Monday, February 11, 2013

Munich Canonist: Pope May Retract His Resignation

Edit:  the following statement was made at the end of his Lectio Divina lecture where he made some extemporaneous comments, taken from the Italian commentator, Sandro Magister:

"Naturally, there is a false optimism and a false pessimism. A false pessimism that says: the time of Christianity is finished. No: it is beginning again! The false optimism was that after the Council, when the convents were closing, the seminaries were closing, and they were saying: but it's nothing, everything's fine . . . No! Everything is not fine. There are also grave, dangerous downfalls, and we must recognize with healthy realism that this is not all right, it is not all right when wrongful things are done. But also to be sure, at the same time, that if here and there the Church is dying because of the sins of men, because of their unbelief, at the same time it is being born anew. The future really does belong to God: this is the great certainty of our life, the great, true optimism that we know. The Church is the tree of God that lives forever and bears within itself eternity and the true inheritance: eternal life.” 

Stephan Haering:  it is canonically speaking the Pope would have time yet till the 28th of February to retract his resignation.

Munich (kath.net/KNA)  Pope Benedict XVI. will, according to the opinion of the Canon Lawyer Stephan Haering would hold the status of a Bishop Emeritus.  Officially there is no clear ruling for a Pope emeritus, said Haering on Monday to Munich's Church Radio.  Canoically speaking the Pope would still however have until the 28th of February to withdraw his resignation.  Haering expects that Benedict XVI. will withdraw from public.

In relation to the coming Conclave the Professor from Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich in doesn't not venture any speculation on the Pope's decision over the next two weeks.  "I don't think he will name any more Cardinals, but he will probably undertake the usual functions of the Papal office."

Link to kath.net...

No comments: