BELOVED BLESSED HOLY FATHER
Bien-aimé Saint-Père Heureux
Dilectus Benedictus Sanctus Pater
Amado Santo Bendito Padre
Beato Amato Santo Padre
האב אהוב ברוך קודש
طوبى المقدسة الأب الحبيب
Beloved Blessed Heiligen Vater
प्यारी धन्य पवित्र पिता
Αγαπημένε Πατέρα Ευλογημένος Ιερά
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| POPE BENEDICT XVI |
Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation at end of month
I stared at the
ticker tape news flash in disbelief. The
banner streamed across the screen, Pope Benedict XVI has resigned it said. I shook my head at the stupidity of the
secular news media, the Pope does not resign I said to myself. I thought it was
either a joke that was in very poor taste or that it was a rumor that was
spreading like wild fire. I simply
refused to believe it was true despite surfing other news websites and reading
more of the same. It is a ghastly joke I
thought again. This is simply not true
someone has got it horribly wrong. When
I got home after work it had begun to sink it that this was not a joke and
it was certainly no laughing matter. I
felt as if someone had punched me in my stomach.
I felt I had lost a beloved family member. I was grief stricken. Why? I thought to
myself. Why on earth would he abandon
his children. Did not his predecessor Blessed John Paul II
give such an awe inspiring witness of Christ-like suffering while soldiering on ?
The more I
thought about it the more I was convinced that our Pope Benedict would do
nothing without deep reflection and much prayer before he made such a momentous
decision knowing that it would have monumental repercussions on the Bride of Christ. No, he would not make such a decision lightly. It must grieve him deeply knowing that many will be saddened, many
will not comprehend but many more will trust that he knows what he was
doing. This I think will comfort him.
I have now read the entire
text of his letter http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-xvi-announces-his-resignation-at-end and I understand better, much, much better. I will miss him, the Church will miss him but
he is not going away from us. He will
remain in our hearts, his legacy will live on for generations to come as we
read and re-read all that he has written, as we reflect on his life and his character which is a
reflection of all that is good, true, sweet, noble and beautiful. The charm of his smile, the gentleness of his
words and the great humility of the servant of the servants of the Lord will continue to touch the lives of many.
The Pope chose
the most auspicious and sacred time to resign – the season of Lent. I believe he anderstands the gravity of the times we live in and he firmly believes that God's purpose in choosing him to head the Church has been fulfilled. It is now time for the Holy Spirit to choose another who can take firm control of the Barque of Peter. We face dark days ahead and we need a Pope with zeal and vigor, a man in good physical health, a sound mind and a spirit tuned wholly to the Spirit of the Lord.
In this Season of lent the entire Church will pray
and fast with greater fervor for the times that are to come and for the new Pope that
will soon be elected. May the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon the
college of Cardinals as they pray, reflect and listen to the promptings
of the same Holy Spirit who lives and reigns with the Father and His Son and
who proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son and makes His dwelling place in us and in His Church, the Bride of Christ.
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| WE LOVE YOU PAPA BENEDICT |
