Much speculation circulates about the reasons behind the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on February 28. Benedict released this statement that says it was due to health and age, and reveals that the former Pope was simply too weak to properly bear the burdens of leading a global religious following.

“…in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me,” the statement reads.

Seems rational. Considering the usual age of those given the Papal title, around 62. With Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI elected at the age of 78, it’s surprising that it has been so long since a Pope has thrown up his wrinkled hands in exhaustion. Around 600 years, in fact.

All that rationality has not stemmed the tide of conspiracy theories, which are in rare form. The beliefs range from the old sex-scandal, to the classic Illuminati pulling strings behind the scenes, to Benedict being ousted as a Nazi.

The sex scandal comes from the fact that the then-Pope was said to have received two red leather-bound texts full of the findings of the internal investigation into the sex-crime accusations. It is claimed that the same day the books hit his desk, the Pope gave his two-week notice.

While Pope Emeritus, born Joseph Ratzinger, was forced into the Hitler Youth to survive in Bavaria during WWII, there is no evidence that he has any ties to the Nazi party, nor has he supported them politically. Benedict’s father was, in fact, known to be an opponent of the Nazi regime.

Another theory floating around is that a man known as “The Black Priest” is really behind all the Vatican’s decisions, as he controls both the Church and the Illuminati. This “priest” is said to be Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, who also leads the Society of Jesus. Busy guy! It is apparently Kolvenbach who chose to step down, which meant that his counterpart, or possibly underling, Pope Benedict, must do so as well.

There is little to no evidence of any of these conspiracy theories bring true, and the Vatican routinely asserts the facts at every meeting and conference. Their representatives are well practiced at this, since there have accusations of secret dealings, secret societies, and general misconduct throughout the history of the Church. Until the day where no more secrets are kept and the inner world of all organizations is open to the public, there will be mutterings of scandal and the ways shadow rulers are bringing about the New World Order.

Image Courtesy : Catholic Church (England and Wales)

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Pope Benedict XVI has shocked the world by announcing that he will relinquish the papacy at the end of the month.

Benedict made his historic announcement at a consistory that was held to approve the canonization of three new saints. In a faltering voice, he read a statement in Latin to the assembled cardinals.

“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,” he said.

Benedict stated that governing the church required one had to be strong in both mind and body. But since he had come to feel increasingly infirm, it was important that he step down and let someone with a stronger constitution take over.

As required by canon law, Benedict announced that he made his resignation with “full freedom.” And in display of German meticulousness, he also declared that he would “renounce the ministry of bishop of Rome, successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a conclave to elect the new supreme pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.”

Benedict concluded his statement by announcing that he planned to continue serving the church through a life dedicated to prayer.

Although Roman Catholic bishops and archbishops are expected to retire at 75, the pope traditionally holds office for life. Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, remained in office despite suffering from a variety of debilitating ailments. But over the centuries, a handful of popes have chosen to step down. Gregory XII resigned in 1415 in order to end the Great Schism, a decades-long ecclesiastical civil war that saw multiple popes in office at the same time. Over a century earlier, Celestine V stepped down after a reign of only five months when he became disillusioned with the nature of the papacy. Hopefully, Benedict’s post-papal life will be more congenial than that of Celestine, who was imprisoned in the castle of Fumone by his successor.

The full text of Benedict’s announcement can be found here.

Image Courtesy : Catholic Church (England and Wales)

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Pope Benedict’s ex-butler, the man responsible for leaking a large trove of top secret Vatican documents, has been convicted following an incredibly swift trial, raising the eyebrows of not just conspiracy theorists. Paolo Gabriele was found guilty of theft and remanded to house arrest. Although the formal sentence was three years, it was reduced to only eighteen months, and Vatican reporters expect him to eventually receive a papal pardon. The trial lasted only a few days before a decision was reached.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Newspaper commentators asked if Gabriele had cut a deal with the Vatican, agreeing not to divulge much of what he knew in exchange for a papal pardon and continued unemployment in a low-profile job in the city state.” This is not only because Gabriele had such a surprisingly lenient sentence, but also because questions were left unanswered.

Other than Gianluigi Nuzzi, the Italian journalist who used some of the material for his best-selling book published in May, as well as a Vatican computer expert who was also indicted, no one else has been directly incriminated in the case. The scale and importance of the documents have led to much speculation regarding other Vatican officials and a possible cover-up, according to the Tribune. Many doubt that Gabriele could have acted alone in such a feat.

Gabriele testified, “My intention was to find someone trustworthy with whom to share my state of mind and my perplexity regarding a situation that was unbearable, not only for me but for many inside the Vatican.” The man who admitted to wrongdoing for the sake of exposing corruption seems to be involved in a lightning-fast cover-up. It makes little sense.

