For Roman Catholics, the Pope naturally occupies an important place. But what if the pope, like Pope Benedict XVII himself, resigns? Has a church become ungovernable? The papacy in brief.
Can a pope just say he’s quitting?
A pope himself can give up and decide to resign. It doesn’t happen often, even in 2013 it hasn’t happened in hundreds of years. Yet more popes resigned of their own free will. The first time was in 1294. Then Pope Celestine said goodbye to the office. The last time a pope resigned was a very long time ago and was in 1415. In that year, Pope Gregory XII resigned. Bystanders have also sometimes called for the pope to resign. When John Paul II (the previous pope) became increasingly ill due to, among other things, Parkinson’s disease, there were people who felt that he should resign. However, he did not want to do this out of a sense of duty. It was only when he died that another pope came. Pope Benedict XVII himself has indicated that he wants to resign out of that same sense of duty. He felt that he could no longer fulfill his task sufficiently.
The role of the ex-pope
Someone who resigns as pope will of course still want to continue doing some things. Yet the position of such an ex-pope is not clearly defined. It is expected that Benedict XVI I will now become a cardinal again. Benedict XVII, or Joseph Ratzinger, has indicated that he wants to withdraw completely from public view. He also wants to go back to studying. So a new pope will not be bothered by him.
White smoke with a new pope
It is customary for white smoke to rise from the Vatican when a new pope is elected. It is expected that Benedict XVII will be replaced a month after his resignation on February 28. It is assumed that Easter was taken into account. This is the feast of the resurrection and therefore the most important feast of the church.
A church without a pope; how does that work?
A Roman Catholic Church without a pope is not a church without government. The so-called cardinal camerlengo (the second man of the Vatican) is temporary administrator until a new pope is elected. That second man is Tarcisio Bertone.
The choice of a new Pope
A new pope is chosen by cardinals under the age of 80. For this purpose, the College of Cardinals meets behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel. The Netherlands also has a representative in the person of Cardinal Wim van Eijk. Cardinal Ad Simonis is now 81 years old in 2013 and is therefore not allowed to participate in the deliberations. The old Pope himself is not allowed to vote either. He is now 85 and is also excluded. A total of 117 cardinals voted in 2013. However, two of them could not come to Rome.
Vote for a new Pope
A new pope is chosen based on the number of votes cast by the cardinals. He must receive two-thirds of those votes (which is 77 votes) to be elected. Tradition dictates that the ballot papers are then burned. When the choice for a new pope is clear, white smoke appears from the chimney. Usually such an election does not last that long, but somewhere in the mid-thirteenth century this was different. Then they could not reach an agreement and the Roman Catholics had to wait almost 3 years for a decision from the cardinals.
In principle, any baptized Catholic can become pope
In any case, to become pope it is necessary to be baptized. And the church still prescribes that a pope is a man. There is no way to apply for the position of Pope. A pope is always chosen from the cardinals, no pope has ever been chosen simply from the citizenry. It could well be that the next pope will be a man of color. Whether the next pope will also be a progressive pope will only become clear at the end of March 2013, when the cardinals have decided who will be the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The new Pope: Francis I
In March 2013, the new pope was elected by the cardinals. It was a surprise that it was the 76-year-old Bergoglio, born in Argentina, who will be called Pope Francis I. French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran announced the new pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s. The choice is surprising because Pope Francis is the first Latin American pope ever. Moreover, he is the first pope not from Europe since Gregory II held office from 731 to 741. In addition, he is the first Jesuit to become pope and the first priest (member of a religious order or congregation) since Gregory XVI (1831-1846).
The Pope’s wages
A pope doesn’t get paid, although many people think so. He also does not have to pay taxes. Not in Italy, but also not in the country where he originally comes from (like Ratzinger in Germany). We can say that a pope works on a room and board basis. This means that his food, his housing and his transportation are paid for by the church. John Paul II did have property when he became pope, but he gave it all away. When he died in 2005, there was nothing left in terms of money or other financial assets.