On April 2, 2005, at the age of 84, a weary and infirm Pope John Paul II went to his eternal reward after a very full 26-year pontificate. Slated now by Pope Francis to be declared a saint on Divine Mercy Sunday of 2014, the man sometimes called ‘John Paul the Great’ was known for his prolific papal writings, the profundity of his teachings, attracting large crowds on his trips around the world, his closeness with the youth, and his many canonizations of saints. In the conclave that followed, while the cardinals are sworn to secrecy about the proceedings, it is generally believed that Cardinal Bergoglio received the second largest number of votes.
Cardinal Bergoglio was very different in style and emphasis from Pope John Paul II, and his election at that time may have indicated a shift away from him. Vatican expert, Vittorio Messori, makes an educated speculation based on comments from cardinals that, for this reason, both Cardinal Bergoglio and the other cardinals decided upon Cardinal Ratzinger, a close advisor of Pope John Paul II and his prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (as recalled in the introduction to Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio).
Cardinal Ratzinger, who was already recognized as one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century, became Pope Benedict XVI at the age of 78. He emerged from the loggia of St. Peter’s on April 19, 2005, with arms outstretched in the style of his predecessor, greeting the crowds with these words: “Dear Brothers and Sisters: After the great Pope John Paul II, the Lord Cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.” A native of Germany, he took the name ‘Benedict’ with a view to revitalizing the faith and culture of Europe. The name is reminiscent of Pope Benedict XV, who led the Church during the turbulence of World War I, and St. Benedict of Nursia, known as a spiritual father and patron of Europe.
The former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had developed a reputation for being a disciplinarian because many errors had to be corrected under his tenure. Pope Benedict XVI, however, emerged as a warm, fatherly, and reconciliatory world religious leader, though still viewed with suspicion by the secular media and some progressive theologians. Pope Benedict XVI had lived and breathed the culture of the Vatican for many years and restored some of the older traditional trappings of the papacy, traditions that emphasized dignity and distinction from modern society. He issued three encyclical letters, simple and foundational in their scope, yet amazingly deep and penetrating. He established a place for the pre-Vatican II liturgy along side the current liturgy so that priests could celebrate at will. He insisted unswervingly in teaching the full doctrine of the faith, instructing the faithful to practice charity in truth.
Pope Benedict XVI’s final encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), reaffirmed and promoted Catholic social teaching, emphasizing the Church’s preferential option for the poor, concern for the environment, and decrying extreme inequalities throughout the world.
Before becoming pope, Cardinal Ratzinger had submitted his resignation as prefect to Pope John Paul II, hoping to spend his retirement in writing and studying. The Holy Father refused to accept his resignation. As the Pope continued his own work, despite his deteriorating physical condition, choosing to be a model of redemptive suffering, the prefect resigned himself to continue in his service as well, at least until the death of Pope John Paul II. Then he was made pope and had to endure many hardships in the years ahead. The sex abuse scandals continued to boil over in the West, and some even accused Pope Benedict of complacency with the issue when he was a bishop.
A quote from the Crusades period from his insightful Regensburg address, which focused primarily on the unity of faith and reason, was taken out of context and broadcast by the media, angering Muslims around the world. Also, some suspected corruption at the Vatican Bank. Corruption was also rampant within the Curia of the Vatican, as highlighted by the ‘Vatileaks’ scandal in 2012 in which the Pope’s butler stole confidential documents of the Vatican City State that revealed misdeeds and cronyism within the Vatican. The documents were leaked to a journalist that later published them in a book. Meanwhile, the Holy Father, who later revealed that he had a pacemaker for his heart condition, was continuing to grow old and felt he lacked the ability to keep up with the obligations of the modern papacy.
In April 2009, Pope Benedict XVI visited the tomb in Aquila, Italy, of hermit and monk Pope St. Celestine V, who resigned the papacy in 1296 after only a few months, after realizing he was suited more for monastic life than the task ahead. St. Celestine had provided the Church legislation for the resignation of a pope prior to his departure. A pope’s resignation must be done in complete freedom, deliberately, and in such a way that his resolve is publicly known. However, St. Celestine ended his days as a prisoner of his successor that feared that he might return. He would repeat to himself, referring to a monk’s cell, “You wanted a cell, Peter, and a cell you have.” In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI revealed to Peter Seewald in his book-length interview, “Light of the World”, that he believed that it is sometimes the duty of a pope to resign. He also revealed that he believed that the work he is meant to do as pope has already been accomplished.
Several major newspapers reported that the Pope Emeritus explained that he was given a mystical experience in which God gave him a strong and sustained desire to pursue a life of prayer, renouncing his office. Father Lombardi, the Vatican press secretary, told journalists that it was ultimately during the Holy Father’s trip to Cuba in March 2012, that he realized his limitations due to his age and Pope Benedict definitively, but secretly, resolved that he would resign. Soon the Holy Father was transported around St. Peter’s on a motorized platform that Pope John Paul II had once used towards his last days.
Pope Benedict called a consistory of cardinals on February 11, 2013, to approve miracles as part of the canonization process of three soon-to-be saints. At the end of the consistory, the frail 85-year-old Pontiff, still seated in his chair, softly delivered an important message in Latin to the cardinals by way of a microphone - his decision to resign his office effective 8 p.m., February 28, 2013. He said, “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.... 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.... And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ” (as translated in Ch. 1 of Pope Francis by Matthew Bunson).
The eyes of the cardinals met each other, expressing surprise and disbelief. A pope had not resigned since Gregory XII in 1415, in order to end the Great Schism. Pope Benedict had succeeded in keeping his decision a secret; he had only informed a handful of men ahead of time. Pope Benedict’s last public Mass as Bishop of Rome was held on Ash Wednesday. Then at 4:45 p.m. on February 28, 2013, Pope Benedict lifted off from the Vatican by helicopter, the sound of the propellers mixing with that of the tolling bells of the basilica and the cheering of supportive crowds as he flew to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence.
Landing in the close-knit town built near the shore of beautiful Lake Albano, he gave his final message and blessing as pope: “Thank you... [for] your friendship that does me so much good.... As of 8:00 p.m. I will no longer be the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. I will simply be a pilgrim who is beginning the last part of his pilgrimage on earth. But with my heart, my love, my prayer, with all my inner strength, I will work for the common good and the good of the Church and all humanity....” At 8:00 p.m., the doors of the palace at Castel Gandolfo were closed, the papal apartment at the Vatican was sealed, and the Ring of the Fisherman was defaced so the seal could not be used again. The historic papal interregnum had begun.