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Have You Seen the Latest Details About Pope Benedict’s Post-Retirement Plans?

Feb. 26, 2013 8:34am Billy Hallowell

VATICAN CITY (TheBlaze/AP) — New details about Pope Benedict XVI post-retirement life are emerging. According to the Vatican, he will be known as “emeritus pope” in his retirement and will continue to wear a white cassock.

The pope’s title and what he would wear has been a major question ever since Benedict stunned the world and announced he would resign on Thursday, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Benedict himself had made the decision in consultation with others.

Benedict decided he would be called “Your Holiness Benedict XVI” and either emeritus pope or emeritus Roman pontiff, Lombardi said.

Vatican Releases Key Details About Pope Benedict XVIs Post Retirement Plans

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during the Angelus prayer from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s square at the Vatican, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Credit: AP

While he will no longer wear his trademark red shoes, Benedict has taken a liking to a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in Leon, Mexico, and presented to him during his 2012 visit. He will wear those in retirement, Lombardi said.

Lombardi also elaborated on the College of Cardinals meetings that will take place after the papacy becomes vacant — crucial gatherings in which cardinals will discuss the problems facing the church and set a date for the start of the conclave to elect Benedict’s successor.

The first meeting isn’t now expected until March 4, Lombardi said, since the official convocation to cardinals to come to Rome will only go out on March 1 — the first day of what’s known as the “sede vacante,” or the vacancy between papacies.

In all 115 cardinals under the age of 80 are expected in Rome for the conclave to vote on who should become the next pope; 2 other eligible cardinals have already said they are not coming, one from Britain and another from Indonesia. Cardinals who are 80 and older can join the College meetings but are not part of the conclave and can’t vote.

Pope Benedict XVI (Photo Credit: AP)

Benedict on Monday gave the cardinals the go-ahead to move up the start date of the conclave — tossing out the traditional 15-day waiting period. But the cardinals won’t actually set a date for the conclave until they begin meeting officially on March 4.

Lombardi also further described Benedict’s final 48 hours as pope: On Tuesday, he was packing, arranging for documents to be sent to the various archives at the Vatican and separating out the personal papers he will take with him into retirement.

On Wednesday, Benedict will hold his final public general audience in St. Peter’s Square at which 50,000 tickets have already been requested. He won’t greet visiting prelates or VIPs as he normally does at the end but will greet some visiting political leaders — from San Marino, Andorra and his native Bavaria — privately afterwards.

On Thursday, the pope meets with his cardinals in the morning and then flies by helicopter at 5 p.m. to Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence south of Rome. He will greet parishioners there from the palazzo’s loggia (balcony) – his final public act as pope.

And at 8 p.m., the exact time at which his retirement becomes official, the Swiss Guards standing outside the doors of the palazzo at Castel Gandolfo will go inside, their service protecting the head of the Catholic Church now finished.

Benedict’s personal security will be assured by Vatican police, Lombardi said.

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Comments (35)

Patrick Flynn
Posted on February 27, 2013 at 1:40am
This is a strange report. I don’t see as how Pope Benedict gets to decide what he will be called. As a resigned Pope he will be assigned an office by the next Pope. I would suspect the next Pope will simply address Pope Benedict as Bishop Ratzinger. Currently he can lay down suggestions for the next Pope but the ultimate decision would be with the actual Pope. I would hope the next Pope would not give in to this suggestion.

As for you commenters who have no concern nor care for the Catholic Church all I can say is thanks for all the Love.

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- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:25am
  Patrickflynn,
  
  First of all, he won’t be called Bishop because he is a Cardinal.
  
  Secondly, I’d be interested in where you received your degree in Canon Law. Where does it say in the Canon Law that the new Pope must assign him an office? He is RETIRING. Hello?
  
  And since we haven’t had a Pope resign in something like 600 years, I am not sure there is an iron clad way that the new Pope and Benedict will interact.
  
