Pope Benedict Resigning

[Nihil Obstat]

Now that I think about it, Cardinal Llovera, Arinze's replacement at the CDW, would probably make an excellent pope. He is also quite young, relatively speaking.

 

That site Al posted gives him about the same chance as Burke.

[cappie]

I hope Dr. Ed Peters does a quick piece on how current Canon Law treats a resigned pope. :) He always has something interesting to say.

 

 

Papa Emeritus

            

                            

            

        
        
                        

The resignation of Benedict XVI portends no problems for Church governance.

We know exactly when the vacancy in the
Apostolic See will occur (2 pm, Eastern time, Thursday, FEB 28) and we
know what laws will govern the Church during said vacancy (ap. con. Universi Dominici Gregis).
Up until then the pope is fully the pope (c. 331), and after that, he
isn’t; most heads of Roman dicasteries will immediately cease
functioning in their offices, and canonical clocks will start ticking,
culminating in the next papal conclave in mid-March.

What canon law does not, to my
knowledge, treat of—and has not experienced for nearly 600 years—is the
status of a former pope. I’m sure Vatican protocol experts are working
on it, but my ruminations are as follows. These are, per force, first
impressions.

Resignation in canon law impacts only
the offices actually resigned. Benedict XVI is resigning the
distinguishable but inseparable offices of the papacy and the bishopric
of Rome, so, effective the evening of February 28, he will hold neither
office (nor of necessity the papal Lateran basilica).

Now, prior to his election as pope in
2005, Joseph Ratzinger was a cardinal in the Roman Church and possessed
certain rights and duties as a cardinal. I am not aware that he resigned
that office (though he vacated his suburbicarian see of
Velletri-Segni, which is now held by Cdl Arinze), so, I am thinking
that, upon resigning the papacy, Benedict XVI simply resumes his place
among the College of Cardinals, having never left it, and of course,
would be a regular member of the College of Bishops (c. 336).
 

If the pope simply resumes his status
as cardinal, a number of sticky problems are avoided: for example, he
automatically falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the next pope
(c. 1405 § 1, 2º), and he would likewise enjoy faculties for sacramental
confession everywhere (c. 967 § 1). Could we really imagine the
alternative: a former pope being subjected to the jurisdiction of
someone other than the next pope, or his needing faculties from an ordinary to hear confessions? Well, if Benedict is not
a cardinal come the evening of Feb 28—well in advance of the arrival of
new pope who could take whatever action he wished at that time—both of
those scenarios would seem to apply.

Also, upon acceptance of the office of
Bishop of Rome, I think the pope became incardinated in that local
Church (cc. 265 ff); now, I see no mechanism by which a bishop loses his
incardination upon resigning his governing office, so it seems that
Cdl. Ratzinger would remain a cleric of the Archdiocese of Rome, being
generally bound the rules applying to all such clerics. He would be the
emeritus bishop of that local Church (c. 185). An expert in Italian
canon law could tell us whether retired prelates there are voting
members of the Italian Episcopal Conference (c. 454 § 2), but, aside
from his being accountable only to future pope, I think it is clear that
Benendict intends a life of quiet prayer and study, so the question is
interesting (I think!), but quite moot.

It is customary in some places to refer
to former presidents and former ambassadors as “President” or
“Ambassador” after they have given up office. I see no problem in
referring to “His Holiness, Joseph Ratzinger, Papa Emeritus and Cardinal
of the H. R. C.”

 

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/

[Nihil Obstat]

Papa Emeritus
 

            

                            

            

        
        
                        

The resignation of Benedict XVI portends no problems for Church governance.

We know exactly when the vacancy in the
Apostolic See will occur (2 pm, Eastern time, Thursday, FEB 28) and we
know what laws will govern the Church during said vacancy (ap. con. Universi Dominici Gregis).
Up until then the pope is fully the pope (c. 331), and after that, he
isn’t; most heads of Roman dicasteries will immediately cease
functioning in their offices, and canonical clocks will start ticking,
culminating in the next papal conclave in mid-March.

