Why Pope Benedict should not have been allowed to resign

Voltaire maintained that the pursuit of liberty could not be achieved if religion was permitted to dominate the mind and hence during the 1789 revolution it was abolished. Catholicism in France never really came back and today a church wedding is not recognized by the state. The French instead adopted the state and family as a substitute for religion whereas, the Irish abandoned the state and thus the family (by mass emigration) but took to catholicism hook line and sinker. It is time for Ireland to get rid of the notion that there is a god.

If the conclave does not come up with a new liberal pope for the third millenium, a pope who puts everything on the table for discussion, including celibacy, female priests and birth control, the Catholic Church will only accelerate its journey toward total irrelevancy. The departure of Benedict XVI may actually be a godsend for most faithful.

No confusion on my part about Benedict's decision and maybe God sent the lightening strike to remind us that He is in charge. Pope Benedict is not JPII and for many good reasons. Perhaps it was his time to turn the Church back away from some Vatican II decisions which may not have been best for the Church and while another Pope yet to be announced was being more fully formed. JPII's visible suffering served a purpose; Pope Benedict's path serves another. It would be a sad state of affairs if all the Popes were replicas of one another.

I DON'T BELEIVE THE POPE DECIDED ANYTHING REGARDING HIS RESIGNATION. THIS MAN HAS BEEN A DETRIMENT TO THE CHURCH AND GETTING OLD AND FRAIL WILL NOT ADD TO HIS VALUE.

It is an interesting question, for sure, Mr. Kokoski. The lightning strike and later earthquake in Rome do see ominous, but it is not time to try to put meaning into those events. As you wrote, Benedict could canonically resign the papacy, but only if it is done so as his own free will. So, in my view, it is time to pray for the current pope, the future pope, and the People of God. Interesting and thought provoking article!

Where does this guy get off! Benedict's decision to resign has not left me "confused and bewildered" as to where the Church is heading; I'm not sure I knew before as there have been so many surprising turns in both Benedict's and JP2's papacies. let's hope we get a pope who has pastoral experience af living with the people on the ground, the real Body of Christ. It is well to remember the Vatican is only a small part of the Church.

"Most likely only the pope will ever know for sure if he has chosen to follow the will of God or the will of man." Then why are you saying in this article what he should or shouldn't do?