Retirement: a time of relaxation and repose that most people look forward to. That final stage in their life where they finally get to sit back and enjoy the serenity of life after years of hard work and stress.
Unfortunately, people with special jobs and much responsibility, such as running the worldwide Catholic Church, don’t always get to look forward to this period of peace despite the toll and hard work their job takes.
This was the case for popes for almost the past six centuries. All served until their death. However, on Feb. 11, Pope Benedict XVI announced he would officially be resigning on Feb. 28 due to health reasons that caused him to feel he could no longer effectively carry out his duties to his best ability, according to theology teacher Paul Kramschuster.
“I think he watched his predecessor John Paul II grow weaker and weaker,” theology teacher Jessica Hull said. “He didn’t want to end his turn as pope that way.”
As for the pope’s successor, Hull said there are around 20 names in the running. A possibility would be the selection of the first African or South American pope because the number of Catholics in those areas is on the rise, and many believe this growing part of the Catholic Church needs to be better represented. No matter who is chosen, it is likely the next pope will continue things in a similar direction to that of Pope Benedict.
“It seems to me that a percentage of the cardinals voting for the next pope have been put in place by Pope Benedict,” Kramschuster said.
However, Kramschuster said he believes that each pope brings a new vision to the office. A big task for the next pope will be how the church is going to react to and handle modern issues such as the role of women in the church and homosexuality, he said. The next pope will need to figure out how the Catholic Church will respond and adapt to the modern world without sacrificing its teachings and traditions.
Hull said while the pope today may not have as much influence over the lives and practices of individual Catholics as in the past, the pope still has a lot of influence over the direction and stance of the Catholic Church.
“His decisions have a great impact on the church as a whole,” Hull said.