  And while Benedict was Pope, he made quite a number of conservative, traditional bishops into Cardinals. So, he doesn’t have any need to be involved in Papal work anymore. He did his work already, as Pope, to ensure a more stable and conservative Cardinal College.
  
  Educate yourself.
  
  Report this comment
- Patrick Flynn
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 2:28am
  Dear TRADCatholicGirl,
  
  Interesting you ask me about Canon Law and then admit the situation hasn’t been experienced in 600 years revealing Canon Law doesn’t cover this situation. In fact I challenge you to find the statue. Can 332 :2 only gives authority to resign not what to be called after resignation.
  Okay you caught my error mea cupla mea cupla mea maxima culpa. Pope Benedict will most likely be called Cardinal Ratzinger.
  It appears you were emotionally offended that I suggested Pope Benedict revert to being Cardinal Ratzinger. As I stated it was an opinion or suggestion. I suggest it for reasons of continuity with the principle of primacy of the Office of the Papacy. We could easily slip into a situation with some hearing a decision of the new Pope running to emeritus Pope Benedict for confirmation or clarification. This I fear would cause undue division.
  I never said you have to like or approve of my suggestion. I do however stand by my clear statement that Pope Benedict can not declare what he is to be called after resignation. It is clearly up to the new Pope to establish a title or the word I loosely used “office.”
  
  Thanks for the opportunity to get me sum edumakshun.
  
  Report this comment
KingCanon
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:31pm
Keep an eye on this guy as he weaves himself back into the tapestry of Germany.
There he will be half of the strength in the rise of the new Holy Roman Catholic Church.
As a general rule individuals are controlled through love and fear. Catholicism controls
through love and Muslims are controlling through fear. Both are working as parallels
to a cause and that cause is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Catholicism will move furtively in as Satan’s love angle while ALL watch in fear of the
next Satanic Muslim move. It’s slick but that’s what you have to expect from an antichrist.
Deny it if you like but this has to happen!

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- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:16am
  Kingcanon,
  
  Have you read anything about what Benedict has decided to do in retirement? He is not residing in Germany. He will live in an almost monastic seclusion, praying and writing, on the grounds of the Vatican.
  
  It is asinine to assign all this conspiracy nonsense to this elderly soon-to-be Cardinal. I beliive his age even disqualifies him from voting privileges in Papal elections.
  
  Give it a break.
  
  Report this comment
- KingCanon
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:06am
  Weaving ones self back into the tapestry doesn’t
  necessarily mean residence Catholic Girl. Actually
  as he is weaving himself back into this German
  Tapestry he will be able to sprout much deeper
  roots in the restoration while remaining at the Vatican.
  Either way this will be the future! Take heed Catholic Girl!
  
  Report this comment
Debra1776
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:51pm
After the death of Pope John Paul II and during the conclave of cardinals, Benedict began to see the pattern of voting and that he was likely to be elected. He was getting ready to refuse when an aide to Pope John Paul II wrote him a letter and reminded him that it was Benedict who wrote to John Paul II and told him that he was not to refuse the honor or responsibility because it would be the will of God if he was to be Pope. This cardinal reminded Benedict that he wrote in that letter to John Paul II that is is easier to say no to what God wants from us as individuals and that God would help him through it all. That is how Pope Benedict was able to shake any doubts that if elected, he would serve God and Church.

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Nabuquduriuzhur
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 1:43pm
re:tradcatholicgirl

Holiness is being set apart. It manifests in goodness. Born-again Christians are set apart from the world. Barnes comment on holiness in 1 Thess 3:13 “In holiness – Not in outward conduct merely, or the observance of rites and forms of religion, but in purity of heart.”

Justification is the legal/forensic term that means the law of God is satisfied and God sees us as righteous as His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sanctification takes a lifetime, being the “cleaning up” of our lives by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The idea of titles is an old one, but not appropriate. Christ said in Matthew 23:8-12 “8 But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called [b]leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

It’s also a snare. How many church officials over the centuries adopted a title like “chaste” or “holy” or “innocent” and ended up being anything but?

