In any other position, Pope Benedict XVI's cited reasons for retirement would be accepted as justifiable and reasonable, but Popes simply don't retire. At least, nothing like this has happened in the last 600 years or so of the Papacy. And with today's 24-hour news cycle and non-stop social media, many are probing for new possibilities as to why the Pope would make such a historic and troubling decision. His stated reasons were his age and the fact that he didn't believe he could adequately fulfill the increasing demands of the position.
And, in fairness to Pope Benedict XVI, one must acknowledge that being the global leader of any organization - especially one as large and far-reaching as the Catholic Church - is more difficult now than at any time in history. The same news cycle and social media previously mentioned mean that Catholics expect their Pope to be constantly engaged, communicating regularly and actively "leading" a global congregation. When Benedict ascended to the role of Pope just eight years ago, many of those demands simply didn't exist.
But even with reasonable explanations for his decision, many skeptics will point to the potential for a brewing scandal that has yet to surface. Some will suggest that the Pope is stepping down in order to avoid such a scandal or to limit its damage once it comes to light. And while we'll clearly have to wait and see how that situation plays out, it is a near certainty that the next Pope will be a much younger and more agile manager of the global organization that is the Catholic Church.
And, in fairness to Pope Benedict XVI, one must acknowledge that being the global leader of any organization - especially one as large and far-reaching as the Catholic Church - is more difficult now than at any time in history. The same news cycle and social media previously mentioned mean that Catholics expect their Pope to be constantly engaged, communicating regularly and actively "leading" a global congregation. When Benedict ascended to the role of Pope just eight years ago, many of those demands simply didn't exist.
But even with reasonable explanations for his decision, many skeptics will point to the potential for a brewing scandal that has yet to surface. Some will suggest that the Pope is stepping down in order to avoid such a scandal or to limit its damage once it comes to light. And while we'll clearly have to wait and see how that situation plays out, it is a near certainty that the next Pope will be a much younger and more agile manager of the global organization that is the Catholic Church.