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Pope Makes First Public Appearance Since Bombshell Retirement Announcement: ‘I Did This…for the Good of the Church’

Feb. 13, 2013 6:55am Billy Hallowell

VATICAN CITY (TheBlaze/AP) — It was the bombshell announcement heard round the world earlier this week when Pope Benedict XVI made the historic decision to step down as the head of the Catholic Church. Looking tired but serene, the faith leader told thousands of faithful Wednesday that he was willingly retiring for “the good of the church,” speaking in his first public appearance since dropping the bombshell announcement of his resignation.

The 85-year-old Benedict basked in more than a minute-long standing ovation when he entered the packed audience hall for his traditional Wednesday general audience. He was interrupted by applause by the thousands of people, many of whom had tears in their eyes.

A huge banner reading “Grazie Santita” (Thank you Your Holiness) was strung up at the back of the hall.

Benedict appeared wan and spoke very softly, but his eyes twinkled with joy at the flock’s warm and heartfelt welcome. He repeated in Italian what he had told his cardinals Monday in Latin: that he simply didn’t have the strength to continue.

Pope Benedict Speaks Out on Retirement, Says Hes Doing It for the Church

Pope Benedict XVI waves at the faithful as he leaves Saint Lawrence in Piscibus church after celebrating a mass at the International Youth Centre in Rome March 9, 2008. Celebrating the Angelus Sunday prayer later from his balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square, the pontiff called on Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate for peace, condemning a surge of violence in the region as part of a ‘spiral of destruction’. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

“As you know, I have decided to renounce the ministry that the Lord gave to me on April 19, 2005,” he said, to applause. “I did this in full liberty for the good of the church.”

He asked the faithful “to continue to pray for the pope and the church.”

Benedict is the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, and the decision has placed the Vatican in uncharted waters: No one knows what he’ll be called or what he’ll wear after Feb. 28.

The Vatican, however, has made it clear that Benedict will play no role in the election of his successor, and once retired, he will be fully retired. He plans to live a life of prayer in a converted monastery on the far northern edge of the Vatican gardens.

As a result, Benedict’s final public appearances are expected to draw great crowds, as they may well represent some of the last public speeches for a man who has spent his life — as a priest, a cardinal and a pope — teaching and preaching.

And they will also represent a way for the faithful to say farewell under happier circumstances than when his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, died in 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI (C) blesses faithful during his weekly general audience on January 23, 2013 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

“We were just coming for vacation, and now we are getting all of this!” marveled Terry Rodger, a tourist from New Orleans as he headed to the audience. “I am very excited. I’m surprised.”

The audience was the start of a busy day for Benedict: he will also preside over Ash Wednesday services later in the day to mark the official start of the Catholic Church’s solemn Lenten season. The service is usually held in a church on Rome’s Aventine hill, but was moved at the last minute to St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican said the shift was made to accommodate the crowds, though it will also spare the pope the usual procession to the church.

The Vatican insisted no serious medical ailment was behind Benedict’s decision to retire, though it admitted for the first time on Tuesday that Benedict has had a pacemaker for years and recently had it replaced.

The move sets the stage for a conclave by mid-March to elect a new pope. Benedict’s final general audience will be held Feb. 27.

“It is the perfect occasion to give a cordial and affectionate goodbye to this pope who has given us a great example of courage, humility, inner honesty, and a great love for the church,” said Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, head of the Vatican’s communications office.

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Related:

Pope Benedict to Resign at the End of the Month

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Comments (13)

Fartkiskis
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 4:30pm
Gee whiz, the best thing this Pope could have done was to resign. The guy’s been a loser from day one. John Shanley wrote ,”POPE BENEDICT XVI quit. Good. He was utterly bereft of charm, tone-deaf and a protector of priests who abused children. He’d been a member of the Hitler Youth. In addition to this woeful résumé, he had no use for women.” And to top it off, the man was anything but a visionary. What has he done about sexual predatory priests? And to top it off, he was an ex-Nazi. Jesus, couldn’t those halfwit College of Cardinals have chosen someone who was in no way associated with Adolf Hitler? Jackasses in red. Goodbye Benny, have a nice life and now I can once again begin to proudly state, “I’m Catholic.”

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- Bam24
  Posted on February 13, 2013 at 6:27pm
  Wow! This could not have been written by a true Catholic. No way! Too ignorant…
  
  Report this comment
- by faith
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:11am
  Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “There are not even 100 people in this country who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think the Catholic Church to be.”
  
  Fartkiskis
  It is better to keep your mouth shut and be presumed an idiot, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
  
  Report this comment
tonypro
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 1:56pm
I’m seeing this news article everywhere I go….

