Thoughts on Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation

Of course it is a shock to find out that Pope Benedict XVI has decided to resign. It is exciting to be able to live through a part of history that is not often repeated even though I consider most of what constitutes history to be a waste of time (perhaps more on that later), nevertheless it is fun to make the observation.

The first question that comes to everybody's mind is why and speculations abound ranging from sex scandals, to financial irregularities to old age to poor health.  None of that sounds like a real reason and I want to speculate just as much as the next the next guy in the form of a top 10 list:

Number 10 - Pope Benedict did not die soon enough for the Curia as was hoped for when he was chosen after the last guy croaked (Pope John Paul II, the actor).

Number 9   - Unlike his predecessor, Pope Benedict spends his time preaching and no time politicking or skiing in a pope-white outfit at a resort.

Number 8  - Pope Benedict is true to his faith whereas his predecessor was true to his office and the Vatican wants a politician, not a true follower of Christ.

Number 7  - Pope Benedict is no nonsense man and does not grease the palms.

Number 6  - Pope Benedict is too erudite for the masses.

Number 5  - Pope Benedict is not fond of JP II and saw him for what he was - a figurehead with limited knowledge and intellect and there are a lot of JP II loyalists because they run JP II not the other way around.

Number 4  - Pope Benedict did not grant sainthood to JP II soon enough.

Number 3 - Pope Benedict did not grant sainthood to Mother Teresa soon enough.  [1]

Number 2  - Pope Benedict has been transforming his Catholic (means universal) church into a true universal church where all peoples of all races and backgrounds are accepted to the chagrin of the band of mostly old white bigoted men who form the Curia.

Number 1  - Pope Benedict is too Christ-like.

Pope Benedict who does not have a whole lot of fans can be contrasted to the deceased JP II who did and they are still in awe in the way he died and said JP II taught us how to die.  Even though I find that observation insulting (not many people can die in comfort and in dramatic fashion like JP II did), I hope that these same people would say that Pope Benedict is teaching us how to resign and I can think of a lot of people who should have resigned a long time ago.

It is now time to wonder who the next Pope will be.  Will he be Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman) and the last Pope?  It would be thrilling but not fun if he is going to be Petrus Romanus since he will preside over the end of the world according to St. Malachy.

It is not too late to begin praying.

[1]  I respect the work Teresa of Calcutta had done but all of her work together, however great an achievement, does not rise to the level of sainthood.  To consider Teresa on par with Francis of Assisi is to vitiate the meaning of saintliness. I have always wondered, for someone who devoted her entire life and mind serving the "poorest of the poor" and (I'm assuming) asked her followers to do the same, who designed, wove and paid for the material for her habit and apostolnik and who had the time to launder and iron her garments?  And what criteria did she use to judge who was poor, who was poorer and who was the poorest of them all?  Or did she wake up one day and asked, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the poorest of them all?"  Was sub-Saharan Africa at the time a tad "richer" than Calcutta?  I would love to know how "Blessed" Teresa judged when Christ told us not to judge.