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What?! Do you have a link?

It was on yahoo... Haven't read it but saw the headline.... Wonder if its age or scandal...

I'm not that shocked. There's been a huge Vatican city scandal going on with some major leaks and a banking crisis. I'll find a leak to some of the articles on the situation. But I've been holding off on baptizing the girls until there was new leadership.

@jedeve: I mean that they are fighting scandal on so many fronts
-financial
-Vatileaks
-pedophilia
that he may not have the stomach to continue as these scandals continue to be explored. One in particular lands right on his desk. The LA pedophile papers name Ratzinger as having sat on the files of at least 2 or 3 pedophile priests. I'm sure that was going to come up for him to answer to.

Also I don't deny that he may be ill and unable to adequately address the issues at hand, but this is the first time in 600 years that a pope has resigned.

I'm linking to a comprehensive (but somewhat disrespectful--I definitely had to ignore some of the glee at the church's problems) article that is well sourced. I followed most every link on it to read about all the different aspects discussed in order to make up my mind about what is/was going on. I want to make it clear that I do not think that this link is fact, but rather a jumping off point for further deeper explanation.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/27/1181602/-Implosion-at-the-Vatican-One-Can-Only-Hope

Edited to add: I really hope for something like a new Vatican II.

Wow, I'm really surprised, that's pretty rare! Hopefully a step in the right direction, he seemed to be a little too close to the pedophilia scandal.

@Mrs. Jacks: That first article has a lot of crazy in it. Some of the links are alright but a lot are just ramblings of someone on a blog. It suggests that neoconservatives are in charge of installing the popes and there is a militarized secret army and that 99% of people are going to be free of 'economic enslavement' after the pope leaves, I donno, it sounds like crazy ramblings to me. The author in the comments is trying to promote a book

While I'm surprised, I can't say I'm disappointed. I'm also really hoping they will come up with someone more progressive and inclusive-- I've been very turned off by a lot of things lately (aside from the pedophilia scandal which is it's own horrible thing). Like @Mrs. Jacks: I've had serious second thoughts about baptizing LO when he/she gets here because I'm just not sure I want them to be part of this.

I don't have time to click on the links yet but I will later! Very interesting.

@Mrs. Jacks: The papacy has a lot of ties to a lot of different groups, that doesn't mean they're installing the popes.
I don't care if it's posted I just was just trying to point out there's lots of random blogs cited and it wasn't a completely well sourced article. I know DKos is in general not a big Catholic church fan but even so a lot of the comments agree that it's a bit 'tinfoil hat' or conspiracy theory.
The beginning has a lot of good articles citing the money problems but the other stuff is out there.

I was surprised, but I am certain that the Pope has not reached this decision lightly, or made it because of external pressures.

In general, I would recommend reading some of the things Benedict has written, rather than just what has been written about him in the popular press, before you reach a conclusion about him. Some good options: "Holy Women", "Jesus of Nazareth", and "The Spirit of the Liturgy". His "Introduction to Christianity" is also excellent, but I might start with the first two. All of those are on Amazon, and probably also at the library.

@Mrs. Jacks: Well that's another thing, in addition to some of the sources not being all that credible she also cites things a bit out of context. I really had the idea that he had well armed the police after reading her article, which is linked to a credible news source, and I can't find anything other news sources saying that but the way she links together articles it sounds scary. It's not just inflammatory language it's inaccurate in many ways.

@Mrs. Jacks: that was my first thought when I heard the news this morning as well (about the scandals). I just recently watched a documentary called "Mea Maxima Culpa" (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/mea-maxima-culpa/index.html) about pedophilia in the Catholic church, telling the story of a group of boys from a school for the deaf in Wisconsin. They pointed out Ratzinger's connection and alleged cover-up, and that once he became Pope, he was above the law and couldn't be held responsible. I wonder how abdicating the papacy changes that? (it probably doesn't).