Pope Benedict XVI is resigning. Due to his age and his deteriorating physical ability, the Pope announced that he will step down at the end of the month.
For the first time since 1415, a pontiff is stepping down from his role. This means that for the first time in over six centuries, there will be a living pope with a successor.
The 85-year-old pope decided that with a deteriorating mind and body, he is no longer able to fulfill the role which he has had since April 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II.
"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," the pope said in a surprise statement on Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering," Benedict said. "However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. 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 recognize 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 St. Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005.
The decision isn't spontaneous or due to a specific illness. According to the Wall Street Journal, a spokesman said this isn something Pope Benedict XVI has been considering for a long time.
Pope Benedict XVI will no longer be the pope as on 8 p.m. on February 28. Cardinals will gather to elect a new pope. This will begin right away, but when a pope passes away, there is usually a nine day mourning period following the death. With the process starting as soon as possible, there will be a new pope by Easter, which falls on March 31 this year.
Pope Benedict XVI is among a handful of popes who chose to resign. At the end of the 13th century, Celestine V resigned at the age of 80 as he was exhausted. The was thrown in prison by his successor.
Pope Benedict understands that the move might not be accepted, but he explained his feelings towards this in a 2010 interview.
"If a Pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically, and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," the pope said according to the WSJ.
When he said this, the pope said he wouldn't resign at the time due to chaos in the church.
"When the danger is great one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign. Precisely at a time like this one must stand fast and endure the situation. That is my view. One can resign at a peaceful moment or when one simply cannot go on. But one must not run away from danger and say someone else should do it," he said.
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