By Bishop Donald Sproxton
The announcement of the abdication of Pope Benedict last night, Perth time, came as a surprise.
The reason the Holy Father has given is his deteriorating health. This certainly would be attested to by the many bishops and people of the Church who have met him in the last two years.
He has become increasingly frail in recent times.
I met him last November when I attended a health conference in Rome. We were privileged to be granted an audience.
The Holy Father entered the audience hall unaided and seemed very cheerful.
However, by the time the audience was finishing, his energy was greatly diminished and he could only manage to receive a very small group of bishops.
We have all admired his enormous courage from the moment he was elected to the See of Rome. He had expectations that he would soon retire to complete a life’s work of thought and writing.
The election changed that. He obviously believed that with the support of the Holy Spirit he would be able to walk into the unsure future in the awesome role as Successor of Peter. This he has done splendidly.
The eight years that have passed have seen the Holy Father not only govern the Church with astuteness and sensitivity, but he has been one of the finest papal teachers in modern times.
He has managed to write profound encyclicals, which were surprising at the time of their release for the subjects he chose.
He has published insightful books, especially on the life of Christ, in which he has given us the fruit of a lifetime’s theological study, reflection and writing.
Pope Benedict has reached out to our Jewish brothers and sisters in a way that has built new avenues of understanding and reconciliation.
In the same spirit, he has sought to develop close relationships with the Orthodox Churches, building on the work done by Blessed John Paul II.
Last night’s news would have stunned many around the world. The resignation is the first in modern times and we are not sure how to handle it.
This is new territory for the universal Church. Yet we will move through this time with the same spirit the Holy Father conveyed in his announcement speech: we entrust the Church to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.
His decision required him to wrestle with his conscience and confront honestly his physical situation.
He will experience a real peace of heart having reached the decision. Courage is required to accept the decline in health and know the need for more personal help.
We need to receive this witness and learn from it. The decision also makes it possible for the canonical abdication to be used again without judgement by others.
Let’s pray for Pope Benedict and for his strength as he retires. May his retirement be peaceful, supported by his own prayer as he draws closer to the Lord. I pray with all in the Church as the cardinals discern who to choose to carry on the Petrine ministry.