On
February 24th, 2013 the Roman Catholic Church experienced a phenomenon
that has not happened in nearly six-hundred years. Emeritus Pope
Benedict XVI resigned his post, making himself the first pope to resign
since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine I in 1294.
The Emeritus Pope explained his situation on February 11th stating
"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" (Reese and Untener). Not only is the church in upheaval due to the
premature departure of the previous pontiff, but the new pope has promised
radical changes. This new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now known as Pope
Franics, has indicated revisions that may shake the Roman Catholic Church to
its core. What effects will these strange happenings in the Vatican have,
and what does the future hold for the world’s largest Christian denomination?
To
investigate this question, one must first look at the life of Emeritus Pope Benedict
and his journey to the papacy. He was born Joseph Ratzinger in 1927 to a
Bavarian policeman and his wife. Even at
a young age he was noted as “widely recognized for his bent-toward-academic
writings and a sharp intellect, showed early signs of what he would
become. He entered the seminary at 12”
(Russell, Dumalaon, and Somaskanda). However, Adolf Hitler and National
Socialism nearly ended his career before it started, forcing him to unwillingly
join the Hitler Youth. Later he was drafted into the anti-aircraft defense,
ultimately being captured by the US and spending several months as a prisoner
of war. Despite these setbacks Ratzinger was ordained in 1951 and went on to
teach as a professor of theology in some of Germany’s top universities. In 1977, after serving as Vice President at the University of Regensburg for one year, he
was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Cardinal by Pope Paul VI. This
appointment was actually quite surprising; Ratzinger was much better known as
an intellectual and did not have much experience as a priest. Joseph
Ratzinger’s early experience as a college professor carried over into his later
career and his papacy. Joseph
Ratzinger had a successful career in the Vatican prior to becoming pope. By
1981 he was named prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by
Pope John Paul II. Ratzinger and the pope shared similar conservative
viewpoints and grew close over the next twenty years. His right-hand man status
along with his conservative views gave many the impression that Ratzinger was an enforcer of sorts, and earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler”.
Despite requesting permission to resign on two occasions, he was appointed Dean
of the College of Cardinals. Ratzinger’s promotion made him the Vatican’s
foremost cardinal and the second most powerful man in the Roman Catholic
Church. In retrospect it could be argued that Pope John Paul II was grooming
Ratzinger to be his successor to the papacy.
After
the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005, the conclave had a difficult decision
to make. Should they keep things going in the same direction with Ratzinger or
pick a new route to take the Church? After two days of deliberation on April 18
and 19 the cardinals had reached a consensus. By choosing Ratzinger as the new
pope the Vatican had cast its vote for religious conservatism. Even his chosen
name is a reference to the old ways "His papal name, Benedict, reflects his devotion to the founder of Western
monasticism and his conviction that Benedict's heirs, the Christian monks of what
are conventionally called the 'Dark Ages,' preserved classical
culture when the Roman world was imploding.” (Weigel). Pope Benedict XVI pulled
through on his end by fighting against reforms of the 1960’s Second Vatican
Council, accusing Protestant religions of being too lenient, and taking steps
backward in the dialogue with other religions. On top of this his papacy was
marred by allegations of corruption and sex scandals. Most believe that the shy
Bavarian did a poor job following his charismatic Polish predecessor.
Pope
Benedict XVI’s conservative views did not stop him from being the first pope to
resign in almost six hundred years. Many believe his unprecedented decision
against Vatican convention will have far reaching consequences. Susannah Cullinane
of CNN states “modern popes have felt that resignation is unacceptable and could encourage factions within the church to pressure pontiffs to step down.” The papacy is supposed to render its avatar
infallible and the Vatican does not want groups with ulterior motives
controlling them. The Church also fears schisms created from members choosing
to follow the Emeritus Pope instead of the current pope. However, this could
also be a modernizing step for the role of pontiff. Most current positions of
world leadership view resignation as a common occurrence. Whether it be
president, prime minister, or some other government position most people can
recall at least one instance of resignation in their lifetime. This would be
helpful in the case of a pope who is physically unable to carry out his duties, because it would insure there is always a capable pope. On the other
hand, this resignation could just be a one-off and have minimal lasting
effects. Either way it will most likely be a long while until anyone knows.
