Pope Benedict XVI to resign, citing age and waning energy

Anthony Faiola and Michelle Boorstein,

LONDON — Recognizing what he described as his failing strength of "mind and body," Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would step down as head of the Catholic church, the first pontiff to give up his duties since 1415.

"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," Benedict said in a statement.

Across Latin America, the pope's announcement that he will step down at the end of the month is drawing official comment as well as some speculation that the next pope could come from the region.

The office was once among the most powerful in the world, but has since lost much of its relevance outside of the church.

Though his predecessor involved himself deeply in global political affairs, Benedict played little role in world affairs.

The Catholic Church is facing two very different challenges in two different parts of the world.

Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said Benedict will move to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo following his abdication on Feb. 28, then return to Rome to live in a monastery of cloistered nuns inside the Vatican for a period of prayer and reflection.

In Washington, President Obama said he and first lady Michelle Obama, "on behalf of Americans everywhere," extend their "appreciation and prayers" to Benedict.

"Michelle and I warmly remember our meeting with the Holy Father in 2009, and I have appreciated our work together over these last four years," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "The Church plays a critical role in the United States and the world, and I wish the best to those who will soon gather to choose His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s successor."

The choice by the 85-year-old pontiff, born in Germany as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger and ordained a priest in the aftermath of World War II, shocked lay Catholics and high-ranking clergy, including the pope’s closest aides.

"It came as an enormous surprise," said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, who last saw Benedict in Rome in October. "He presided at meeting after meeting after meeting," Wuerl said. "There was no doubt that he was in full possession of his faculties ."

Benedict’s decision to step down "says to me he is a very humble and honest person," Wuerl added. "His love for the church is such that he has concluded it would be better not to try to lead this huge flock without the full strength of all of his energies."

Catholics attending 7 a.m. Mass at St. Matthews Cathedral in downtown Washington agreed. "If he’s feeling weak or frail, well, [retiring] is such a loving and caring decision on his part," said Tara Shaughnessy, 23, of the District.

During his eight-year tenure, Benedict has tried to guide the church through troubling sexual abuse and financial scandals while seeking to reinforce conservative doctrine among the global ranks of more than 1 billion faithful.

Liberal Catholics bemoaned his promotion of conservative bishops who believe the church will hold together best if its teachings are communicated as eternal and unchanging. They bristled at a church crackdown on the largest group of U.S. nuns after the nuns wrote and lectured about homosexuality and contraception.

Traditional Catholics, however, have celebrated Benedict’s focus on orthodoxy.

"If you don’t sell full-throttle Catholicism, people are not going to buy it. Everyone knows the whole package is more compelling and interesting than some sort of Catholic hors d’oeuvres that leave you hungry," said George Weigel, who has written multiple books on the church and the pope.

culled from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pope-benedict-to-resign-citing-age-and-waning-energy/2013/02/11/f9e90aa6-743b-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html