The leaked information implicates the church in allegations of corruption, “financial misdeeds within the Vatican, as well as infighting and widespread tensions.” There’s also the mismanagement of sexual abuse cases and allegations of which the church has been accused of in recent times. It is not insignificant that these allegations come in the heels of other Vatican scandals. An extremely high-profile, yet secretive trial can only further damage the reputation of the Catholic Church.

In its haste to sweep any further unpleasantness under the rug, the Vatican has created a mountain out of a molehill for itself. Rather than using the trial to demonstrate a system of fairness and transparency, the church acted in the most incriminating manner possible. What could have been used as an opportunity to show a genuine push for change was instead swept over, for the entire world to see.

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California, U.S.A. — As more than 2000 Knights of Columbus and their family members gather for the organization’s 130th International Convention – together with more than 80 archbishops and bishops, including 12 cardinals, and scores of clergy – the Pope has praised the organization’s work for religious liberty in a letter to be released to attendees Tuesday.

The letter’s distribution will come just two days after the Knights of Columbus – along with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles – drew tens of thousands to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe in what was described as the largest celebration of the Virgin Mary in Southern California in a generation.

At a time when Catholics in the United States face unprecedented attempts by the federal government to limit First Amendment religious liberty, the Pope has applauded and encouraged the work of the Knights of Columbus to protect Americans’ religious freedom.

The letter, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, offers Pope Benedict XVI’s encouragement of the organization’s work for religious liberty and expresses confidence that the Knights will take a leadership role in leading the laity “to counter reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about issues which are determining the future of American society.”

The Knights – led by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson – have been actively involved in the defense of religious freedom, speaking out publicly in the face of proposed limits to First Amendment rights including the HHS Mandate. That regulation seeks, with only the narrowest of exemptions, to force employers to cover medical interventions which are contrary to Catholic teaching – and the government’s arguments Hosanna Tabor, which sought to eliminate the exception from general employment law granted to religious ministers.

The letter expressing the Pope’s sentiments states: “At a time when concerted efforts are being made to redefine and restrict the exercise of the right to religious freedom, the Knights of Columbus have worked tirelessly to help the Catholic community recognize and respond to the unprecedented gravity of these new threats to the Church’s liberty and public moral witness.

By defending the right of all religious believers, as individual citizens and in their institutions, to work responsibly in shaping a democratic society inspired by their deepest beliefs, values and aspiration, your Order has proudly lived up to the high religious and patriotic principles which inspired its founding.”

It continues: “His Holiness is confident that the Supreme Convention will carry on this distinguished legacy by providing sound inspiration, guidance and direction to a new generation of faithful and dedicated Catholic laymen.

As he stated to the Bishops of the United States earlier this year, the demands of the new evangelization and the defense of the Church’s freedom in our day call for ‘an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-a-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about issues which are determining the future of American society”

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore – Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Religious Liberty – said: “The sentiments expressed by Pope Benedict XVI in the letter to the Knights of Columbus makes clear that our work on behalf of religious liberty is important not only to the Knights and to the Catholic Church in the United States, but also to the universal church.

United with our Holy Father, the Knights of Columbus will continue to actively take the lead among the Catholic laity in supporting the First Amendment rights of our Church and of all Americans in the face of the unprecedented threats to our freedom confronting us today.”

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson noted: “The message from the pope to the Knights of Columbus is clear. We must continue to stand up for our religious liberty and to point the way for our fellow Catholics to do the same. Defense of religious liberty has long been a part of the Knights of Columbus history – dating back to our defense of Catholic education from the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s.

We are honored by the pope’s encouragement and confidence in our work, and will continue to do all we can to protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans from laws and regulations that would encroach on the first freedom guaranteed in our bill of rights – the freedom to practice our religion.”

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest fraternal group, with more than 1.8 million members worldwide, the majority of whom live in the United States. One of the country’s most active charitable groups, last year the Knights of Columbus set records by giving more than $158 million and 70 million hours to charitable causes.

The Organization’s 130th convention in Anaheim, Calif. will run from August 7 – 9. It is the largest gathering of Catholic bishops and cardinals in the United States outside of the annual United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ annual meetings.

Image Courtesy of   Martin Ezequiel Gardeazabal / Shutterstock.com

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The Pope, during his weekly blessing to pilgrims, claimed from his summer residence in Castel Gondolfo, south of Rome, the only way for all of the victims to escape from the tragedy in the Horn of Africa is with “compassion” and “fraternal solidarity.”