Pope
Francis experienced quite the modest upbringing in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Born Jorge Bergoglio to an Italian immigrant, the pope was the eldest of five
children. Francis’s father had escaped Italy in the wake of fascist takeover
and had taken a job as a laborer at a railway. After attending elementary
school Bergoglio graduated from secondary school with a chemical technician's
diploma. He went on to work several years as a chemist prior to entering
seminary school. He was ordained in 1969 and finished his Jesuit transformation
in 1973. Pope Francis’s involvement in the Society of Jesus sets him
apart from the crowd. Jesuits take martyrdom a step farther than the average
priest “The founding members of the Society of Jesus took a vow of poverty,
chastity and obedience under Ignatius. Current Jesuits take the same three vows
today, along with a vow of obedience to the Pope.” Jesuits are also
known to be free-thinking, accepting of other religions, and focused on
education. These convictions seem to be
in direct conflict with a large number of the previous pope’s conservative
policies. None of this means anything if Pope Francis does not have the gall to
carry out the massive doctrine changes in the Roman Catholic Church.
The
next logical question is one of whether or not Pope Francis has the audacity to
carry out reforms to match the ideals of the Society of Jesus. To answer this
question one must look no further than his recent decisions. While he was a
cardinal he supported civil unions in Argentina, although he was opposed to
gay marriage and their adopting of children.
He also publicly denounced priests refusing to baptize children born out of wedlock, and even washed the feet of hospital patients
with AIDS. At his election as pope he refused to sit in the ceremonial throne
and instead stood at the same level as his cardinals. Pope Francis still wears
the black shoes (previous popes have traditionally worn showy red leather shoes)
he wore before being elected and forwent the red ermine cape worn by Pope
Benedict XVI. He has also been known as a man of simplicity. While in
Buenos Aires he lived in a one-room apartment, cooked all his meals for
himself, and took the bus to and from work daily. Pope Francis was even revolutionary
in choosing his name. He is the first to name himself Francis, which is
especially surprising in a profession where there have been twenty-two Pope Johns and sixteen Pope Gregorys. Pope Francis chose his name out of respect for St.
Francis, a monk known for his service of the poor, love of nature, and choice
to live among the beggars at Saint Peter’s
Basilica. It is obvious that Pope Francis has more than enough courage to stand
up for his convictions.
The Vatican experienced its
first resignation of a pontiff in over half a millennium and has elected the most
progressive Pope to date as the head of their church. Although it does raise some questions as to what his place in the
church will be from now on, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign has most likely opened the door of opportunity for future popes. Tired of corruption and scandal, the conclave chose
a new direction for the Church by electing Jorge Bergoglio as its first South
American and Jesuit pope. Pope Francis has shown the world what it means to
live as a Jesuit and that he has the courage and the will to bring about the
reforms needed in a stagnant Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Dolan expressed
the true feelings of the Church in an interview with Matt Lauer, “I think we
all got a reason to be hopeful.” For better or worse, the actions currently occurring in the Vatican will change the Roman Catholic Church forever.
Works Cited
Reese, Thomas J., and Kenneth E. Untener. "What Now?" America 3 Apr. 2013: 16-21. EBSCOhost. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
Russell, Ruby, Janelle Dumalaon, and Sumi Somaskanda. "From a Humble Start Benedict Made Mark." USA Today 2 Dec. 2013: n. pag. EBSCOhost. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
Weigel, George. "THE REAL BENEDICT." Newsweek 2 May 2005: 48-49. EBSCOhost. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
Wilson, A. N. "The Real Ratzinger." Newsweek 15 Feb. 2013: 1. EBSCOhost. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
