Hernán Romero reports on the Pope’s announcement of resignation and analyses its possible effects on the Catholic church.
It was in 2004 when I first walked down the marble halls of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Being Spanish, I was brought up in a Catholic society and was lucky to approach a confessional box at one of most sacred places of the Roman Catholic Church. As I confessed my sins I looked around, overwhelmed by the solid pillars, statues and carvings made of marble and gold. The immense and complex dome, illuminated by diffused sunrays, seemed unshakable.
On Monday 11th February, Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement caught everyone by surprise. Even most members of the Vatican clergy, who were present at the statement, were unsuspecting of the act. “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.” In such a way, Pope Benedict XVI pronounced his retirement from the Papacy, and will be known once again as Cardinal Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger “as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours.” This is possible according to Canon 332 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church, which states that: “if it should happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that he make the resignation freely and that it be duly manifested, but not that it be accepted by anyone.” In fact, it would be the first time in six centuries for a pontiff to take such a step.
The reason of this stepping down was apparently owed to his deteriorating health: “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.” This has brought disbelief towards the validity of the justification.
Outside of the Catholic community, it is reasonable to say that the Pope was under a ‘turbulent journey,’ as Laurie Goodstein, from the New York Times puts it. The Pope’s handling of external affairs have proved a relentless task, accentuated by the clerical sexual abuse scandal, which in 2010 spread across world; the denial of significant facts of the Holocaust, manifested by bishop Richard Williamson, later suspended from his functions; and the arrest of the Pope’s personal butler after leaking confidential documents.
In addition to this, there has been a declining political influence of the Pope throughout history. When Pope Gregory XII resigned in 1415, he died two years later in a world where the Roman Catholic Church had civil power and acted as arbitrator of European Monarchs. Nowadays, the Vatican is merely recognised as a permanent observer state by the UN, with the sole power of participation in the debates and the co-sponsorship of draft resolutions. The attempts to resolve the struggles of influence, relevance and dispersion of the Catholic faith were recently displayed through modern era communication methods, such as with Pope Benedict XVI’s Twitter account, which was created not long before the year 2012 ended.
Nevertheless, even from a Catholic perspective, I would find the Pope’s unprecedented resignation as questionable, given by the consistent portrayal of the pontiff’s devotion to the papacy for life, especially after seeing Pope John Paul II, who, despite his severe osteoarthritis, hearing problems and Parkinson’s disease, kept travelling and communicating around the world until his death.
It is true that anyone who has decaying health problems due to old age can justify incapacitation in any job. Yet, the Vatican should not see the Papacy as an actual job, but rather as a virtuous leadership role, who for a reason or another, was given to Joseph Ratzinger by the Papal conclave in the name of God. Pope Benedict XVI was not elected so that he would then resign due to age-related health problems. One must take such issues into account when they take on the role as pope. Resignation would definitely give the papacy a job-like image and further deteriorate its significance in today’s society.
Next time I visit Saint Peter’s Basilica, I will view it through different eyes due to the apparent precariousness of the Church, which has been recently highlighted by the papal resignation. I will see under the consolidated architectural scenario a rather unstable and unpredictable foundation.
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