Pope Benedict Should Emulate Sarah Palin - and QUIT

[SoDesuKa]

The Pope could make a rambling departure speech like the one Sarah Palin made when she resigned as governor. He could say he's not really quitting, he's freeing up his calendar to serve the people better. You know, kick back. Take a vacation, write a book, take piano lessons. Consult with the new Pope like Nixon advised Clinton.

Seriously, the world would applaud him if he were to recogtnize the credibility problem he poses for the Church. If he resigns the papacy, he'll certainly show that he takes the scandal seriously. If he hangs on to his job, the cloud over the Church will remain.

There's no way to indict the Pope as an accessory-after-the-fact. Besides, who would indict him? He can't be indicted in Vatican City for crimes committed in Germany. And the German courts can't serve a subpoena on a head of state. If anybody has diplomatic immunity, it's the Pope.

He should quit. Everyone would admire him. What a guy! they'd say.

[mwb970]

1. I thought the pope was infallible.

It turns out that only applies when he is teaching or speaking of church doctrine. (Is this correct?) Apparently he is allowed to be as much of a failure as a person as he wants to be.

[Mojeoux]

2. That's the deal.

He's a human, but if Pope Rat quits it will truly be an infallible decision.

[TexasProgresive]

3. Papal infallibility=ex cathedra

From the chair of Peter- only used twice ever.

Conditions for papal infallibility
Pope Pius XII, who exercised ex cathedra infallibility in 1950 to establish the Marian Dogma of Assumption.

Statements by a pope that exercise papal infallibility are referred to as solemn papal definitions or ex cathedra teachings. These should not be confused with teachings that are infallible because of a solemn definition by an ecumenical council, or with teachings that are infallible in virtue of being taught by the ordinary and universal magisterium. For details on these other kinds of infallible teachings, see Infallibility of the Church.

According to the teaching of the First Vatican Council and Catholic tradition, the conditions required for ex cathedra teaching are as follows:

1. "the Roman Pontiff"
2. "speaks ex cathedra" ("that is, when in the discharge of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, and by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority….")
3. "he defines"
4. "that a doctrine concerning faith or morals"
5. "must be held by the whole Church" (Pastor Aeternus, chap. 4)

For a teaching by a pope or ecumenical council to be recognized as infallible, the teaching must make it clear that the Church is to consider it definitive and binding. There is not any specific phrasing required for this, but it is usually indicated by one or both of the following:

* a verbal formula indicating that this teaching is definitive (such as "We declare, decree and define..."), or
* an accompanying anathema stating that anyone who deliberately dissents is outside the Catholic Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_infallibility

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. He should STAY.

>>>>>He should quit. Everyone would admire him. What a guy! they'd say.>>>>>>

And that's why.

He's the best pope imaginable from the POV of people waiting patiently for the church to evolve into something healthy or to lapse quietly into complete , harmless obsolescence.