VATICAN CITY, February 11, 2013
(Zenit.org) -
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 bark 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.
From the Vatican, 10 February
2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVIVATICAN CITY, February 11, 2013
(Zenit.org) -
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 bark 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.
From the Vatican, 10 February
2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVIVATICAN CITY, February 11, 2013
(Zenit.org) -
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 bark 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.
From the Vatican, 10 February
2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI