it's roots and panel-investigative function back to the Inquisition...[i.e. Kill dissention and bury dirt]. He's been the big cheese of the child abuse committee and in possession of prime meat about some of the vilest of the most flagrant offenders that many major Church voices claim weren't known until the 90's as far back as 1974! Look 'im up. He's fascinating. Is that a tail going over the side? Or did he volunteer to bear an enormous dirty weight and have it buried with him. I still admit I'm Catholic because I believe it's more. But you got some splainin to do Lucy.
mom,
Easy there. The Spanish Inquisition was not of the Pope's making.
So many accusations without proof.
Tsk
during the spanish inq. there was no direct contact with the pope ie phone paparazzi etc. took many weeks for messages to travel so i doubt he was aware of what a crooked bishop was up to.
Bishop/priest and the Spanish king.
no doubt anyone caught riding with an incriminating message was never heard from again
NC-49...The message is not to nail the Pope as an Inquisitioner, the Inquisition ended in 1835. The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition, which ran it, stayed in force however, and changed its name to Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office under the direction of Pope Pius X only in 1908. In 1965 it's name was changed to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which it is today. Prior to his elevation to Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was its Prefect. The function was and still includes the serious threats to the faith (as each generation saw those) and Cardinal Ratzinger handled the Priest Scandals. His command was to "bring all cases" of these to his desk, to have a comprehensive view of the scope of the problem. Look it up. Just like government branches the Vatican has investigatory and enforcement arms and functions and many more. It's no "Tsk" or my attitude problem. It was his job The problem which has been alluded to by more than one commentator is that all intelligence brought together under the aegis of one man, can also be diverted, buried and controlled efficiently. One of the cases from the 1970's got to him and became a matter for hair splitting "statute of limitation" dialog and arguments for ages, which many think should be beneath the moral and compassionate level of the Holy See, only went to the country of origin to ask for documents the day the last Pope died, and as soon as he was elected and installed as Pope Benedict, his Secretary of State sent the "I'm sorry but no possible further Vatican action" letter to the victim and his representatives. There are mounds of this and even priests, still not defrocked, in possession of similar data. I try NOT to learn too much of it, it's distressing and I have a life to lead and people near and dear to me to tend and protect, and lets face it, I did my stint: I have joy to harvest in this life too. I'm powerless over the big picture, but we all owe it to the Faith to pay attention and not close our eyes to truth. Maybe it's because I was educated under "big" people of faith. Our moderator in the Newman Club, one of the biggest in the country, at my huge secular University also functioned as Professor of Comparative Religions and always said, "Don't walk in fear. We have truth."
There was nothing wrong with the Inquisitions pratice back then and the problems you are talking about are WAY before 1835 when the infamous Spanish Inquisition was in full swing. You did know that there was more than one inquisition, right?
So, what is your point?
Down NC! I'm not talking about problems back then. I'll write s-l-o-w-l-y. I already said that historical methods reflect the centuries they expressed; and we marched to war to both conquer and vanquish, took slaves, and prayed for assistance to do it. Another understanding of human life. [Hey, we don't condone concubinage and lots of "holy men" had them in the Bible.] Organization adjusts up to and through each century and essentially is on guard for threats to the Faith. Nobody's using Inquisition tactics on errant priests, but many people don't know that our Pope spent decades as Prefect of CDF, that arm of the Vatican which still has the charge of threats to the Church. He knows every single case notorious and in question today, and ruled, directed and signed off on the determinations. Many are still floating and will die of age. So if, and they are, people are screaming for justice, he was the Prelate to apply to for years and years.....and years. If there's anything Inquisitorish about his function it's the power not merely to find, route out and punish, but to declare innocent and close and seal procedings.
That's more likely to become a problem. I find it interesting that you're hooked on that one term: Inquisition, and are ignoring the present problem - a much greater one as I see. Things slid down the chute during the turnover to his Papacy from his reign as Prefect, and went to another authority who cancelled some. A lot, I believe is going "into retirement" as his secret and will die with him. This is a big deal. This has to be kept from becoming some kind of mystical secret and persisting. It's not a priest-engine of some kind, it's a cancor: low and filthy and the victims are children. It's not war, it's not the convoluted juxtaposition between murderous international Politics and the Vatican and its tolerance; a mystery and contradiction of God, or the possible hand holding with money sources they shouldn't tolerate: it's infants being attacked by their keepers. It garners no power and we can well afford the break in secrecy necessary to throw this garbage out.
