His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Renounces His Seat, very Historic to the Catholic Church

On February the 11th, His Holiness Pope Benedict the XVI came out to the world besides his 1.2 billion faithful in the Catholic Church and made a very surprising speech declaring he will be stepping down from his Papal seat on the 28th of February. This was very shocking speech and until this date, very few people can imagine this but his point was that he is too weak physically to continue this divine responsibility. Ideally, every Pope in office was supposed to serve until death, but he for the sake of the church decided he will make way for a very strong and young successor to head the church from where he left off. He said he will be known as His Emeritus Pope Benedict XIV.

Pope Benedict also happened to be the second Pope in the history of the church for almost 600 years to had resigned. He is turned 85 years of age last year and is the first Pope from Germany. He succeeded from Pope John Paul II after his death in 2005. At the time, Pope Benedict XVI was known as Cardinal Joseph A. Ratzinger, and after the conclave was voted into office as the next Pope.

To be a Pope of the Catholic Church is not an easy task since the Pope is the head of all the Catholics in the world and looking across the length and breadth of our world, you will certainly be assured of coming across Catholics everywhere. The Pope is also the head of State of the Vatican City which is also a great deal to think of. His decision was however, welcomed by all knowing that the Holy Father is advanced in age but the nature of the job still compels him to make frequent trips to other countries. One thing I can tell you is that, Pope Benedict was a very humble man, and during his eight years of papacy had never make any remarks to offend anybody but head his people with so much love and humility. What a true rock upon which the church sat as a successor of Peter?

I could go on but all myself, together with other faithfuls across the world can do is to pray for him and the church, and pray for his next successor. Whoever the Pope will be, will have more than big shoes to fill. And by the way, Cardinal Appiah Turkson from Ghana, my own country man is one of the Cardinal highly considered for a Pope. So keep praying that the will of God may be done in the new era of Catholic evangelization.

Yours pal,

Ronald

Below is the original speech from the Pope

DECLARATIO
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI