Thursday, February 28, 2013

Pope Benedict's Last Day as Pope...

I see today as the perfect day to start this blog.  Today is the final day that Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th pope, will be pope. For the first time in nearly 600 years, a pope has resigned.  The last time such a momentous occasion occurred was when Pope Gregory XII resigned in 1415 along with Benedict XIII who simultaneously resigned in order to allow for the election of a new Pope, thus ending the Western Schism.  The resignation of the pope presents a unique opportunity for the Catholic Church.  In an ever evolving world full of skeptics, new religions, and Catholics who are less than satisfied with the current establishment, what kind of leader will the cardinals elect?

This is a weighty matter which I will tackle tomorrow.  For now, I wish to thank Pope Benedict for being able to say that he is not able to carry on his duties and needs to step down.  I wish him a peaceful time at Castel Gandolfo while he is there, until he permanently retires to Mater Ecclesiae, a former monastery inside the Vatican.

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