What canon law does not, to my
knowledge, treat of—and has not experienced for nearly 600 years—is the
status of a former pope. I’m sure Vatican protocol experts are working
on it, but my ruminations are as follows. These are, per force, first
impressions.

Resignation in canon law impacts only
the offices actually resigned. Benedict XVI is resigning the
distinguishable but inseparable offices of the papacy and the bishopric
of Rome, so, effective the evening of February 28, he will hold neither
office (nor of necessity the papal Lateran basilica).

Now, prior to his election as pope in
2005, Joseph Ratzinger was a cardinal in the Roman Church and possessed
certain rights and duties as a cardinal. I am not aware that he resigned
that office (though he vacated his suburbicarian see of
Velletri-Segni, which is now held by Cdl Arinze), so, I am thinking
that, upon resigning the papacy, Benedict XVI simply resumes his place
among the College of Cardinals, having never left it, and of course,
would be a regular member of the College of Bishops (c. 336).
 

If the pope simply resumes his status
as cardinal, a number of sticky problems are avoided: for example, he
automatically falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the next pope
(c. 1405 § 1, 2º), and he would likewise enjoy faculties for sacramental
confession everywhere (c. 967 § 1). Could we really imagine the
alternative: a former pope being subjected to the jurisdiction of
someone other than the next pope, or his needing faculties from an ordinary to hear confessions? Well, if Benedict is not
a cardinal come the evening of Feb 28—well in advance of the arrival of
new pope who could take whatever action he wished at that time—both of
those scenarios would seem to apply.

Also, upon acceptance of the office of
Bishop of Rome, I think the pope became incardinated in that local
Church (cc. 265 ff); now, I see no mechanism by which a bishop loses his
incardination upon resigning his governing office, so it seems that
Cdl. Ratzinger would remain a cleric of the Archdiocese of Rome, being
generally bound the rules applying to all such clerics. He would be the
emeritus bishop of that local Church (c. 185). An expert in Italian
canon law could tell us whether retired prelates there are voting
members of the Italian Episcopal Conference (c. 454 § 2), but, aside
from his being accountable only to future pope, I think it is clear that
Benendict intends a life of quiet prayer and study, so the question is
interesting (I think!), but quite moot.

It is customary in some places to refer
to former presidents and former ambassadors as “President” or
“Ambassador” after they have given up office. I see no problem in
referring to “His Holiness, Joseph Ratzinger, Papa Emeritus and Cardinal
of the H. R. C.”

 

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/

Ah, he is quick! I was just saying on his Facebook page that I hope he had time to write precisely that. :)

[OnlySunshine]

I don't want to be disrespectful to the situation, but I'm hoping that Cardinal Burke is given a fair chance.  I know next to nothing about Cardinal Arinze.

[eagle_eye222001]

Pope Benedict is a genius as his exit is under the best conditions, and yet he still remains a man of his word.  Why the world is surprised, I don't know.  All the clues were there.

 

 

All this speculation is ridiculous.  I laugh at the secular press and all this concern about "what happens."  Ed Peters actually makes it out to be a lot clearer than I initially though it would be.  I knew it wouldn't be a big deal, but the way he spells it out is quite clear and untroubled.

 

Pope Benedict will retire into quiet like previous US presidents and the Church will continue.  Nothing is going to happen......  Yes it's history...and that's cool....but that's about it.

 

I give BXVI kudos for going out in such a style.  He has the world in stitches and all he did was follow through with what he'd say he would do.

 

 

Rock on Pope Benny!  Many secular articles say your papal reign was a failure.....but we know better :crusader2:

 

You fought the good fight.....God bless in your well deserved and overdue retirement. :amen:

[BarbTherese]

Daily prayer for Pope Benedict and for our new pope whoever this might be - I am confident that The Lord can be trusted.

[the171]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcmUYDU-2DY

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnfv1LUMaBA

[sixpence]

No, he is not the one Dante put in hell. His successor (Who put him to death after he resigned) was the one Dante put in hell.

 

oh snap!!

 

 

Well, I was shocked this morning...a little shaken, but I trust God, there must be a reason for this even if we do not understand it right now.  Suppose he has developed some kind of bad mental issues along the lines of Alzheimers?  Can you imagine what kind of scandals we could have if he started making crazy statements?

