The entire world woke up on the morning of February 28, 2013, only to hear the news that the world’s most powerful Catholic at the time, Pope Benedict XVI, had resigned his leadership of the papacy.
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This was no ordinary news because the last time this kind of thing happened was 600 years ago when Gregory XII stepped down in 1415.
Pope Benedict XVI gave a health reason when he resigned in 2013. Photo credit: Getty Images/Franco Origlia.Source: Getty Images
Gregory XII was elected Pope on November 30, 1406. He was previously known by his birth name, Angelo Corraro. He would later die on October 18, 1417, two years after his resignation from the papacy.
No such thing happened again until Pope Benedict XVI repeated history on February 28, 2013. These events were 600 years apart.
For an event to happen again more than six centuries after the last one, understandably sparked a lot of reactions and interests among Catholics, historians and many more people who were simply interested in organised religion. A lot of people, however, praised him for taking a step backwards.
When did Benedict become Pope?
Before he became the Pope, Benedict XVI was known as Cardinal Ratzinger. Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, succeeding Pope John Paul II.
Ratzinger’s father was a policeman, and his mother was a cook.
Born on April 16, 1927, Ratzinger was a distinguished theologian and worked as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Many people did not expect Ratzinger to be elected Pope in 2005 because he was one of the front runners.
Pope Benedict XVI was the first to resign after 600 years. Photo credit: Getty Images/Peter Macdiarmid and Franco Origlia.Source: Getty Images
In the history of the conclave, many front runners were never chosen to head the church. He himself said he prayed not to be elected.
Why did Pope Benedict resign?
According to historical records, Pope Benedict offered to step down voluntarily from the papacy. According to him, he was no longer in good health to lead the church.
He had said in a speech delivered to his cardinals and bishops at the height of the events in 2013 that his health no longer gives him the strength he needed to lead over 1 billion Catholics worldwide.
His words:
“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.”
Pope Benedict went ahead to thank those who supported his ministry as the Bishop of Rome.
He said:
“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.”
He also uttered the words “ingravescente aetate”, the Latin term for advancing age.
When did Pope Benedict die?
After his resignation from his position as pope, Benedict lived in Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City.
He died on December 31, 2022 at the age of 95.
Who will be the next pontiff after Pope Francis?
In a related story reported by TheTalk.NG, after Pope Francis was hospitalised, there were speculations already as to who would succeed him.
Reports emerged in the week that the papal head was in the hospital where he was recovering from pneumonia.
There are at least eight top cardinals at the Vatican who might possibly succeed the ailing Pope, who is currently 88 years old.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at TheTalk.NG.
Source: TheTalk.NG
