A friend of mine continues to send truly hilarious text messages about Pope Benedict, "Petrus Romanus" and the conclave coming up to choose the 112th pope in Malachy's prophecy. I would use them as headlines but they are a little too .. out there. Perhaps I'll share them in the coming days, simply for the humor value..
Today is Pope Benedict's last day wearing the red prada shoes as the infallible one. He will step down .. and the gears get set into motion to choose the next. You can follow events of his departure on news sources around the world today.But what is not being reported?
There were rumors last week that an unnamed European country wanted to issue an arrest order for Ratzinger and others involved with sex scandals.. then the report surfaced implicating cardinals in the Vatican of being involved with gay sex.. Last year the Vatican imprisoned the Pope's butler for sharing classified information--and some of that involves drug money in the Vatican bank along with the mafia.. And then "vatileaks" hit the news.. and then .. and then .. and then.. It goes on and so it goes.
But all the while, the media, in America at least, didn't pay much attention to what exactly was happening. The rest of the world--especially the great "Satan" of Europe (some Catholics have compared it to that since they are taking on Rome the most)--reported much on the affairs and troubles hitting the Pope and the Catholic Church. It seemed the only thing that could grip Americans in the attention factor was salacious sex. All the while big money scandals involving the bank were happening fast and furious all throughout 2012.
And maybe this is why there is so much confusion in the United States concerning the Pope's departure. There is 'more to the story' ... where there is white smoke there is a new pope, but where there is smoke there is also fire. Something else is happening .. something else is forcing Benedict down.
Yes, he has health issues.
He may be blind in an eye..
God knows, he probably can't hear anymore..
But for the first pope to resign in hundreds of years? Maybe the scandal wore him down to the point where he couldn't 'lead' the flock anymore..
As the Pope gets ready to hang up the white cassock, this we know: Benedict XVI pledges that he will be obedient to the next pontiff. He will also lose the red shoes, replacing them with a less infallible brown.
We are about to see history. A truly monumental event. And sadly, most Americans have not the clue as to why the pope is even stepping down to begin with...