Pope Benedict XVI will be greatly missed

Today the entire Church and the world has learned the surprising news that Pope Benedict XVI will resign by the end of the month. The pontiff will be greatly missed by the entire universal Church. This is a mixture of both sad and happy news: sad news because his steady, courageous and spiritual shepherding has been truly a gift and a blessing to the Church and to the world; happy news because we wish this faithful and good servant of Christ a peaceful and healthy retirement to a life of prayer.

Here's the letter he wrote to the Consistory, the Sacred College of Cardinals:

"Dear Brothers,

"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.

"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."

According to the Code Canon law, the body of laws and regulations that govern Church leadership, in paragraph 2 of canon 332, we read: "Should it happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns from his office, it is required for validity that the resignation be freely made and properly manifested, but it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone." Given the last part of the rule that, "it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone," we sincerely hope and pray that Pope Benedict XVI will re-consider his decision and, if his health and all other circumstances that we don't know about permit, stay on at least until the Church has celebrated Easter 2013. It would be even a greater blessing if he could extend his pontificate to complete the Year of Faith. A year that he propitiously began with so much spiritual zeal and courage in witnessing to the entire world the Word became flesh and dwells among us. Whatever Pope Benedict XVI ultimately decides to do we pray for him and thank him and God for his leadership and Christian example of reason, hope, faith, and charity. In the end, all we can humbly say once more from the heart is well done, good and faithful servant.