Pope To Resign?

[Clinton Huxley]

I expect a tearful recantation of Catholic doctrine on Oprah.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I expect a tearful recantation of Catholic doctrine on Oprah.

Or him jumping up and down on a couch. "I love little Timmy and I want the world to know it!"

[Clinton Huxley]

He can't resign, he's only just got a twitter account.

[Callan]

I wonder what a retired Pontiff will do with the rest of his life?



I see him with rolled-up trousers and a knotted hanky on his head, guzzling an ice-cream on Bournemouth beach and ogling those saucy 60 year-olds ....

[Clinton Huxley]

I wonder what a retired Pontiff will do with the rest of his life?



I see him with rolled-up trousers and a knotted hanky on his head, guzzling an ice-cream on Bournemouth beach and ogling those saucy 60 year-olds ....

Cage Fighting.

[pErvinalia]

I wonder what a retired Pontiff will do with the rest of his life?



I see him with rolled-up trousers and a knotted hanky on his head, guzzling an ice-cream on Bournemouth beach and ogling those saucy 60 year-olds ....

[cronus]

[Rum]

Pope pooped?

[Callan]

Maybe the call finally came through from George Lucas?

[pErvinalia]

[klr]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21412609

Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation. Here is the full text of his statement from the Vatican:

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, 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 steer the boat 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 recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil 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.

Brothers? Only brothers? Talk about starting off on the wrong foot.

[Tero]

What's that all about, then?

He ran out of condoms that he smuggled in. And little boys.

[Rum]

Just watching the news as I had lunch. I was oddly shocked when an MP who was being interviewed (he's a Catholic) commented that the Poop was probably 'guided by the holy ghost' in making his decision.

I should be used to such silliness, but it quite startled me because it sounded so archaically and superstitiously daft.

[pErvinalia]

If it's not kiddy fiddling, or nazism, he's probably got some terminal illness. Good work, God. Give your top hooman a death sentence.

[cronus]

Something must have happened, or come to light, very recently. With a Twitter account comes much temptation...