[Elievalkyrie]

Not insinuating something here. I just want to know folk's opinion about this one. Feel free to comment.  ^_^

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/lightning-strikes-st-peters-basilica-rome-photo_n_2668850.html

[Simon]

[Simon]

I think his resignation shows he isn’t as power mad and evil as wmscog plays him out (some popes are obviously evil and power mad this is known)

curious how wmscog will or is playing it

[ttr]

I don't see much in the lighting strike, as they have a lighting rod on top, and that's what it's there for. 

Here's the resignation letter for those who missed it: 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio_en.html

DECLARATIO

Video

 

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, 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 barque 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 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 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

[Sarah2013]

Hmmm…. No comment.

[Elievalkyrie]

Yes, I too think that it is good that the pope did not have any qualms in resigning. It somehow shows that he was not there for the position at all though I could not uderstand why he would resign due to bad health. Many popes died still popes in the end.

[Sarah2013]

Don’t shoot the messenger…. View the following video.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eyk4n2lXhpE

[Elievalkyrie]

There are many speculations certainly. I heard one person saying that it was not really due to health reasons but because the pope was a theologian and he may have read something that he found very disturbing and opted to resign than to stay in the papacy seat knowing that "thing" he have discovered while reading. Anyway, we shall never know. 

[Simon]

allegedly it was advice from John Paul ii that he should resign if he gets sick

[Sarah2013]

I see.

[emil]

Elievalkyrie wrote:

There are many speculations certainly. I heard one person saying that it was not really due to health reasons but because the pope was a theologian and he may have read something that he found very disturbing and opted to resign than to stay in the papacy seat knowing that "thing" he have discovered while reading. Anyway, we shall never know. 

Such speculation is completely illogical. Once you admit he is a theologian, he would know the consequences of having mislead people in the past. If he realized something had been wrong, he would be bound to stay on and use his position to reveal the "thing".

The only way that speculation can be possible (highly improbable) is if the pope became atheist. In that case, the new revelation can be kept hidden because he does not believe in eternal damnation for hiding it.

When speculation is repeated enough, it takes on an aura of fact so it is better not to give it any publicity by repetition.

[Elievalkyrie]

emil wrote:

Elievalkyrie wrote:

There are many speculations certainly. I heard one person saying that it was not really due to health reasons but because the pope was a theologian and he may have read something that he found very disturbing and opted to resign than to stay in the papacy seat knowing that "thing" he have discovered while reading. Anyway, we shall never know. 

Such speculation is completely illogical. Once you admit he is a theologian, he would know the consequences of having mislead people in the past. If he realized something had been wrong, he would be bound to stay on and use his position to reveal the "thing".

The only way that speculation can be possible (highly improbable) is if the pope became atheist. In that case, the new revelation can be kept hidden because he does not believe in eternal damnation for hiding it.

When speculation is repeated enough, it takes on an aura of fact so it is better not to give it any publicity by repetition.

Not really, you can stop being a Catholic without becoming an atheist. Whatever IS the reason, people can only speculate and without enough evidence, I don't think it has any danger of becoming a fact.

[emil]

Elievalkyrie wrote:

Not really, you can stop being a Catholic without becoming an atheist. Whatever IS the reason, people can only speculate and without enough evidence, I don't think it has any danger of becoming a fact.

I agree but that was not the point I was making. I meant that if the pope did realize there was some serious doctrinal error that he had found, (as hinted in the speculation) then he would be duty bound to proclaim it if he believed in eternal damnation for leading people astray. As an atheist he would not believe in eternal damnation so he wouldn't worry about proclaiming it. There may be other scenarios but none readily come to my mind.

Sorry if my meaning was not clear.

[Elievalkyrie]

I see. Thank you for the clarifications. Well, there is still a chance of that happening. We will never know for sure unless months passed and nothing happens. Though they could have tried to "shush" him up with threats and all but THAT is purely speculation too. ^_^

[emil]

Elievalkyrie wrote:

I see. Thank you for the clarifications. Well, there is still a chance of that happening. We will never know for sure unless months passed and nothing happens. Though they could have tried to "shush" him up with threats and all but THAT is purely speculation too. ^_^

Not really. If he had to do it, it would have to be while he still is the pope. He has the power to introduce doctrinal changes now, not after he has stepped down.

[Elievalkyrie]

But major doctrinal changes could shake the whole Christian world. For example, what if the pope would forbid people from praying to Mary? Can you imagine the chaos that would caused to people who just loves praying to her instead of Jesus? ^_^

[emil]

The temporal consequences would not overide the spiritual. If it is right, it is right. If he believed that and failed to effect that change while in office, it would spell eternal doom for him.

That is why the whole speculation is erroneous.

[Sarah2013]

I feel there is a lot we don’t know here, good and bad.

[emil]

Sarah2013 wrote:

I feel there is a lot we don't know here, good and bad.

Possibly

[Simon]

the pope doesn’t really have the authority to change things in all cases if nothing more if it’s too severe they will assume he’s one of the false popes from history

[Love'n Honey]

it's all a hoax! don't be fooled! the devil knows fathers coming is near so he's trying to play a nice guy card. he's trying to make the pope appear to be nothing more than a man who loves god and they're creations.

either that or..

this is great news! the devil is finally realizing his defeat.

[Simon]

how did I not figure that one out