Following his trend to revive old thing (Latin Mass, various vestments, etc) at the Vatican Benedict did the improbable. Benedict XVI has announced his abdication of the Papal Crown at the end of this month, it seems like a surprise that everyone has been expecting. Although resignation is not that rare in Vatican circles as numerous time during that later part of John Paul II’s Papacy there was some talk about if JP would resign. Keeping the College of Cardinals stocked with electors, sending representatives to various functions that he was to attend are just some of the clues that Benedict dropped. Also he has written about that the idea of abdication on health grounds which already had some theological respectability in his book The Light of the World. It is good that he decided to step aside before his health became what the story was about, having been one of John Paul II’s right hand men during his last months, especially knowing that the whole Lenten/Passiontide/Easter thing is a kind of important time. Who is to know besides Benedict just how he is feeling and if he is able to do the Pope business. There have been a small number of Popes to resign Celestine V the last to give it up willingly, Gregory XII to resolve the Western Schism are two of the more famous ones. There have been others that have been thrown out as well.
I admire the writings of Benedict XVI, being the first papacy that I have read the encyclicals when they were first published. Sure I have read a good deal of encyclicals (most of the Catholic Social Teaching) but those were all years after they had been written and discussed by scholars and digested. I am sure that there will be more writings to come from Benedict XVI. Although, I was eagerly awaiting his encyclical on Faith which was reported as of last December to be released in the first half of the year, which might still come out but is looking less likely by the day Benedict has brought a new generation into the academic world of the Church, with his writings. Many might say that John Paul was a great leader and admire his longevity as Pope, but for most he was their first Pope. Benedict has been a great Pope, a bit conservative but always there for Catholics. I mean he did an awful lot striving to remind the World that we’ve got a friend in Jesus who even though the world has become ever more secularized he is still here, gone out of his way to try to repair some of the divisions in the church (SSPX, Anglicans and Orthodox) and apologizing many times for the sexual abuses that have taken place.
Who will be the next pope seems to be the question of the day/week. There are rumors abounding about who the next Pope will be, let’s first remember that if rumors are truth we should have had Cardinal Arinze as our current Pope. To be clear there have been some names that might become Pope and others that are just funny, I mean Cardinal Dolan, an American Pope that would never happen. To think that Benedict XVI was first though of as a short pontificate, a couple of years tops and now in his seventh year about 37 books and three encyclicals later we are blessed by the scholarly Pope that we have. The Holy Sprit works in mysterious ways. When the conclave begin we will have another spotlight moment for the Catholic Church, it is humorous that the spotlight only seems to find the church when it is at a transition or to highlight some horrendous thing that the Church has done. As the Papacy of Benedict XVI winds down and the season of Lent begin I hope that we can keep the Church in our prayers.
Late last year I was asked what the Church needs for the future and I believe it rest on attracting young adults. The church need to keep those in the 15-30 bracket and have some use for them in the church, I know some churches have youth masses once a month to try to attract the youth but the young adult seem like the group that is always forgot about in planning church events. I only can hope that this new Pontiff can reach the young church and give them a reason to stick around. Hopefully with Twitter and the numerous clergy, religious and laity blogging about their lives of faith this attracts others toward the Church. We can only hope that the Holy Spirit comes down and blesses us and help the Cardinals discern an inspired spiritual leader for the Catholic Church for a good while.
Deep in the well 