The Pope's decision makes perfect sense. Clearly he didn't make this decision in haste, nor did he take it lightly. He didn't simply step down because he was tired of the job. He did it because he felt he's no longer physically or mentally capable of leading the Church the way he had, nor the way it needs to be done. The Cardinals (not God) elected him. Certainly God is at work in the process. But the Pope spent a great deal of time praying and reflecting before making this decision and one would expect God was good with it.
Let's not forget this man was a reknowned intellectual. For years he was the head of the Office of the Doctrine of Faith, which means he was in charge of the entire foundation of beliefs, concepts, Church law and the "officialness" of the entire Universal (Global) Catholic religion. He'd be the first to clearly recognize when his human condition was failing to the point that he couldn't practically do the job. And one of the key requirements of a Pope is that he is, above all, a man of tremendous faith in God and the Catholic Church. What he did he was compelled to do - individually, and we would definitely suppose as directed by God. Make no mistake - the Pope and God are on a first name basis.
Well said.
All Popes are hippokrits first they want nuns n priests to live modest lives but look at the Pope lives in a giant home wears all kinds of clothes, has tons of servants n he says he's tired, tired from what? Not like he has a real job. O so hard makes some speaches writes some papers reads n doesnt change with modern times o so hard a job.
Marc,
He himself owns very little. True, like a president has is able to make use of many things.
You do not know what he does, so quit being so nasty.
Indeed, thinking requires much effort. You should try it at least once.
Marc, did you finish first grade?
Not being sarcastic or critical but he seems to be self taught due to circumstances beyond his control.
they should elect a born-again pope.
sorry to burst your bubble kevin but catholics are born again christians
They always do elect a born-again Pope. They have all received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
why dont they have a vice Pope so u can have someone step in if a pope quits or dies? Would make it easier for someone to take over right away, just curious.
As I said earlier, there is no 2nd in command Pope.
Each one is chosen as the occasion occurs.
The man appointed by god just lied to the entire world about why he resigned as pope. He resigned to avoid being arrested. Check it out.
No, you made the statement. YOU prove that he lied and is going to be arrested.
Did you just lie?
"For the good of the church" is completely true. The sad part is "retirement" -- it should be "dissolution" instead. Get rid of the institution of the papacy -- it is the curse of the organized church. He is jumping ship because someone is (finally) getting close to him on the sexual abuse scandal coverup that has occurred under his (and every prior pope's) reign. This is no time to look eagerly for another scoundrel who will don the whitewashed robes -- it is time to open the sepulchre and scour it clean.
John P.,
Can't get rid of the Pope/leader of Jesus' Church on Earth. Jesus started the whole thing.
Prove your accusations. If you cannot, you are lying.
What you do not like about the Catholic Church is wt you THINK that you know.
He did the right thing stepping down, he is human and if his health does not allow him to continue it is time to let somebody else do it, whether I agree with the church and their teachings is beside the point. What corked me was on TV last night they showed the "facility" where he would live in retirement, pretty swank and I'm sure he will have the best possible care, just sad the church doesn't share those fancy expensive digs with some of the homeless folks or the frail impoverished elderly.....
And this has nothing to do with the Catholic sex scandal? Really give us a break..........
montanalady,
Proof please. Or are you just being nasty?
Good for the Church!? Does that mean he was a terrible Pope, which IMHO he really was! Anyway, I am a hard-core atheist so what do I care?;)
No, this does not mean he is a terrible Pope. It means what he said; he is tired and too old and infirm to continue. Quite a noble thing to do.
As you said, your opinion on this issue is irrelevant.
I cant believe all the buybull thumpers here sticking up for this scumbag child molester. the man should be executed asap. every one but stupid christians know he was involved with child molestation. and jonh paul is the one who had bena dick investigated before he died. 2000 year old ponzi of child molesters. lol but keep believeing in dumb and see how things work out. fools
keep not believing and see how that works out one day, all people will believe in Christ , either now or when you die which will be too late, even the devil believes and trembles