In a move that stunned Roman Catholics all over the world, Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he will resign February 28.
That means the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics will be without a leader until a new Pope is elected by a gathering of cardinals in the Vatican next month.
The 85-year-old Benedict, formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a native of Germany, was elected Pope in 2005.
He announced that he is resigning due to deteriorating physical strength.
Still, Benedict’s announcement surprised even those in his inner circle, and his abdication from the papacy will be the first in the Roman Catholic Church since 1415, and the first voluntary abdication since 1294.
Father Hamish Currie heads the congregation at Sault Ste. Marie’s Precious Blood Cathedral and serves as Episcopal Vicar for Algoma-Manitoulin.
Speaking to SooToday.com, Currie said of today’s announcement “it is surprising, but it speaks to him being a very practical man, one who is thinking very seriously for the good of the Church which he loves.”
Currie said there was “a sense of surprise” among his parishioners, but also “a sense of gratitude for Pope Benedict’s work and example, and a sense of looking forward to who the next Pope will be.”
“No, not at all” was Currie’s answer when we asked him if he was concerned about the possibility of an existing schism within the Catholic Church between conservatives and liberals growing wider when cardinals gather to elect Benedict’s successor.
Benedict, a conservative, has upheld traditional Church views against same-sex issues and ordination of female priests, and has spoken out against Islam as a religion of violence.
Some observers feel the Church will now go in a more liberal direction.
Currie said “I think the cardinals will take their task very seriously and will choose the person they see as being the right one for the Church at this time in history.”
Benedict was 78 years old when he was elected Pope. His predecessor, John Paul II, was considered “young” when he was elected in 1978, at the age of 58.
Is it time to choose a younger successor to address the issues of a Church facing declining church attendance and a plague of recent sex scandals?
Currie told us “I don’t think they’ll choose an elderly one, that’s for sure. They want someone who will be able to do the job for a while and minister to the Church.”
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