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- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 2:52pm
  Dear NABUQUDURIUZHUR,
  
  I appreciated your respectful and thoughtful response to tradcatholicgirl. It is a welcome change of pace to dialogue with a follow believer in Christ. As a Catholic I also considered myself a born-again Christian. It was through baptism that I was saved:
  
  “No one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:3-5).
  And it is through his grace that I am being saved and will be saved if I persevered in his love and don’t through away the gift of salvation:
  
  “And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.
  
  In regard to titles in the Church: do you call your minister Pastor or Doctor (from the latin word docere which means to teach, teacher)? If you adhere to the literal interpretation of the scriptural passage that you quoted you should not use the temrs pastors or doctor because those are titles. Jesus was following the Rabbinic tradition of hyperbole as he did in Matthew 5:29:
  
  “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown in
  
  Report this comment
- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 2:56pm
  Moreover if we are prohibited from using such terminology then why Paul used them?
  
  “I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel”
  
  (1 Cor. 4:14–15).
  
  Report this comment
- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 3:01pm
  “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell”.
  
  Moreover if we are prohibited from using such terminology then why Paul used them?
  
  “I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:14–15).
  
  Report this comment
- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:16pm
  NAB and CALEB:
  
  I enjoyed hearing your perspectives.
  
  As a Catholic who respects the Pope, I WANT him to have a title I can use that shows that I am grateful for the lifetime of love and sacrifice he gave to our Church, and the time he gave to us as Pope.
  
  That he understands the need of ours to have a respectful and special title shows his love and respect for us, and not a lack of humility. I don’t think of it as some sort of prideful trap into which he has the potential to fall.
  
  The title of “Your Holiness” does not have to connote grandiose or prideful intentions. It is somewhat akin to why we still refer to ex-presidents as President, or ex-senators as Senator.
  
  “Holy” should have no negative connotation. It is our goal if we are Christians.
  
  Report this comment
- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:03pm
  @ TRADCATHOLICGIRL
  
  Amen!
  
  Report this comment
pavepaws
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 12:59pm
A backup Pope?

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battles
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 11:16am
“Your Holiness Benedict XVI”

But wait a minute! This just in!
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

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- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 11:40am
  Hey Battles,
  
  Who said you can’t be holy but have sinned? It is true, all of us humans sin. As you pointed out with your quote. Otherwise we would be perfect.
  
  But “holiness” and a “complete lack of sin” are not necessarily synonymous.
  
  It is impossible for humans to have a complete lack of sin. Holiness, however, is totally achievable by the average human. But the average human has to love God enough to want it. Then he or she has to work at it.
  
  Report this comment
SilentReader
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:37am
I would like to see his condemnation of the Vatican’s complicitity and participation in the horrendous crimes that occured in Jasenovac Concentration Camp and beyond in Croatia during WWII (between 1941 & 1945) where they and the Ustashi murdered 750,000 Serbs, 75,000 Jews and 50,000 Roma civilians in the most horrific ways possible! The Ustashi had special knives made to gouge out their eyes and they had contests to see how many they could kill in one day. It was the 3rd largest and most brutal of the Concentration Camps in the whole of Europe, and Communist Tito had it bulldozed over after WWII ended, and forbid the Serbs to talk about it, all in the name of “brotherly love!”

http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/platon.html

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- Dudley Do-Right
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 1:19pm
  And here’s the truth
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SWpN6jg6UI
  
  Report this comment
- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 1:21pm
  Dear Silentreader,
  
  I am sorry that you feel that way about the role of the Catholic Church during WWII. I invite you to dig a little bit deeper into history and stop revising historical facts to promote an agenda against the Catholic Church. It is easy to make non-factual statements sound historical but the witness of history tell a different story that the one you are trying to portrait here.
  
