Like many of you, I was surprised and saddened to hear of our Pope's resignation of his office a couple of days ago, starting at the end of this month. I was not yet a Catholic when Bl. JPII died, but I recall watching the announcement of his death and the papal conclave on television, and thinking how sad it was to lose such a great man. His final words, "Let me go to my Father's house", moved me deeply.
However, I must admit that I was unaware a pope COULD resign. I had often wondered what would occur if one became thoroughly incapacitated, perhaps with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, or complete physical incapacity. What would occur? Has this ever happened in papal history? I'm still not entirely sure.
I will miss Pope Benedict--I enjoyed his writing, his gentle manner and soft voice, and his openness to a resurgence of traditionalism in the Church. I pray that he gets some much needed rest and is able to serve God in a new capacity now.
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Pope Benedict XVI
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As for Ash Wednesday this is my first one as a confirmed Catholic, so I will be attempting to carry out the fasting ritual, attending Mass for imposition of ashes, visiting with Fr Wade, my Spiritual Director, and visiting our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. My husband is in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center, undergoing testing to find out the extent and origin of the cancer--he will be having a PET scan tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers, as well as my son Daniel, 13, who is having severe, extreme behavior issues, as well as strength and faith for me. Thank you so much and a Blessed Lenten season to you all!
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