Benedict XVI to Be Known as 'Pope Emeritus'

BBC: Pope Benedict will be known as "pope emeritus" and will retain the honorific "His Holiness" after he abdicates on Thursday, Vatican officials say.

He will also continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather than reverting to Josef Ratzinger.

He will wear his distinctive white cassock without any cape or trimmings.

He will surrender his gold ring of office, known as the fisherman's ring, and his personal seal will be destroyed as tradition dictates.

He will also give up wearing his specially-made red leather loafers, instead wearing brown shoes hand made for him by a Mexican craftsman during a brief visit to Mexico last year.

Benedict XVI's resignation is the first by a pope for some 600 years. » | Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Pope Benedict's Last Sunday Prayer Service

A Rare Glimpse Inside the Remote Retreat Pope Benedict XVI Is Soon to Call Home

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The pontifical coats of arms are being buffed up with polish, a vineyard has been newly planted and the helipad has been swept.

Even the Papal herd of cows, prized for their milk and yoghurt, are contentedly munching on bales of hay.

All that staff at Castel Gandolfo now await is the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, who will fly to the castle on Thursday evening after he formally steps down as head of the Catholic Church.

The ageing, ailing Pontiff will spend the next two months here, using the magnificent palazzo as a place of prayer and spiritual retreat where he will map out his plans for his final days and reflect on his historic decision to resign.

It is certainly a place well suited to peaceful contemplation. Located an hour’s drive - or ten minutes’ helicopter ride - south of Rome, it is perched on the edge of a volcanic crater that plunges down to a lake fringed with woodland and olive groves.

Within the estate’s extensive grounds are formal gardens, giant holm oaks, fountains, fish ponds and the ruins of a villa built by Diocletian, the Roman emperor. » | Nick Squires, Castel Gandolfo | Saturday, February 23, 2013

Pope Tells Faithful God Called Him To Quit
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI told tens of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square in a voice breaking with emotion that he was resigning because God had called on him to devote himself to prayer


Pope Benedict XVI has given his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

Benedict says even though he's retiring on Thursday from the papacy, the first pope in 600 years to do so, he's "not abandoning the church."

In a voice breaking with emotion that he was resigning because God had called on him to devote himself to prayer but said he would not foresake [sic] a Church role.

Instead he says he'll serve the church with the same dedication he has till now, but will do so in a way "more suitable to my age and my strength."

Benedict, 85, will spend his last years in prayer, meditation and seclusion in a monastery on Vatican City's grounds. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Sunday, February 24, 2013

Pope Benedict Retired after Inquiry into 'Vatican Gay Bishops', Says Paper
THE GUARDIAN: Pope's staff decline to confirm or deny La Repubblica claims linking 'Vatileaks' affair and discovery of 'blackmailed gay clergy'

A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the discovery of a network of gay prelates in the Vatican, some of whom – the report said – were being blackmailed by outsiders.

The pope's spokesman declined to confirm or deny the report, which was carried by the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica.

The paper said the pope had taken his decision to resign on 17 December, on the day he received a dossier compiled by three cardinals delegated to look into the so-called "Vatileaks" affair.

Last May, Pope Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and charged with having stolen and leaked papal correspondence that depicted the Vatican as a seething hotbed of intrigue and infighting.

According to La Repubblica, the dossier comprising "two volumes of almost 300 pages – bound in red" had been consigned to a safe in the papal apartments and would be delivered to the pope's successor upon his election. The newspaper said the cardinals described a number of factions, including one whose members were "united by sexual orientation".

In an apparent quotation from the report, La Repubblica said some Vatican officials had been subject to "external influence" from laymen with whom they had links of a "worldly nature". The paper said this was a clear reference to blackmail. » | John Hooper in Rome | Thursday, February 21, 2013

Pope Benedect XVI to Receive £2,150 Pension
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benedict XVI could receive a pension of £2,150 a month once he steps down as Pope at the end of this month and goes into retirement within the walls of the Vatican.

The Vatican has indicated that the most likely title for Benedict after his resignation on Feb 28 will be Bishop Emeritus of Rome.

That would entitle him to a pension of 2,500 euros a month.

The Vatican would not confirm the arrangement, but its official spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said last week that the Pope would want for nothing.

"We will ensure he can live a dignified existence," he said.