The catastrophic drought has affected more than 11.8 million people and cover so large an area where both the populations of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are suffering from hunger.

Relief organizations still don’t know how they can deal with the worst drought in the last 60 years. United Nations’ humanitarian affairs coordination says: “The crisis in southern Somalia is expected to continue to worsen through 2011, with all areas of the south slipping into famine.”

It is estimated that half of Somalia’s people are in need of relief assistance after large periods of civil conflict and drought.

“The drought is the reason I left Somalia, I had a deaf husband and between us we had cows and goats,” said Halima Korone Une, a Somalia’s refugee in Dabaab, Kenya. “Because of the drought we had to eat all our goats and my husband went to look for pasture for the cows but never came back so I decided to leave my home with our five children.”

That is the reality. Korone lost one of her children on their way and now she has only four children with her.

Meanwhile, the Pope is giving blessings far from the devastating situation, in his summer residence in Rome.  While The United Nations has declared a famine in two regions of southern Somalia and stated that the effects of the drought have been felt more widely across the war-torn country, as well as in parts of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, Pope Benedict XVI says: “It is an immense task. In this time of holiday, let us not forget to open our hands and our hearts to come to the aid of those who need it,” and he added: “Let us give food and share our bread with the needy.”

The Vatican’s official daily keeps saying that it is difficult to save the people of Somalia. Furthermore, their official daily will refer to the international community for the hard job. Sources in the Vatican also believe the international community should take a more active mediation role between rival and Somali clans:

“If international players do not manage to do this, then even a massive humanitarian effort by UN agencies, including the WFP’s airlift, and by non-governmental organisations will at best slow the emergency,” the Vatican’s official daily said.

Last week, the UN World Food Programme has started an airlift of food into the capital Mogadishu. Even though they are taking any possible action, WFP said: “our feeding centers continue to operate in spite of the difficult security situation.”

Despite the Vatican’s official daily opinion, charities have already said that more international donations are needed and relief efforts have been hampered by the combat, and also a ban on some humanitarian agencies by the Islamist group “Al Shabab” which controls much of southern Somalia.

The African Union is scheduling a further donor conference in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia’s capital during this month. The Pope claims a lack of “solid institutions” on the country, but the world is interested in knowing when a solid institution as the Vatican is going to start helping the people in Somalia.

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Madrid is absolutely ready for the beginning of  “Jornadas Mundial de la Juventud” (World Youth Day). Streets are clean and shut down and pilgrims are waiting for Benedict XVI to arrive to the city.

Even before his arrival, the polemic is already there. Is it worth it to spend 50 million euros for an event that will generate only 100 million, especially in a worldwide crisis context?

In a non-denominational state like Spain, all Madrid’s citizens will be faced to an enormous traffic diversion and a virtual collapse in the city.

Half a million people are expected to be a part of this 7 day event, but is it really profitable?
Pilgrims who checked in the JMJ, will get special discounts for public transportation, food tickets and housing for only 210 euros. A really good offer for those who are coming to see Benedict XVI.

Considering this, and also knowing that the average age is 22, how much money will the pilgrims spend in Madrid?
Other events, like annual Gay Pride counts with an austere budget, only 500.000 euros, and generated, this year, more than 110 million euros. A considerable difference if we compare it with World Youth Day.

Demonstrations, appart.

A secular demonstration is also organized for this Wednesday. Madrid’s mayor, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, believes that this is unacceptable, considering the possible conflict with other religious events.

After several discussions, the demonstration was finally accepted and will coincide with the pilgrims in Puerta del Sol, an strategic hotspot for World Youth Day.

As usual, Spain is divided.

From bullfighting to gay marriage, Spain has two strong views: left and right-wing. We are not talking about politics, but rather people.

Strong points of view are exposed with this international event: from college students to nuns, in favor and again arguments come up easily in Madrid’s streets… and also on the Internet.

Twitter has an enormous roll these days. Hashtags like #MadridSinPapa (Madrid with no Pope), #Madrid11 or #JMJ are used to express from one side and the other, all thoughts related with Benedict XVI and World Youth Day.

Humor aside (people can be really original with their comments), taking a look into these hashtags we can see phrases like “We are totally ready for this incredible experience” and “We are strong and the world will see it”.

But a huge current of comments like “Not with my taxes” and “Spend that money in Somalia” is also coming up with the same force as the others.One thing is for sure, the respect, first of all and from all sides, religious and secular, in this kind of massive event, is the most important matter to emphasize.

In a particular coexistence of each view lies what really turns a society into a tolerant and democratic region.

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