- TNP Nation
- McMasterdonia
Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign on February 28th due to his age. He is the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years.
The 85 year old announced his intentions to resign in Latin to a meeting of his cardinals. The Pope has said he is resigning due to the restrictions that his age is placing upon his ability to carry out his duties.
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry, In order to govern the bark of Saint 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 recognise 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 Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is," the Pope said.
The last Pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who in 1415 resigned, in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.
A Papal Conclave will be held immediately after the Pope's official resignation as there is no mourning period that would usually occur after a death of the Pope. As with the last Papacy change there is no clear successor.
The 85 year old announced his intentions to resign in Latin to a meeting of his cardinals. The Pope has said he is resigning due to the restrictions that his age is placing upon his ability to carry out his duties.
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry, In order to govern the bark of Saint 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 recognise 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 Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is," the Pope said.
The last Pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who in 1415 resigned, in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.
A Papal Conclave will be held immediately after the Pope's official resignation as there is no mourning period that would usually occur after a death of the Pope. As with the last Papacy change there is no clear successor.
