The Italian state news agency, ANSA, is reporting that Pope Benedict XVI is to resign on 28 February for health reasons due to his "advanced age". He will be the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, since Gregory XII gave up the throne in 1415 to solve the fact that there were three claimants to the Papacy.

Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the college of cardinals, called the decision - which was made personally in a speech in Latin by the Pope at a meeting called a consistory - "a bolt from the blue". Benedict XVI is 85 years old, and has been Pope since April 2005.

Paddy Power is offering odds on where the next pope will come from, with Italy the favourite at 5/4, but both Africa and Canada (yes, a continent being compared to a nation) looking likely at 2/1 and 5/2 respectively. Ladbrokes is offering odds on named successors: 5/2 for Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 3/1 for Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 4/1 for Cardinal Francis Arinze, and 6/1 for Cardinal Angelo Scola.

The full text of the pope's resignation reads as follows:

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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.

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. 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 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 fulfil 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.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Sad news. Hopefully Cardinal Bagnasco will be our next Pope.

It seems like you have an opinion on everything

He'll be back.

-Phat

And nobody cares about any of them.

I make it a point to know as much as I can about everything.

I see the parallels.

The Cathedra Romana improves my quality of life beyond recognition.

You can stop using the Gregorian calendar whenever you like.

The title is generally considered a lifetime commitment.

The Pope seeks immunity: The end of the Vatican could be near

Catholic Church
February 15, 2013
By: Barbie Crafts
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The Pope will have immunity from prosecution regarding the mishandling of child sex crimes by staying within the walls of the Vatican, according to an anonymous Vatican source. Reuters reported Friday, Feb. 15, that church sources have explained that the retiring Pope Benedict would be “defenseless” if he leaves the Vatican.

This official news story comes on the heels of a statement issued by the International Tribunal into Crimes Against Church and State (ITCCS) that detailed the legal situation that surrounds the Pope and the Vatican. An unnamed European country and the ITCCS have issued a campaign to hold the Pope accountable for the Vatican’s cover-up of child sex crimes. There was an international arrest warrant secured for the Pope’s arrest:

On Friday, February 1, 2013, on the basis of evidence supplied by our affiliated Common Law Court of Justice (itccs.org), our Office concluded an agreement with representatives of a European nation and its courts to secure an arrest warrant against Joseph Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict, for crimes against humanity and ordering a criminal conspiracy.

The Tribunal and the unnamed European nation intend to take a lien against the property and wealth of the Catholic Church, beginning on Easter Sunday March 31. They are calling it an “Easter Reclamation Campaign," part of which involves citizens seizing the assets of the Church under international law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The basic purpose of the action is stated at the end of the document issued by The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State:

We call upon all citizens and governments to assist our efforts to legally and directly disestablish the Vatican, Inc. and arrest its chief officers and clergy who are complicit in crimes against humanity and the ongoing criminal conspiracy to aid and protect child torture and trafficking.

The document was delivered to the Pope’s representative on Feb. 4 and the Pope resigned on Feb. 10. So, it appears that the Pope may have resigned to avoid arrest and to avoid forfeiture of property by the Vatican. Stuart Wilde.com has a story today that Pope Benedict will meet with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on February 23 to request immunity and protection.

The entire story behind the first resignation of a sitting pope in over 600 years is just beginning to develop. The threat to the institution of the Vatican and its extensive financial holdings, however, is very real. As this international tribunal with the backing of at least one nation pursues the centuries-old institution and her holiest of leaders, the situation may bring changes that were never imagined possible.

Decades, perhaps even centuries, of blatant immorality from the Catholic Church and all we get is a calendar? Can we trade back?

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-pop ... ld-be-near



This is most likely just silly exaggeration, but it'd be good news if it wasn't.