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1. What great courage and humility has been shown by His Holiness, a theological giant of the Catholic Church, a man of great faith and incredible intellect.
   His insight into faith and what it means has always inspired me along my own journey.
   His words always gentle and with such meaning, yet always clearly conveyed. May our Lord bless him and be ever close to him at this time as he embarks on the next journey of his extraordinary life of service to our Lord and the Catholic Church.
   Pope Benedict, thank you and please keep us all in your paryers.

   Posted By: Nancy Bicchieri

2. Amen, Nancy.

   Posted By: John

3. Sadly, Nancy, there is another narrative, which suggests that the Pope is leaving a sinking ship in a very bad state of disrepair, with reports almost on a daily basis of scandals of such proportions as to leave a greatly depleted remnant of the faithful wondering about whether we can continue to be Church without radical surgery to the current administrative structure of global Catholicism.
   The most positive spin on the papal resignation is a charitable one: the jobs too difficult for Benedict at such a great age, (but then who in a conclave of older men would want it)?
   Unfortunately, that doesn't augur well for his successor, for who indeed would want to step into a situation in such dire need of drastic repair, for none of the reforms of the current and prior pontificates responded to the calls from many quarters for married men and women to be admitted to the priesthood, while the global response to sex abuse crimes has been so woefully inadequate that at last governments in many countries are being forced to act.
   Moreover, no one I know, especially in the Church, resigns at such short notice without giving cause for scandal.
   Where has there been the succession planning, the open consultation, especially with the College of Bishops (and not the Synods of Bishops whose role is evidently to carry out instructions from above).
   I think it truthful and indeed conservative to say that many Catholics are truly sickened in heart, mind and spirit.

   Posted By: Michael Furtado

4. What I have noticed in all the reasons for whomever the writer is proposing to be Pope, is the absence of celibacy.
   Talk about contraception, same sex marriage, women but where is talk about celibacy which would rejuvenate the Church and see many more young people becoming priests.
   To my mind this is a first concern - we must get many more young priests before we are left with a priest-less Church.
   So how about it. Include the celibacy of Priests in talk of the future of the Church after Benedict.

   Posted By: gloria healey

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