East Yorkshire Catholics praise Pope Benedict XVI's 'brave' decision to resign
East Yorkshire's Catholic community has praised the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to resign.
The announcement came out of the blue amid reports the religious leader was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
In a statement, the Pope said he will resign at the end of this month after almost eight years as the head of the Catholic Church.
Father John O'Gara, the parish priest for Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel in Hull, said: "I think it's a very brave decision.
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"He is 85 years old and has reflected on his present situation. While he is still alert in his mind, his body is not working as well."
The Vatican says it expects a new Pope to be elected before Easter.
Tom Timpson, communications officer for the Middlesbrough Diocese, which covers East Yorkshire, said: "I consider Pope Benedict to be a very rational man who reasons through things very clearly.
"He obviously felt the Catholic Church has enough problems at the moment and was brave enough to say he was no longer up for the job."
8 Comments
by vanityunfair
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 11:47PM
“God directs the cardinals in conclave whom to elect so the elected pope has divine sanction to take God's programme forward. So has Ratzinger failed to carry out the programme and been stricken for his failure or does it need somebody else to undertake the next step? If the latter it seems a cruel way to make the change. If the former then the wrong man was chosen. But that would mean fallibility; so, it must be cruelty.
Do you remember pope John-Paul I? He was proclaimed as God's choice and died a few days later. What a joke that was.
Over the centuries popes have exhorted their own brand of Christians to commit murders, genocide, even, to promote their faith and all because, "God wills it."
Torture was allowable to convince people that their own beliefs were wrongly-held.
Slavery was divinely sanctioned so could not possibly be unethical.
The head of a religion supposedly founded by a poor, itinerant ex-carpenter is in control of perhaps the wealthiest organisation in the world and seems to spare no effort in hanging on to the money as is expressly ordered in the Old Testament.
You get the general idea. In any logically-ordered society this deity would be the cynosure of mockery and contempt and its followers objects of pity and ridicule. Instead we are supposed to be concerned that an 85-year-old man finally retires (and an 86-year-old woman doesn't).
Yes, he was in the Hitler Youth but we all do silly things when we don't know better.
Nice one, Blakey. Do ex-popes keep their pontifical names? It's probably a long time since that question was asked.”
by dontwo
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 7:17PM
“The announcement came out of the blue? . Tell you what, that lightning strike on the tower, a few hours after the Pope announced he was resigning came out of the blue too. Instead of seeing it as a coincidence, many followers will say it was God showing his disapproval.
Something bad happens, then its Gods will or The Lord has a reason, something good happens and its a miracle or praise The Lord. The Church cant lose. They have all bets covered.”
by AdPotentia
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 1:37PM
“Was'nt he a member of the Hitler youth?”
by bewildered1
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 10:02AM
“Finbarr
"Whilst I appreciate that catholics may be interested in this, to many others a man proclaiming himself as "god's representative" is actually comitting a heresy.
Hi Finbar what about The Queen who is "gods rep" as head of the church of England ? (and her bloodline in perpetuity?)
Father Dougal should be the next pope if there has to be one. You can like it on facebook.”
by Dave_Navarro
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 9:34AM
“Can we get rid of the Catholic church completely and spread their vast wealth among the poor of the World.
The Catholic church has been responsible for more deaths over the years than Adolf Hitler and is still allowing the spread of Aids in Africa through its archaic views on contraception.”
by Dave_Navarro
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 9:34AM
“Can we get rid of the Catholic church completely and spread their vast wealth among the poor of the World.
The Catholic church has been responsible for more deaths over the years than Adolf Hitler and is still allowing the spread of Aids in Africa through its archaic views on contraception.”
by Blakey_
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 8:46AM
“Now the Pope is resigning he'll soon be known as Ex-Benedict.”
by Finbarr
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 8:15AM
“Whilst I appreciate that catholics may be interested in this, to many others a man proclaiming himself as "god's representative" is actually comitting a heresy.
The fact that someone "chosen" can actually resign exposes the whole lie about a religion which finds it hard to face the truth on many issues.”