"The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh."
~Catholic National, July 1895
In a shocking announcement that will have widespread ramifications for the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI announced his retirement on 11 February citing deteriorating health and his inability to carry on his mission.
Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world and left the Catholic church stunned when he said on Monday that he would resign – the first pope to do so since the middle ages.
The move, announced without warning, will take place on 28 February and leave the papacy vacant until a successor is chosen.
A Vatican spokesman said Benedict’s aides were "incredulous" when he told them he would resign because he was too weak to fulfill his duties. He summoned a meeting of cardinals to tell them of "a decision of great importance for the life of the church".
One of those called to hear the announcement, the Mexican prelate Monsignor Oscar Sanchez, said none of the cardinals had expected it. "The pope took a sheet of paper and read from it. He just said that he was resigning and that he would be finishing on February 28," he said.
"The cardinals were just looking at one another. Then the pope got to his feet, gave his benediction and left. It was so simple; the simplest thing imaginable. Extraordinary. Nobody expected it. Then we all left in silence. There was absolute silence … and sadness."
His successor is expected to be elected by the end of March and possibly for the beginning of holy week on 24 March. Benedict will honour public commitments and engagements until the date of his resignation, after which he will move to a summer residence near Rome and then to a former monastery within Vatican territory.
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) "is the 265th Pope, a position in which he serves dual roles as Sovereign of the Vatican City State and leader of the Catholic Church. As Pope, he is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter the Apostle. Benedict XVI was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave". Source: Wikipedia
February 11, 2013
Within the Roman Catholic Church belief system,a Pope is ideally elected to serve for life. However, there is a provision that allows for resignation, although it hasn’t been invoked since the year 1415.
The possibility has been raised that Pope Benedict XVI should resign over the snowballing paedophile priest scandal in the Catholic Church. The BBC’s Vatican correspondent, David Willey, examines the question.
In theory, there is nothing to stop Pope Benedict taking a piece of paper out of his writing desk and drafting a letter of resignation to hand to the College of Cardinals, the supreme electoral body of the Catholic Church.
Under Canon Law, the only conditions for the validity of such a resignation are that it be made freely and be properly published.
But no pope has done this in modern times.
There has, however, been persistent speculation by historians that during World War II, Pope Pius XII drew up a document stating that if he were to be kidnapped by the Nazis he was to be considered to have resigned, and a successor should be chosen.
As the Vatican has delayed the full release of its archives relating to Pius’s pontificate, because of a dispute over his reaction to the Nazi Holocaust, there is no means of verifying whether this is true.
[...]
...the likelihood of Pope Benedict voluntarily laying down his high office remains slim.
The Vatican is for the moment vigorously defending the record of his five-year papacy, and Benedict’s previous conduct during the period when he was Cardinal Archbishop of Munich and subsequently head of the CDF, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the watchdog Vatican department responsible for disciplining priests guilty of bad conduct.
In contrast to Pope Benedict, the previous Pope John Paul II spent 25 years on the papal throne, suffering cancer scares, two assassination attempts which left him with lingering injuries, Parkinson’s Disease, diminished hearing, and severe osteoarthrosis. He continued to tour the world until his death in 2005.
There will be many who question the timing of the announcement and the resignation itself, especially in a climate of diminishing influence (and perhaps relevancy) of the Roman Catholic Church, the terrible sex abuse scandals and coverups, the financial corruption scandals, and talk of conspiracy and suspicion within the ranks.
We spoke with author Tom Horn on Red Ice Radio and discussed Saint Malachy’s prophecies predicting "the last and final Pope", and how this might lead to the destruction of Rome. According to the ancient warnings, the new Pope would be a false prophet who leads the world’s religious communities into embracing a political leader known as Antichrist.
For Roman Catholics and others alike, these are uncertain times, and questions remain. Has ill health truly forced a Pope from the papal seat - a position it’s assumed one will live and die serving? Or could it be seemingly unending scandal, corruption, and threats that caused the unexpected departure?
Or could this all be according to an unspoken plan?
Thomas Horn is an internationally recognized lecturer, radio host and bestselling author of several books including his newest books, Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope Is Here. He is a well-known columnist who has been interviewed by US Congressmen and Senators on his findings as well as featured repeatedly in major media. Thomas received the highest degree honorary doctorate bestowed in 2007 from legendary professor Dr. I.D.E. Thomas for his research into ancient history. He returns to Red Ice to discuss Petrus Romanus. For more than 800 years scholars have pointed to the dark augury having to do with "the last Pope." The prophecy, taken from St. Malachy’s "Prophecy of the Popes," is among a list of verses predicting each of the Roman Catholic popes from Pope Celestine II to the final pope, "Peter the Roman," whose reign would end in the destruction of Rome. St. Malachy’s list heralds the beginning of "great apostasy" followed by "great tribulation" sets the stage for the imminent unfolding of apocalyptic events. According to this prophecy, the next Pope will be a false prophet who leads the world’s religious communities into embracing a political leader known as Antichrist. In the second hour, Tom speaks about Vatican luciferians and what role they play in the prophecy of the popes. He talks about the secret of Malachi Martin and the enthronement of Lucifer at the Vatican. We also discuss Albert Pike and satanic ritual. Tom says nothing in all his years comes close to the importance of what he is talking about today. Something strange and troubling is going on. Later, we talk about the next pope, Peter the Roman who fulfills the prophecy and Nostradamus’ prediction of a young black pope.
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