The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has resigned with effect 28 Feb 2013.
He has resigned due to declining health. The quote of his exact words are below.
It made me think how important it is to know that doing God's will doesn't mean holding on to things all the time, stubborn to prove that one can still serve under any circumstances saying "God is with me", even quoting from the Bible "Even as I walk through the valley of the dead, I shall not fear for the Lord God is with me (Ps. 23)", which I sometimes do, shamefully. I realized that God's will maybe to let go, to relinquish our hold onto that one thing we are thinking that God wants us to keep struggling to maintain, when in reality, He's already been telling us to let go, just trust in Him. We should be at rest when we know we have done our best, and we have given all we have, and now it's time... it's time to let God be God and let Him lead.
This was the revelation I had when I found out the other day that the Holy Father Benedict, the Herald of Faith, has resigned.
Then the very next thing in mind was the same concern that echoed through the walls and pages of the digital world - "We are without a leader, a Pope, a Shepherd, through the important season of Lent". It hit me next as I come to terms of the fact that God has long appointed the Shepherd, Jesus. And Jesus has already asked His Father for a counselor to be with us and guide us (John 14:16). We should have no fear despite a month without a human leader. For now, I realize how important it is to pray with the rest of the world for when the conclave happens.
I never really felt how such news would impact my life, but this time it did. And I'm thankful. Let's participate in the prayer of the world for the selection of the new Pope, and let us welcome Easter with happiness due to this. Amen.
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Pope Benedict XVI
Resigns as of February 28th – A Time for Prayer Like No Other
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the
three canonisations, 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 bark 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 recognise 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.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
