This article was written February 15 2013
Last Monday, feast of the Our Lady of Lourdes and two days before Ash Wednesday [official start of the Lenten Season] the Holy Father Benedict XVI renounced his papacy. A news that shocked not only the Catholic faithful community but even more, the media.
With questions of stability a midst the scandals hovering the Church today, the resignation of Pope Benedict is too much a burden for the college of Cardinals and a sources of uncertainty to weakening Catholic population.
It is true in the sense that for most Catholics, papal resignation is next to impossible if not a taboo. It is the first time in our generation that a Holy Pontiff of Rome resigns from his post. During the early history of the Church such phenomenon may occur as a normal consequence but not at this point. When a Church so stable that it is known as the largest of all eldest institutions, this act is saliently hypothetical.
A lot of questions arises after the news broke out from international media. The morning of February 12, messages from my friends flooded my phone as the brouhaha around the issue continues. My friend, Kevin Roy Castillo asked me bravely, "Papacy. Is it a job or a role?" Definitely neither of the two. It is a ministry. And it will forever be one. A service to Christ and to His Church. When somebody sees himself no longer fit for the ministry, it is with utmost prudence that he leaves it vacant for another worthy person to fill.
It is, as expected, given that several Vatican critics would compare and contrast Benedict XVI with his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. The latter may be the most accomplished papal of the yestermillenium. And I am well certain that Benedict is more than conscious of that. I would like to stress, that they are two different persons with different theological and prysbeterial backgrounds but with only one faith and ministry. While Pope John Paul II may be too charismatic and known to be possessing a paramount degree of emotional quotient, Benedict is a man of high intellect and formed by simplistic way of Christian Catholic life. The legacy of the man [Benedict] is more inclined to his dialogues with the secular and agnostics and in the strengthening of Christian catechism and doctrines.He will be known in history as the first Roman Pontiff who opened a twitter account, who stepped down from office in a stable period of the Church [the previous popes who resigned were of dramatic circumstances], and the first pope who will kiss the ring of his successor while witnessing the shattering of his own.
The next thing that came into my mind is the problem of protocol. Since this is first in a systematic way, with less drama of course, we do not have a precedent of how things are to be done after the abdication in February 28. Definitely, we are not seeing a camerlengo hitting the former pope with a hammer on his forehead. How will he be addressed? As to what I know, he will be called Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger episcopos emeritus of Rome. Will he still be infallible? Not anymore, for the pope is only infallible when speaking "from-the-chair" or ex cathedra. And since Bendict is no longer at the Chair of Saint Peter, his declarations and beliefs will not be infallible anymore. His power will be that of the same as the ordinary and will affect all the affairs of the Vatican office no longer.
It is very saddening O know, but to trust Benedict with his decision is the most we can do. After all, Benedict XVI is a theologian, an intellectual at that, whose immense ideological framework can be described as that between Jurgen Habermas and Yves Congar. Truly, a German thinker of his own right. His decision is premeditated and since a pope, it is a decision we presume to be guided by the Holy Ghost.
This brings us to another point, that of a successor. However, I'll leave it to the experts as to how they will bet for the future pope of the Church. It would be to early to claim a particular personality stepping into the throne of Church's noble. What is clear to me? The fact that because of age problems Benedict resigned, the College of Cardinal would elect a pope at the prime of his age so that the new pontiff would not be sabotaged by an ailing age problem as impediment to his ministry. I know that most of those expecting a younger Cardinal might thought of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. He is after all a great theologian with immeasurable piety, exuberant youthfulness and charisma plus the fact that he is the second of the collegiate benjamins.
Again, too early to be certain. I know that Cardinal Chito possesses the qualities we are looking for a pope who will reign in a post modern post American world. He is from a third world country, the first probably from Asia who will take full responsibility of the flock on earth. Asia, Africa and Latin America are the new breeding ground of vocation. Europe is now finding their way to re-Christianize their continent. It is a high time for an Asian pontiff. But so too for an African pontiff. And Cardinal Turkson is one of the most visible contender. Whoever he may be, the new pope must take the responsibility of strengthening the ecclesiastical stability which is mildly shaken by this resignation.
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