It is unclear what Benedict might need to spend the money on. The former nunnery is a grace-and-favour residence inside the Vatican, and he will not have to pay rent.

His meals and daily living expenses will also be paid for by Vatican state finances, and cooking and cleaning will be done by a group of four women from a Catholic organisation called Memores Domini.

Nor is he likely to be jetting around the world in the manner of an ex-US President or British Prime Minister.

The long trips he had to do as Pope, including to Mexico, Cuba and Lebanon last year, were one reason he decided to resign. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Monday, February 18, 2013

Pope Calls on Catholics to Come Back to God
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Pope called on Catholics around the world to turn back to God, warning against the perils of "pride and egoism", after the Vatican indicated it may move quicker to appoint his successor.


More than 50,000 cheering well-wishers crammed into St Peter's Square for Benedict XVI's Sunday blessing, the first since his shock resignation – the first in 600 years – and penultimate before stepping down on February 28.

"The Church, which is mother and teacher, calls on all its members to renew their spirit, turn against firmly towards God and ignore pride and egoism to live in love," he told the crowd.

As the sun broke through the clouds over Rome, Benedict waved and thanked the larger than normal crowd "for the prayers and support you have shown me in these days." Speaking in Spanish, he then asked for prayers "for the next pope."

Benedict, 85, has cited failing health for his decision to step down and at the weekend it emerged he may now be blind in his left eye. Peter Seewald, a German journalist who interviewed the pope in December, made the claim.

"His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye," he said. "His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down."

Vatican insiders have also claimed Benedict has been worn down by bitter rivalries within the Holy See which came to light when the pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, leaked papal correspondence detailing alleged power struggles. Gabriele has been pardoned by the pope but sworn never to speak about his thefts. » | Tom Kington, Rome | Sunday, February 17, 2013

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Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church has decided to resign from his post due to ill health, the Vatican has announced.

Pope Benedict XVI Says He Has Resigned 'For Good of the Church'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance on Wednesday since his shock resignation announcement, asking thousands of cheering pilgrims at the Vatican to "keep praying for me".


The 85-year-old pontiff was greeted by a standing ovation and chants of "Benedetto", his name in Italian, at his weekly audience in the Paul VI auditorium, with a prominent banner reading "Thank You, Holiness". Benedict, looking drawn and tired but appearing relieved to have put the momentous announcement behind him, said he had made his decision "for the good of the Church" adding: "Keep praying for me, for the Church and for the future pope." The Pope has also sent his first tweet since the announcement: » | Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI Resignation: The Life and Times of Joseph Ratzinger
As Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation, we look back at some of the highs and lows of his eight-year tenure as the head of the Catholic church. From his controversial remarks about Islam and the use of condoms in the fight against HIV and Aids in Africa, to the first ever papal tweet

Cardinal Wuerl: Pope's Timing 'Appropriate'
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington answered questions about Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. As a member of the conclave to elect the next pope, he says the choice will be driven by God and the candidate's qualifications. (Feb. 11)

Pope's Resignation Sparks Conspiracy Theories
Benedict XVI's shock resignation has set tongues wagging as some Italians question why he has become the first Pope for nearly 600 years to step down.

Pope Benedict XVI: Resignation in Latin
Listen to the Pope’s resignation in Latin here

Pope Benedict XVI to Resign
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI is to resign on February 28th, a Vatican spokesman has announced.

"The pope announced that he will leave his ministry at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on February 28," said the spokesman, Federico Lombardi.

Last year the Pope started using a cane on occasions and recently he appeared to have trouble reading the text of an address he delivered in Rome.

There was no immediate official comment from the Vatican. » | Barney Henderson | Monday, February 11, 2013

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Sensation im Vatikan: Papst Benedikt XVI. tritt zurück – Papst Benedikt XVI. tritt zurück. Der 85-Jährige wird sein Amt nach Vatikan-Angaben zum Ende des Monats niederlegen. Er ist erst der zweite Pontifex in der Geschichte der Katholischen Kirche, der sich zu diesem Schritt entschieden hat - nach Coelestin V. im Jahr 1294. » | Montag, 11. Februar 2013

LE FIGARO: EN DIRECT – Le pape Benoît XVI va démissionner: Le pape invoque son état physique, ont confirmé des sources du Vatican au Figaro. Il quittera ses fonctions le 28 février. » | lundi 11 février 2013

Pope Says Future of Mankind At Stake over Gay Marriage

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has weighed in on a heated debate over gay marriage, criticising new concepts of the traditional family and warning that mankind itself was at stake.

