As pope becomes more frail, talk of resignation no longer taboo

Catholic News Service ^ | 2 June A.D. 2002 | John Thavis

[Siobhan]

MALACHI MARTIN ALERT: Sorry, folks, but this reads like a chapter from a Malachi Martin novel. I have no doubt that there are plenty of devious men in the Vatican and among the Cardinals -- like the Honduran prelate in this article -- who would love nothing better than to sequester this Pope in Poland, shut him up in a monastery, and elect a Pope of their liking.

[Siobhan]

Bump

Please freepermail me if you would like off of my bump/ping list.

[Siobhan]

Indexing....

[Dog Gone]

How many old frail Popes have been "hurried" into the afterlife? I'll bet there have been several.

(Not suggesting or encouraging that here, of course.)

[sinkspur]

MALACHI MARTIN ALERT: Sorry, folks, but this reads like a chapter from a Malachi Martin novel. I have no doubt that there are plenty of devious men in the Vatican and among the Cardinals -- like the Honduran prelate in this article -- who would love nothing better than to sequester this Pope in Poland, shut him up in a monastery, and elect a Pope of their liking.

Wasn't Martin a little nutty?

Ratzinger hardly sounds like someone who would welcome JPII's resignation, unless, of course, JPII can't function.

If he can't function, someone else will be running the show anyway.

[MarMema]

Bump for a great new pope and a great new beginning for your church! Soon.

[Coleus]

John Paul I

[cold_vicious_logic]

My grandmother died of Parkinsons (or at least it started out as Parkinsons). It is a slow, degenerative killer which takes its afflicted apart one day at a time, eventually leaving them as a vegetable. At JPII's age and health, I think it would be ludicrous for anyone to expect him to hold out until the bitter end. That would serve no purpose either for himself or for the Church. I'd say the time has come for him to pass on the torch.

[Black Cat]

Sadly, I agree. I believe that someday -- probably sooner rather than later -- JP2 will be recognized as a saint, and he's done a wonderful job leading the church into the 21st century, but I'm sure that no one realizes more than him that the church requires active leadership, not a bedfast figurehead. John Paul has served for nearly a quarter-century and has earned tranquility in his final days. There's no shame in that.

[AdA$tra]

Pope Pius XII had left instructions that if the Nazis arrested him during World War II,

Doesn't sound like he was a Nazi collaborator to me.

Seriously though, I pray for our current Pope and that our next Pope can follow through with John Paul's determination, strenth and doctrines.

[sinkspur]

John Paul I

Must some of us wear tin-foil on Catholic threads as well?

[Catholicguy]

for a great new pope and a great new beginning for your church! Soon.

Often, the worst judges of Popes are those that are alive during their Papacy, but I think he will be remembered as "The Great." I have been one of his freq. critics because he doesn't excommuncate these Bishops but I am willling to admit that perhaps, just perhaps, he knows a bit more than do I....

It is not like he doesn't know what is going on, so, one has to asume he knows that excommunicating a bevy of Bishops would not improve the situation. While it certainly would make ME feel better if he did defrock a bunch of Bishops , I am positive the Pope knows what is best for the Faith worldwide

[Verginius Rufus]

John Paul II was elected in October 1978. If he is still pope in October 2003, he can celebrate his jubilee. I don't know if that is a consideration with him.

Only 2 popes in the past millennium have made it past the 25-year mark: Piux IX (1846-1878) and Leo XIII (1878-1903), the latter with just a few months to spare. Two other popes fell just short: Pius VI (24 years, 6 months and 14 days) and Pius VII (23 years, 5 months and 16 days). John Paul II is now at 23 years and 7 months.

[Lessismore]

he can celebrate his jubilee.

He's in no condition to celebrate.

[Niagara]

When one considers the current state of the Church, especially in the US, I think Martin is looking more and more like a prophet.

[Cicero]

It's very unlikely he will resign. Just as it wouldn't do the U.S. much harm if congress took a vacation for a few years and forgot to pass any new laws, it wouldn't do the Church any harm if the Pope were to fall ill for a few years and didn't write any encyclicals. This Pope has written more great encyclicals than any ten other popes. I quiet period in the Church wouldn't do any harm, and if God doesn't want that, He can take the Pope to himself any time He decides.

Dante called the action of a medieval pope who resigned and was replaced by a wicked successor, "il gran refuto," and he gave him a place in hell in the Divine Comedy for resigning. No, I think this pope will patiently accept whatever God sends him.

[Salvation]

This is nonsense. Popes don't resign!

[Lady In Blue]

"some of us" also don't think there's anything wrong with the Masons either!

[Lady In Blue]

Bump! Exactly!

[Lady In Blue]

Bump to your post.And as an aside, as a traditional Catholic,I believe that the last person on earth,we should criticize is the Vicar of Christ.I remember hearing an old Italian saying which goes something like this: "If you try to eat the Pope,you will get indigestion." I think that's pretty close to it.