While the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation initially draws forth a sense of sadness for Catholics throughout the Diocese of Harrisburg, this is not to the exclusion of profound gratitude for all that he has done and continues to do for the Church.
From the very beginning of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has been committed to calling all men and women in the world to an authentic encounter with the Living Lord, Jesus Christ. Through his preaching and his teaching, particularly in the three volumes of Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Father has never tired of proclaiming the true face of Jesus Christ. And so, our hearts are grateful for his unwavering commitment to the Gospel.
That this comes during this Year of Faith, which Pope Benedict called the Church to celebrate, we can see his decision as a sign of his own deep faith that the Church is cared for by Christ himself. His humble decision invites every Catholic to have the same faith that Christ will continue to watch over us by sending a new faithful and holy Shepherd to guide the Church as its Pope and to care for God’s People on our pilgrim journey here on earth.
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Pope Benedict is stepping down.
His spokesman says he'll resign on February 28th.
Benedict told the Cardinals of the Catholic Church on Monday that he's resigning "because of advanced age."
Benedict is 85 and will turn 86 on April 16. He was elected pope in 2005.
Benedict, the 265th pope, is the sixth German to serve as pope and the first since the 11th century.
He has led the church after the third-longest papacy in church history and during a time in which the church is declining in his native Europe but expanding in Africa and Latin America.