"In the fight for the family, the very notion of being – of what being human really means – is being called into question," the Pope said in Italian during an end-of-year speech.

"The question of the family ... is the question of what it means to be a man, and what it is necessary to do to be true men," he said.

The Pope spoke of the "falseness" of gender theories and cited at length France's chief Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, who has spoken out against gay marriage.

"Bernheim has shown in a very detailed and profoundly moving study that the attack we are currently experiencing on the true structure of the family, made up of father, mother, and child, goes much deeper," he said.

He cited feminist gender theorist Simone de Beauvoir's view to the effect that one is not born a woman, but one becomes so – that sex was no longer an element of nature but a social role people chose for themselves. » | Source: AFP | Friday, December 21, 2012

The Pope, Now on Twitter, Posts His First Message
THE NEW YORK TIMES: ROME — Pope Benedict XVI sent his first Twitter message on Wednesday, saying, “Dear Friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.”

The 85-year-old pontiff will be tweeting in eight languages under the handle @Pontifex, a Latin term for pope that means “bridge-builder.” He clicked on his first tweet from a computer monitor in the Vatican hall where he holds his weekly audience. » | Rachel Donadio | Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Appoints Six Non-European Cardinals

BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has appointed six priests from non-European countries to be cardinals, at a service in the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica.

The cardinals, the closest aides of the Pope, come from the Philippines, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia and the US.

Analysts say it is unusual for the Pope to select only non-Europeans.

The Pope told the congregation that the Catholic Church belongs to the whole human race, not just one group, and was a church for all peoples.

Those being presented at the consistory, or cardinal-making ceremony, were:

US Archbishop James Harvey, 63, prefect of the papal household / Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72 / Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church / Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68 / Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, 70 / Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55

All six new cardinals are younger than 80 and therefore will likely be eligible to vote for a new Pope when the current pontiff dies.

Three are from countries with large Muslim populations - India, Lebanon and Nigeria.

Cheers broke out among the supporters of each cardinal-designate as the Pope presented them with the gold rings at the consistory and the red hats and vestments, which symbolise their readiness to shed their blood to defend their Christian faith. (+ video) » | Saturday, November 24, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Declares It Is 'Beautiful to Be Old'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pope declared that it is "beautiful to be old" on Monday but acknowledged that many elderly people are suffering as a result of the global economic crisis.

During a visit to an old people's home in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI said societies should be judged on the way in which they care for their elderly.

"The quality of a society, I'd say of a civilisation, is judged by how well it treats its elderly," the 85-year-old pontiff said during the visit to the home run by the Saint Egidio Community, a Catholic charity.

While it was "beautiful to be old", age brought challenges and difficulties with which he himself was familiar.

"I know well the difficulties, the problems and the limits of this age, and I know that these difficulties are aggravated for many people by the economic crisis," Benedict said.

"But I want to say to you with profound conviction – it is beautiful to be old!" » | Nick Squires, Rome | Monday, November 12, 2012

Who, What, Why: What's It Like to Be a Prisoner of the Vatican?

BBC: Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict's former butler, begins an 18-month prison sentence today inside the Vatican walls, after being found guilty by a Vatican City court of stealing sensitive documents from the Pope's desk. What will life be like for the only prisoner inside the world's smallest sovereign state?

The Pope's former butler is being treated "leniently and justly" according to Vatican authorities, and may even benefit from a papal pardon before the end of his prison term, if he shows repentance and apologises to Pope Benedict and all the other people who work for the Holy See for the scandal he caused.

But for the moment he has exchanged his modest "grace and favour" three-bedroom apartment just inside the walls of the Vatican for a sparsely furnished detention room inside the headquarters of the Pope's private police force, the Vatican Gendarmerie.

Not only has he been sacked, but he now risks losing his home as well, situated almost next door to his former workplace, the Papal apartments on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace.

Vatican City has a railway station - with only one train a week bringing in bonded duty-free goods, a Post Office, a radio station, a pharmacy, a supermarket, a fire brigade, a five-star hotel, and one of the world's most visited museums, but it has no prison - and no dungeons. » | David Willey, BBC News, Rome | Friday, October 26, 2012