<p>The world is a very different place for us Catholics this morning …</p>
<p>I knew that he was having health problems, but I didn’t realize that it was as serious as it was. I am somewhat surprised that he didn’t wait until after Easter. I wonder when the election will be held. I admire him for for making this difficult decision.</p>
<p>On the news this morning, they said this is the first Pope to resign since 1415. </p>
<p>Where does a retired Pope live?</p>
<p>I do too. It will all be interesting to watch. I enjoyed the whole conclave when Benedict was elected. My sons were in Catholic school at the time and they basically threw out the religion lesson plan and followed the whole thing. The last conclave before that one was when I was a junior in high school.</p>
<p>The concave can’t be held until after he resigns, though they can prepare for it - almost 3 weeks to prepare instead of the normal 9 days of mourning when a Pope dies.</p>
<p>Not sure where he would live, but they did say on the news this morning that he’d go back to being Joseph Ratzinger (sp?) My older son thought that was a cool name and that he should have been able to keep it as Pope - now he’d getting it back.</p>
<p>This will be very interesting. A man from our parish was studying to be a priest in Rome during Benedict’s conclave and we got email updates from him about the goings on, etc. It was very interesting. He was chosen to help serve at his first Mass as well so we got the inside scoop on that too.</p>
<p>I seem to recall that when Benedict was elected pope in 2005, he indicated that he only planned on serving for about 5 years. I thought this was a little strange, given that the papacy is a lifetime appointment. On the other hand, would any of us be able to deal with the physical demands of this job at age 85? Does anyone have any particular insights into the current state of his health?</p>
<p>I don’t think much will be different, even if they go for a bigger change (I seem to recall at least one African was considered last time).</p>
<p>Plus </p>
<p>I’m curious as to how it’s going to be very different. I know very few Catholics who believe they are directly influenced or affected by the pope.</p>
<p>Will be interesting. I remember watching the smoke stuff in my last year of Catholic school. Guess I’ll get to watch it again in my last year of undergrad.</p>
<p>Just in time for March Madness. Interesting that the bracket from 2005 did include Ratzinger. And, of course, Duke.
[Pope</a> Bracket | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/10721976@N08/1086964760/]Pope”>Pope Bracket | I thought this was fun....I guess the pope di… | Flickr)</p>
<p>Oh my… Lol</p>
<p>I think he made a wise decision, and I hope it sets a precedent. Perhaps other cardinals who would be good popes but who are concerned about their age and health would be willing to serve if they knew that they could retire when the job became too much for them.</p>
<p>Aren’t there a number of apartments in the Vatican? I would hope he could stay there if he chose to do so.</p>
<p>I applaud his decision. He will be here to help with the transition…something that hasn’t happened since the 1400s.</p>
<p>I just read that he will most likely retire to a monastery (though no specific one was mentioned. I would like to see an African or Latin American pope, though I left the church a long time ago.</p>
<p>Woke up to the news and was very confused. My 12 years of Catholic education seemed to miss the idea that the Pope is able to resign. Whoops.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see the process that the Cardinals go through to elect the next pope. I was in 7th when Pope John Paul II died and I remember our class discussion the intricacies of the smoke procedures.</p>
<p>Damn Catholics can never make anything easy.</p>
<p>I can’t see how this would affect my life in any way even if I were still a practicing Catholic.</p>
<p>Although maybe the Queen of England will take a hint.</p>
<p>Very shocking news, both for the implications for the Pope’s health and the opportunity that some hateful sectors will take to ladle out vitriol. Not everything in the world has to conform to the hipness factor of the moment like an X Factor winner. </p>
<p>Where he lives is the least of the problem. The Church has plenty of convalescent facilities for retired religious. Its hardly like he is going to keep popping up on CNN and causing headaches for the new Pope. </p>
<p>A very brave statement by the Pope.</p>
<p>No longer a Catholic, but I think it was a brave and wise decision.</p>
<p>I still do not know how to feel about it…</p>