Ping!
I’m not a Catholic, but I do enjoy watching all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Pope and the goings-on at the Vatican. I’ve got my issues with Catholic theology... But I think Jesus was serious when he told Peter “upon this Rock...” And such. So... I look forward to the process. Pope Benedict was a good man, a smart and thoughtful leader.
I have my own take on why he’s stepping down, that seems so obvious but nobody seems to be saying it-— it’s because he wants to set a new precedent. He has written at length before he was Pope that he believed that Pontiffs were all hanging on too long, waiting to die in office, long after their bodies and minds had let them down. That it was a better service to the Church to step down -before- you became an invalid. That the Church deserved someone with their full energy and vitality.
A sensible and defensible argument, whether you agree or not. I think he’s taking this step to make precedent— and make it that much easier or perhaps -expected- of future Popes. Anyway... My .02
Thanks