As all have undoubtedly heard, our beloved Pope Benedict XVI
has decided to resign from the Chair of St. Peter. As he announced this morning, his decision to retire was
after much prayerful consideration and discernment.
This is certainly a significant time in the history of the
Church, as there hasn’t been a resignation of a Roman Pontiff in 600 years.
Pope Benedict’s decision to resign from the Papal office (effective at the end
of the month) is indeed a shock to many of us. Yet, we have been remarkably
blessed with such a wonderful Holy Father. He has led the Church with great
care and love. As one can imagine, being Pope is a most difficult and
tremendous task, and this man has done a splendid job. It is very courageous of
him to make such a decision, and we must pray much for him in his last days as
Pope and as he makes the transition out of the Papal House.
We must also pray very hard for all of our cardinals as they
prepare for the Conclave to elect a new Pope. This is a pivotal time for the
Church and it is important that we pray for whoever is to be the successor,
that God’s grace will be made abundantly present to him, and that our Cardinals
will elect the man whom God desires to fill this office. We need to pray also for our bishops and
priests as they continue serving the Church during this time of great
transition.
It is during these times that it is distinctly important for
us to have great hope. This is a time of change and adjustment for the Church,
but a change we’ve gone through for centuries. For some of us though, this
change is a relatively new experience. To add a personal note, people in my
generation - in their 20’s & 30’s - haven’t known any Popes other than Pope
John Paul II and our Beloved Benedict XVI; this was due to the fact that (now
Blessed) JPII was one of the longest reigning Popes in the history of the
Church - over 26 years. I remember when Bl. JPII died, and how much of an
impact it had on me because he was the only Pope I had ever known. I had no
idea what it would be like to have a new Pope. Once Cardinal Ratzinger was
elected and I learned more about him and what an incredible man he is, I was
happy to call him my beloved Papa.
Now we face another transition in the Chair of St. Peter;
though we don’t yet know how everything is going to work out, we cling to
profound hope - the hope that we have in Christ, who is represented on earth
not only and most significantly in our Holy Father, but in every ordained man
who brings the actual Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of Jesus Christ
to us in the celebration of every Holy Mass. We have hope that the King whom we cling
to, who came to redeem us, and who came to establish His Church on earth, will
continue to see to its care & guidance; for it is He who reigns and has the
final victory! Cling to the King!
Let's courageously lift up in prayer our current Pope Benedict XVI, the pope that is to be elected, and all of our clergy: cardinals, bishops, priests, and deacons. And of course, the entire Church; for all of us who make up the body of Christ, that we all remain faithful & vigilant - with great hope - as we Cling to the King!
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, Pray for us!
Mary, Mother of the Church, Pray for us!
