Pope Benedict XVI Waving Goodbye

I know that our Holy Father must have prayed and prayed on this...I will too. I must pray for trust...in the future...amidst feelings of sadness and concern. And so Lent begins....

I am so grateful to have been this close to the Holy Father when I took this photo in May of 2011. His eyes exuded LOVE.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for the Church

Full text of Pope's February 11th Declaration to the 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 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 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.
 
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI



According to the Moynihan Report, Founder and Editor in Chief of Inside The Vatican Magazine, " Benedict reportedly will retire to a monastery and devote the rest of his life to prayer. (It is being reported that he will live henceforth in a monastic residence inside the Vatican.) It is reported that he will not be involved in the selection of the new Pope."


4 comments:

Jamie Jo said...

I love what you wrote at the top of this post, that is how I feel....so sad. (and scared and trying to trust)

Chris said...

Beautiful pic, Allison.
I have the text of his resignation too on my blog.
Am hoping /prying for Timothy Cardinal Dolan to be his successor....(can I even speak that/share that??)
Love him love him, love him.
He'd do a beautiful job leading us and his reaction was so compassion and practical. Very concerned for Papa Ben too.....prayers for our shepherd.
Thx Allison.
~Chris

Unknown said...

I'm sure you are very grateful for this picture. It would be something I would treasure and probably frame!

I have a heavy heart today.

I also hope that this time will draw people back to our Church.

Mom2Seven said...

We are feeling sad as well... and a little concerned, too. Prayers for our beloved Holy Father. +JMJ+

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