Resignation of Pope Benedict takes effect today
Posted February 28, 2013 7:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VATICAN CITY (NEWS1130) – Pope Benedict XVI has left the Vatican for the final time as leader of the Catholic Church. Benedict will likely be remembered as the one of the greatest theologians the church has known in the modern era, according to a former colleague now with the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Monsignor Pedro Lopez-Gallo knew Benedict during the 25 years he spent at the Vatican and the two still exchange letters regularly.
He wasn’t surprised to hear about the pope’s resignation, as he can remember two other times the pontiff tried to retire for health reasons when he was still a cardinal. “In fact, in the last visit I saw the Pope; I told one of the monsignors here that I thought that his body was declining very quickly, very fast.”
As for who will succeed Benedict, Lopez-Gallo says the times will determine who will get the job, not geography or race.
He adds the cardinals will have to answer two key questions when making their choice next month.
“The first question they are asking themselves: what is the problem the church has in this moment? They [have to] identify the big problem today. And the second question is: who of us is the best for that?”
Lopez-Gallo thinks whoever gets the job will be a younger man, but won’t speculate further.
Meanwhile, Benedict has promised his “unconditional reverence and obedience” to his successor. The pope will spend the rest of his time at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo. Benedict is the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.
