Pope Benedict XVI to resign in Vatican historical decision

Pope Benedict XVI resigns, according to Italian publication La Repubblica. The Pope announced his resignation decision during a service held on Monday and is due to leave office on 28 February 2013 (scroll down for video).

Pope Benedict XVI surprised the audience during a speech in Latin during a consistory, said Vatican spokesman, cited by AFP.

Pope Benedict XVI explained that he does not have the “strength” needed to lead the Catholic Church because of his old age, 85, and decided to step down on February 28.

“After analyzing my conscience before the Lord on various occasions, I have confidence that my forces are too weak to be able to adequately exercise the function in the petrinian ministry” said Pope during his speech in Latin at Vatican, according to a French translation released by the Vatican office later.

“Pope said it would abandon his ministry at 20.00 hrs on 28 February. As of that moment the “sede vacante” (vacant job) starts,” said spokesman Federico Lombardi, in an memorable statement in the history of the Catholic Church.

Benedict XVI, in Latin Benedictus PP. XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, April 16, 1927, Marktl am Inn, Bavaria) is the incumbent pope of the Catholic Church, being elected on 19 April 2005 following a 2005 Conclave, as the successor to Pope John Paul II.

At the same time he holds the functions of Bishop of Rome and sovereign of Vatican City State. Benedict XVI is the 265th pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and the first German pope after 482 years (the last German pope was Pope Adrian VI who ruled for a short period 1522-1523).

Prior to his election as pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was dean of the College of Cardinals, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical International Theological Commission.

When took the office at the age of 78, Benedict was the oldest pope elected since Pope Clement XII in 1730 and the first German pontiff after Dutch-German Adrian VI.
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During his eight-year pontificate, Benedict XVI has dealt with scandal of pedophilia among the clergy, the most profound crisis of the contemporary Church. Last year he was forced to face an internal scandal over the leaking of confidential information that led to the conviction of his butler, Paolo Gabriele, who was seen as a symptom of grievances and disputes within the Curia, but also as a personal betrayal that deeply affected Joseph Ratzinger. Pope said that his strength has “weakened in recent months to such an extent, that I must admit inability to manage well the ministry entrusted to me”.

In a book-interview entitled “Light of the World”, published in 2010, the Pope spoke about the possibility of resignation if he will not feel able to continue. Answering questions from German journalist Peter Seewald, Benedict XVI revealed that a pope “has the right and, under the circumstances, the duty to resign” when feeling that “physical, psychological and spiritual” forces drop. In a press conference, Lombardi admitted that the “Pope took us a little by surprise, during a day of celebration for the Vatican.”

Apparently the Pope “took advantage of the opportunity that a large number of cardinals gathered in Rome in the consistory”. “Most of them had not been informed in advance” Lombardi assured. He stressed that the Pope was able for a self analysis. “We have noticed as well his fatigue in recent years, there was an imbalance between his forces and the required effort,” added Lombardi. Celestine V created the only similar precedent in the history of the Church, as he abdicated from office as soon as he was elected in 1924. He lived in isolation until his appointment as Pope and did not feel prepared to assume this role in the Church. To express the high level of surprise, dean of cardinals, Archbishop Angelo Sodano spoke of a “clear sky lightning”.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said he was “very shaken by this unexpected announcement.”

French President François Hollande described Pope’s decision as “eminently respectable”. Germany, home of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed “respect” and “gratitude” to the Pope, who “led the Church for eight years.”

Born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl-am-Inn in a modest family living in a deeply Catholic Bavaria, Joseph Ratzinger succeeded the very charismatic Pope John Paul II on 19 April 2005, at the age of 78, after leading the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for nearly quarter a century.

Video: Pope unveils abdication, too tired to continue