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Monday, February 11, 2013

Benedict XVI Resignation: Vatican Press Briefing

http://www.news.va/en/news/benedict-xvi-resignation-details-of-press-briefing

2013-02-11 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the Petrine office on Monday morning, effective February 28th, 2013 at 8PM Rome Time. The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, gave a briefing to journalists in the Press Office of the Holy See at 12:30 PM Monday afternoon, during which he clarified the following points:

Pope Benedict XVI has given his resignation freely, in accordance with Canon 332 §2 of the Code of Canon Law.

Pope Benedict XVI will not take part in the Conclave for the election of his successor.

Pope Benedict XVI will move to the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo when his resignation shall become effective.

When renovation work on the monastery of cloistered nuns inside the Vatican is complete, the Holy Father will move there for a period of prayer and reflection.

8 comments:

  1. John,

    I don't know if you know the answer to this, but my question is this: what good is papal infallibility if God cannot preserve the pope in mind and body to the end of his life? Does Rome even have an answer for this?

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    1. "Papal infallibility" only exists under certain well-defined conditions. In fact, in only one instance ("the Assumption of Mary", promulgated in 1950) have these conditions been met.

      So Rome does have an answer to your question -- it has an answer for everything, in fact, and most of their answers are not good.

      This writer:

      http://dictatuspapae.blogspot.com/2006/10/papal-infallibility.html

      gives the following conditions:

      1) Infallibility only applies to doctrines on faith and morals, the revelation of God, the deposit of faith, entrusted to the Church--therefore it does not include teaching on science, historical facts, pastoral policy, other religions, etc. 2) The Roman Pontiff must be exercising his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians--therefore he is not infallible if he is acting in his capacity as bishop over his individual diocese, as a private theologian, etc. 3) Going hand in hand with the previous two conditions, he must be definitively proclaiming a doctrine to be held by the entire Church--therefore he is not infallible when only addressing portions of the Church or when he intends to encourage further speculation or discussion on the doctrine.

      In summary, the Pope is infallible when he definitively proclaims the truth of a doctrine which every member of the Church is bound to accept. This usually happens when controversy or confusion arises in the Church over some doctrine and the pope definitively settles the doctrinal dispute.

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    2. "This usually happens when controversy or confusion arises in the Church over some doctrine and the pope definitively settles the doctrinal dispute."

      Except that the Assumption of Mary was not promulgated to clear up confusion or settle a controversy. It was promulgated in response to what Pius XII called "nearly unanimous" approval of the bishops surveyed in the months before the dogma was defined.

      The irony of the promulgation of this dogma is that it leaves the one controversial issue for Catholics regarding the Assumption of Mary unsettled. It is still a matter of speculation as to whether or not Mary was assumed into heaven prior to or after her death.

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  2. I wonder if this is going to mess up St. Malachy's Prophecy of the Popes and of the last Pope Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman). [ *G* ]. Man, a lot of Dispensationalists are really gonna be disappointed. heh

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    1. Hah, Annoyed, only you ... :-)

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    2. Here you go Annoyed:

      http://www.forextv.com/forex-news-story/benedict-xvi-will-be-last-pope-and-end-times-nigh-say-believers-in-medieval-malachy-prophesies

      (HT: Steve)

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  3. So Rome does have an answer to your question -- it has an answer for everything, in fact, and most of their answers are not good.

    You got that right.
    Correct answer?
    Nah, not so much.
    We only got so much ex cathedra to spread around.
    Can't be wasting it on the picayune stuff.
    Just do what we tell you and it'll all be good anyway.

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