…………………………..

ITCCS: Pope Benedict resigned to avoid arrest, seizure of church wealth by Easter

………………………

Read the articles on several different sites, and it does not appear to be a scam.

@the blaze

What can you find out about this, and the reclamation efforts of the Vatican?

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gryffn
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 8:35am
God bless him and keep him…

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walnutportconservative
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 8:01am
The Catholics have much to consider. The lightening strikes may or may not be a sign. I have faith. It takes faith, not signs. The strikes might be a sign of the times… but… do we live in the time of the “Signs”? I don’t seek signs.

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- 2gether
  Posted on February 13, 2013 at 10:42am
  I’m a Catholic. I don’t particularly care for the moves of this pope but when he just quits I have a real issue with that. I am not sure how I will digest this over time but right now it isn’t going down very well at all.. We are told that the Holy Spirit moves the conclave to choose the man right for the position. Soooo….? He’s not right for the position anymore? Did the Holy Spirit get it wrong? First reason: he shouldn’t be doing any Trans Atlantic traveling anymore. So? He can’t work from the Vatican? There isn’t anything wrong with the man’s brain. Now he is saying that he doesn’t have the physical or the SPIRITUAL strength to carry out his duties anymore? REALLY?
  Wow! To all the hiearchy bigwigs in the church I have this to say. In my eyes this is not “the ultimate act of humility” this is quitting, pure and simple. I believe the Catholic church instructs us to “offer it up” and embrace the difficult times. That what being one with Jesus is all about. Embrace your crosses. Now we have a leader who is quitting…(for the good of the church of course)…sounds like a copout, not something THE leader of the largest church in the world would do. What an unfortunate precident this man has just set for the future of the papacy.
  I am very disappointed.
  
  Report this comment
- joboww
  Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:07pm
  @2
  
  And you have a right to your opinion. I dont see this as you do, Im actually happy for him. Not every Pope is the same, that Benedict chose to abdicate tells you that he does not feel like he can effectivly guide the Church as she needs to be at this critical time, so indeed he frees the church to bring in a new most likely young pontiff to guide the barque of Peter. His decision is his own and perhaps with all the crazyness that the Holy Father has had to fix over his pontificate resulting from the anarchy that reigned while JPII was less then disposed to anchor the Church he sees this as the chance for the barque to pick up steam. I will pray for him and his succesor. Pray, fast, give alms. Meditate on Mark 4:35-41 and you will see why my worries are calmed
  
  +JMJ+
  
  Report this comment
jackact
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 7:58am
Can you imagine a member of congress stepping down for, “The benefit of government”?
Case and point.

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- walnutportconservative
  Posted on February 13, 2013 at 8:10am
  Actually, the litmus test for brennan would be that very action. In llight of the accusations, it would be the honorable thing for him to do. But… the pope answers to even a higher calling than the politician. That is truth.
  
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- Locked
  Posted on February 13, 2013 at 9:12am
  “Can you imagine a member of congress stepping down for, “The benefit of government”?”
  
  Isn’t this the excuse that Jim DeMint gave when he announced he was going to the Heritage Foundation? That he could do better work for the country and have more of an impact on legislation there than in his elected position?
  
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bitterclinger
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 7:28am
I just hope those lightning strikes weren’t a show of His displeasure at the pontiff’s decision. If Benedict doesn’t have the strength to continue, it makes you wonder about his health, even though the Vatican says there are no immediate concerns.

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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 7:26am
Not calling out Americans for violating the 1st amendment, allowing government to make a law regarding the establishment of religion called marriage, makes us all sick?

It makes us all sick when we are told gun control is the answer, instead of communicating the simple concept of personal responsibility to remove beyond a reasonable doubt from the mind of a criminal, there are two awesome creatures, that guard the gates of hell, trusted by God, the way we trust our guns? We know what your thinking, did we buy a gun, or did we not buy a gun, well, being that if you live in the United States, where they have the right to bear arms, people are free to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without your permission, so before you get excited, we just wanted to let you know, you don’t have the right to feel lucky?

Rush Limbuagh’s Cigar Puffing,
Glenn Beck’s learning all the moves,
Clint Eastwood’s back in the groove,
we’re not talking to an empty chair, or an empty room,
He’s walking the talk, so don’t you balk,
standing up for what’s right, what’s good, what’s true,
gun free zones ain’t good for nothing,
the malcontents think that’s something,
making us feel like sitting ducks,
we don’t ask for much you see,
just stand up for our civil rights, like me?
You can huss and fuss,
you can pout and plead,
blame political greed in need,
but you can’t stop reading blogs like these?

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