  Jewish leaders that survived the Holocaust testify to the contrary of your statement:
  
  “The people of Israel will never forget what His Holiness and his illustrious delegates, inspired by the eternal principles of religion which form the very foundations of true civilization, are doing for us unfortunate brothers and sisters in the most tragic hour of our history, which is living proof of divine Providence in this world.”
  
  Isaac Herzog,
  Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, sent the Pope a personal message of thanks on February 28, 1944
  
  “It is not easy for us to find the right words to express the warmth and consolation we experienced because of the concern of the supreme pontiff, who offered a large sum to relieve the sufferings of deported Jews. . . . The Jews of Romania will never forget these facts of historic importance.”
  
  Rabbi Safran of Bucharest,
  A note of thanks to the papal nuncio on April 7, 1944
  
  Report this comment
The Big Mick
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:32am
One does note the “Homosex Scandal Ring” has dropped out of the coverage.
I continue to believe a Cabal of Que Ear Italian Cardinals would explain the inexplicable handling of the Pederast Priest Scandal.
Never understood WHAT could be SO important that they would TRANSFER them rather than simply stick em in a Monastery with a Vow of Silence.
Sugar Daddies up and down the line with a shared secret Penchant would explain it.

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- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 1:34pm
  My friend,
  
  I agree that incidents that give scandal to the Church give the wrong witness of obedience to the Gospel of Christ. However we have to be mindful that the whole secular world has a grind against the Catholic Church because of its stand of Faith and Morals and therefore stories like the one you mention can be fabricated in order to damage the Catholic Church. I only ask you to be open minded and not let your bigotry against the Catholic Church cloud your judgement. Especially given that no substantial proof have been given to backup such a story.
  
  Report this comment
RaydocX
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:08am
Is that a little like choosing your own nickname?
Mayhaps he should let the next pope make such decisions.

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The_Cabrito_Goat
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:28am
Lucky old coot can retire whenever he wants.

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- YOURSENSEI
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:02am
  This is what you must know:
  
  But not you. eh? Shoulda worked harder . . . and smarter . . like me.
  
  it is so.
  
  Report this comment
Barry Bostwick
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:02am
I heard last week that the Pope is moving to The Villages in Florida. Some guy called the radio and talked about it. http://youtu.be/sGCSLkxoxxU

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- DarthMims
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 12:10pm
  In that case, I suppose his attire would be sandals with long black socks, beige shorts pulled up to his nipples, and a turquoise golf shirt tucked in and held securely in place by a white belt. Oh, don’t forget the oversized sunglasses and white fishing hat.
  
  Report this comment
Locked
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:57am
“The pope’s title and what he would wear has been a major question”

No… it really hasn’t.

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Eastinfection
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:53am
“Benedict decided he would be called “Your Holiness Benedict XVI” and either “emeritus pope” or “emeritus Roman pontiff”…”

it would have been cooler if he took his old name back and told everyone to call him “Joe”.

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Gonzo
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:44am
I wonder if the new Pope will spend years blaming the last Pope for all the ills of the world? Seems to be an effective strategy…in the American media anyway.

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:54am
  Only if he’s elected by Low- Information- Cardinals.
  
  Report this comment
- qpwillie
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:56am
  LOL!! Now who but Gonzo would think of that?
  
  Report this comment
- MCON29
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:42am
  thats funny
  
  Report this comment
- YOURSENSEI
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:03am
  This is what you must know:
  
  The Pope is retiring – and staying in the Vatican – to avoid prosecution for covering up sexual abuse of young boys by priests. Same reason Bush retired in Texas.
  
  It is so.
  
  Report this comment
- The Big Mick
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:28am
  The GREAT GONZO and BEAST of the EAST!
  ROFL!
  “Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are!”
  Ok, so who has the first “Father Guido Sourdouche” quote?
  
  Report this comment
- Verceofreason
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 3:18pm
  His popeness is trapped in Vatican City for the rest of his life
  lest he be arrested as an enabler of pedophile priests.
  Like Dubya and Cheney can;t go to half of Europe.
  
  Report this comment

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