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Pope Benedict XVI`s shock resignation stuns Catholic world

When an 85-year old Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation citing poor health concerns, the entire Catholic world was stunned and shocked, with the Catholic Church in a quandary as it has to choose the successor by Easter.

Zeenews Bureau Vatican City: When an 85-year old Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation citing poor health concerns, the entire Catholic world was stunned and shocked, with the Catholic Church in a quandary as it has to choose the successor by Easter. "Without doubt this is a historic moment," said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a protege and former theology student of Benedict`s who is considered a papal contender. "Right now, 1.2 billion Catholics the world over are holding their breath." The unexpected decision by the pope to call it quits on Feb 28 was announced yesterday at a meeting of Vatican cardinals. Pope Benedict said in a statement that his strength is no longer adequate to continue in office. "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 fulfil the ministry entrusted to me," the Pope stated. The Feb. 28 resignation allows for a fast-track conclave to elect a new pope, since the traditional nine days of mourning that would follow a pope`s death doesn`t have to be observed. It also gives the 85-year-old Benedict great sway over the choice of his successor. Though he will not himself vote, he has hand-picked the bulk of the College of Cardinals — the princes of the church who will elect his successor — to guarantee his conservative legacy and ensure an orthodox future for the church. The resignation may mean that age will become less of a factor when electing a new pope, since candidates may no longer feel compelled to stay for life. "For the century to come, I think that none of Benedict`s successors will feel morally obliged to remain until their death," said Paris Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois. Benedict said as recently as 2010 that a pontiff should resign if he got too old or infirm to do the job, but it was a tremendous surprise when he said in Latin that his "strength of mind and body" had diminished and that he couldn`t carry on. He said he would resign effective 8 p.m. local time on Feb. 28. "All the cardinals remained shocked and were looking at each other," said Monsignor Oscar Sanchez of Mexico, who was in the room at the time of the announcement.
As a top aide, Benedict watched from up close as Pope John Paul II suffered publicly from the Parkinson`s disease that enfeebled him in the final years of his papacy. Clearly Benedict wanted to avoid the same fate as his advancing age took its toll, though the Vatican insisted the announcement was not prompted by any specific malady. The Vatican said Benedict would live in a congregation for cloistered nuns inside the Vatican, although he will be free to go in and out. Much of this is unchartered territory. The Vatican`s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he isn`t even sure of Benedict`s title — perhaps "pope emeritus." Originally known as Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI is the first pontiff to resign in last 600 years. The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants. The most famous resignation was Pope Celestine V in 1294; Dante placed him in hell for it. With Agency Inputs