Pope's Resignation Is Short Notice for a Big Job: Opinion

San Bernardino Sun
February 11, 2013

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_22565470/popes-resignation-is-short-notice-big-job-opinion

So the pope only has to give 2 1/2 weeks' notice? Who knew?

It's a big job being the spiritual leader of more than a billion people. You might expect the pope to give more advance notice of his resignation, but Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday morning he would step down Feb. 28.

There's not much precedent to go by. A pope hasn't resigned in nearly six centuries, and the last to do so was more or less forced out to end the Western Schism in 1415.

For Benedict, 85, the first German pope in a millennium, the issue is his deteriorating physical condition. He said Monday he no longer has the "strength of mind and body" to carry out his duties.

The pope's resignation is a classy move in at least one sense: Clearly Benedict is putting the well-being of the Catholic Church above his own ego as its leader.

Still, with Lent starting Wednesday and Easter less than seven weeks away, it seems like rather short notice.

- Opinion staff