Cardinal Pell 'Surprised' by Pope Benedict Xvi's Decision to Step down
By Aaron Langmaid
AUSTRALIA'S most senior Catholic says last night's resignation of Pope Benedict XVI caught him by surprise. Cardinal George Pell AC, the Archbishop of Sydney, will cast his vote on the Catholic Church's new leader in Rome by the end of the month, following the first resignation of a Pope since 1415. "Pope Benedict has always loved the Church and worked to do what was best for her. His resignation came as a surprise to me. We thank him for his years of devoted leadership and service, and his brilliant teaching. We’ll pray for him as he enters retirement. We must also pray for the church as she prepares to choose the next successor of St Peter,” Cardinal Pell said in a brief statement. The 85-year-old German Pope told Vatican cardinals his age and health were factors in his decision to step down, making him the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. Father Brian Lucis, Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the unforeseen announcement came as a "great surprise" to the religious community. "The decision of the Pope is extraordinarily courageous. He has come to appreciate the limitations caused by his age and his health, and rather than continue with those limitations he is stepping aside to allow an election of a successor who will be better able to fulfil the extraordinary demands on a modern Pope" Father Brian said. Last night speculation was rife as to whether Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, would be a contender for the Catholic Church’s highest position. "Pope Benedict XVI" and "Vatican" both trended on Twitter. Melbourne Catholic identity Father Bob McGuire took to the social networking website to ask whether Cardinal Pell would be elected. Father Brian said Cardinal Pell would journey to Rome in the next two weeks to cast his vote on the church’s next leader. "They will spend a few days of prayer and discussion among themselves and then, on the nominated day, they will all move into what’s called the conclave, where they will have a series of secret ballots until a candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority," he said. Pope Benedict has been described as "generous of spirit" and had expressed his sincere sadness and grief at the huge loss of life following Black Saturday. Former deputy PM Tim Fischer said it remained one of the defining memories of his time with the pontiff when he served as Ambassador to the Holy See. "He spoke soft English and questioned a lot of Black Saturday in February 2009 during our first meeting," Mr Fischer said. "I remember him being very upset about the loss of life and had trouble understanding how it could happen. "It was something he expressed personal sympathy over and asked me to express his thoughts and wishes. "I found him very generous of spirit but ageing fast." Mr Fischer said he was not surprised by the Pope's decision. "In mid 2010 Pope Benedict said in certain circumstances it would be his duty to resign. "It was a clear signal which I picked up on." He said Pope Benedict had been to the tomb of Pope Celestine V twice in recent times to pray." Pope Celestine abdicated the papacy in 1294. "I wish Pope Benedict XVI all the best," Mr Fischer said. "It was a privileged to be an ambassador holy see for Australia during his pontificate." Mr Fischer served as ambassador from 2008 to 2012 and worked closely with the church during the canonisation of Australia's first Roman Catholic saint Mary MacKillop.
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