# So the Pope Is Resigning **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2013, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960 "2013-02-11T11:13:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/1 "2013-02-11T11:13:21Z")
Breaking news on BBC TV: Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28. You heard it here first. I thought popes abdicated, not resigned? Like kings? But BBC keeps using “resign.” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/2 "2013-02-11T11:18:09Z")
The [Code of Canon Law](http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P15.HTM) uses the word “resign.” ---
**Author:** ![Anomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Anomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomie)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/3 "2013-02-11T11:18:33Z")
Live boy, or dead girl? …or should that be swapped for Catholic clergy? ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/4 "2013-02-11T11:20:41Z")
Whoa! Does that even happen? _Has_ it ever happened before? > **[Too tired to go on, Pope Benedict resigns | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-benedict-resignation/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)** > > Pope Benedict XVI said Monday he is resigning, becoming the first leader of the Catholic church to resign in nearly 600 years. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/5 "2013-02-11T11:22:19Z")
[His declaration](http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=663815) says it’s because his “strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/6 "2013-02-11T11:22:27Z")
Dammit, **Siam Sam** …scooped me by mere minutes. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/7 "2013-02-11T11:30:43Z")
Not since 1415 > **[Papal renunciation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_resignation)** > > Jus novum (c. 1140-1563) > Jus novissimum (c. 1563-1918) > Jus codicis (1918-present) Brian ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/8 "2013-02-11T11:33:57Z")
And I saw it first on the Dope…no need for a newsfeed with you lot to keep me up to date with international happenings! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/9 "2013-02-11T11:36:09Z")
resigning? or did he get chucked into the Vatican death Star reactor by Darth Vader? ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/10 "2013-02-11T11:38:50Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > [His declaration](http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=663815) says it’s because his “strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” yeah, using all that force lightning sure takes its toll ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/11 "2013-02-11T11:44:59Z")
Has the church got any child abuse reports scheduled to come out in mid-March? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/12 "2013-02-11T11:46:45Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Has the church got any child abuse reports scheduled to come out in mid-March? Oh you are so going to hell for that…that being said, it was MY first thought as well. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/13 "2013-02-11T11:52:52Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > Dammit, **Siam Sam** …scooped me by mere minutes. You snooze, you lose. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/14 "2013-02-11T12:06:51Z")
[Already an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=681964)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/15 "2013-02-11T12:12:24Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > [His declaration](http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=663815) says it’s because his “strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” This is what he resigns over? After the sex abuse scandals (and whatever else), he’s taking the bold, moral stand to quit because he’s old. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/16 "2013-02-11T12:15:03Z")
Pope Palin? This is a huge shock to Catholics (and recovering Catholics). Popes don’t resign, even if they run around the streets of the Vatican buck naked screaming “I am choo-choo train”. Popes were supposed to die younger, of natural causes due to inadequate medical care, or poisoned. Or both. Nowadays there is a sad dearth of poisonings and access to the best modern medicine can offer gives you a Pope with advanced Parkinson’s and one that is quitting because he’s worn out. Don’t elect popes well past retirement age. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/17 "2013-02-11T12:16:18Z")
Maybe he just didn’t want to start looking as sad as John Paul there toward the end. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/18 "2013-02-11T12:26:39Z")
The \*\*\*official \*\*\*justification indeed can interpreted as that he saw up close how things went during JP2’s final infirmity, and may feel he does not have his own Ratzinger-equivalent to hold things together as _he_ gets worse. And yes, that includes being physically and mentally sharp enough to handle current ongoing problems and other bad news and crises that they may see coming. However it would be interesting to have a couple of years with a Retired Pope hanging around. Does he get to hand over the keys, so to speak, personally to the successor? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/19 "2013-02-11T12:28:14Z")
There will be rumors of scandal, if not more, for weeks and months (and perhaps longer). Any hints if any forthcoming story might have “motivated” the Pope to step down? ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960/20 "2013-02-11T12:32:20Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > However it would be interesting to have a couple of years with a Retired Pope hanging around. Does he get to hand over the keys, so to speak, personally to the successor? I suspect for this reason that in the event it’s not due to some child abuse related thing (and we would not necessarily ever know if it were - I could see a victim staying quiet in return for his/her abuser resigning as head of the church) that he has dementia or a terminal illness that will lead to dementia. The kind of dementia that couldn’t be covered up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-pope-is-resigning/649960.md?page=2)