It’s best to get the news in the Pope’s own words, brought to you by NewsMax.

Text of Pope Announcement he Will Resign Feb. 28.

“Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.”

 

Prayers for a peaceful retirement for Pope Benedict, and for the best guy to be chosen to succeed him.

It’s a good guess that the Pope wants the Church to have a vigorous and energetic leader during the tumultuous times ahead.  Pope Benedict has an IQ of  nine hundred 😉  but is the polar opposite of so many of our leaders today, who could not let go of power.   He knows that  it’s the mission, not the man, and likely wants to help pick the next Pope.

(Pharmer  would like it if  Cardinal Francis Arinze, were chosen, but that might be a long shot because he is 80 years old already, and might not feel up to the rigors of the job. Another possible pick is Cardinal Peter Turkson, of Ghana.  It would be good to have a Pope from an area of the world where the Church is growing, and where Catholics have  faced persecution, who would be ready to face the turmoil to come.)