[Nihil Obstat]

If the Holy Father has been praying about this for as long as it seems, and if this is the conclusion he has reached, then all that is left for me to do is to trust that this is for the good of the Church.

It is not usual, and perhaps all things being equal it is better for the pope to die in office, but if prayer has led him here, I will not say otherwise.

[BigJon16]

I heard the news this morning, and thus said morning prayer in beloved intention for Benedict and the Church. I was upset at first, but as I prayed I think God gave me a certain peace about this. As I plead out to him my confusion and sadness, He seemed to say "Be not afraid. All is in my hands." It was a beautiful moment of peace that made my day.

 

"The Lord will give strength to his people,

the Lord will bless his people with peace."

 

 

Unusual? Yes. But unusual is not always bad. One can say that God becoming man and dieing on cross is quite unusual, but they would be highly mistaken if they were to say that it was a "bad move." 

 

 

 

Oh, and I'd like to share from our beloved Marc Barnes over at Bad Catholic: Awesome post is awesome.

A Reflection on the Abdication of Pope Benedict XVII

An unusual post for an unusual day. I’m transcribing my notebook because I don’t have anything particularly structured to say about our Holy Father’s resignation:

 

He, the scholar by the window, braving a life of declarative sentences and scriptural exegesis, was swept up into ecstasy by the Holy Spirit to dwell in high places with Him.

 

On the day of his anointing he wore a sweater underneath his finery, for it was cold. “Pray for me,” he said to me, “that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”

 

But what a wolf-wrestler our sweatered German turned out to be. He taught me that the Dictator is best assassinated by silence. Silence and encyclicals.

 

I’m sure he missed his books, his window, and the sparrows fidgeting outside, but he was courageous. He was the second hundred and fifty sixth, the sixteenth and the first. He told my generation to “leave the dead-end streets of consumerism” and we haven’t listened yet.

 

I saw his capfly off in the wind as he preached in a Spanish storm. His heart is as pure as his prose. He is a man of peace that cleaves like a sword.

 

He ruled with authority, motu proprio, applying salves to the schisms in the Skin, going about the business of waking a yawning Church with reminders of Her glory: See how the sparrows are clothed in surplices, stoles, cassocks, and frocks, the trees with their crosiers and capes. Do not ask what we will wear, the Bride of Christ is provided for. Just read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

 

He played the piano because God is Beauty, and “it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy.”

 

Enemies crowned him, jewels of a love that makes declarative sentences, while he made American saints and prayed for the salvation of sinners. How unwitting
the darkness that made his light shine brighter.

 

He leaves as he came, with a humility that shocks the world.

 

Edited February 11, 2013 by BigJon16

[dUSt]

For selfish reasons, I hope it's Cardinal Francis Arinze.

 

1. He's awesome.

2. I met him while he was washing his feet at the ATL airport.

3. Phatmass owns francisarinze.com

[Evangetholic]

Were the good Cardinal a Protestant theologian, he'd most likely sue you to get that domain name.

[dUSt]

Were the good Cardinal a Protestant theologian, he'd most likely sue you to get that domain name.

 

All Arinze would have to do is ask me for it and give a shout out to phatmass at his papal acceptance speech.

[vee]

When I told my mom of the news this morning she mentioned a couple of things she noticed while watching a papal mass on ewtn a week or so ago.  One was that His Holiness did not walk far but instead stood on a platform with wheels and that was how he made his way down the aisle.  Upon bending to kiss the altar His Holiness dropped his crozier and it was caught in the nick of time by an assistant!  Surely he knows himself and his health far better than we do and has not made this decision rashly.  I am grateful to have had Papa Benny as pope even though it does seem it was just a short time.

[PhuturePriest]

Unusual? Yes. But unusual is not always bad. One can say that God becoming man and dieing on cross is quite unusual, but they would be highly mistaken if they were to say that it was a "bad move."

 

For instance, I am unusual, and yet it's that wonderful kind of unusual you only see once in a lifetime.