Pope Benedict XVI Announces He Will Resign at the End of February … First Papal Resignation in 600 Years

A surprise and shocking announcement out of Vatican City …

85 year old Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign at the end of this month. Reports are saying that health reason are the reason for the resignation and that Pope Benedict XVI does not have the energy to do the job required of the Pope. For the first time in nearly 600 years a Pope will resign and step down as the head of the Catholic church. The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was 78 years old when he became Pope and was  one of the oldest new popes in history when elected. Will this play a role when the Cardinals elect a new Pope? The news of the Pope’s resignation is said to come as a big surprise, even to his closest aides.

Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month in an unexpected development, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85.

He became Pope in 2005 following John Paul II’s death.

Resignations from the papacy are not unknown, but this is the first in the modern era, which has been marked by pontiffs dying while in office.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is quoted as saying he is “greatly shaken by this unexpected news”.

The BBC’s Alan Johnston in Rome says the news has come “out of the blue”, and that there was no speculation whatsoever about the move in recent days.

A Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said that even the Pope’s closest aides did not know what he was planning to do and were left “incredulous”.

The 85-year-old German’s resignation letter.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.

“I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.

“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

Bomb Threat Today in Newtown, CT Catholic Church as Members Mourned Those Lost from the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE, HAVE WE REALLY SINK THAT FAR AS A NATION … 

There is a special spot in hell reserved for the individual who called in the bomb threat this morning at the Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church as members mourned the loss of the 26 people murdered at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, including 20 children ages 6 and 7 years old. The evil that exists in people today is just unreal. Any one who would continue to torment grieving people who just went through what the town of Newtown just went through is just a vile individual. Your spot next to Adam Lanza in Hell has been reserved for eternity.

What began as a peaceful and solemn remembrance for victims of the Connecticut shooting massacre was shattered on Sunday by a telephoned bomb threat that forced the evacuation of a Roman Catholic church, deepening the distress of a town in mourning.

The Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church has been a sanctuary for people disturbed by the tragedy in the heavily Catholic town of Newtown, a wealthy suburb surrounded by wooded hills some 80 miles from New York City.

Eight of the funerals for the shooting victims have been scheduled at Saint Rose.

On the direction of police, Monsignor Robert Weiss asked people at the noon Mass service to quickly evacuate on Sunday, two days after the shooting.

Police Launch Child Porn Investigation at St Pauls in Chains Roman Catholic Church in Waterbury, CT

As if the Roman Catholic Church has not had enough black eyes when it comes to the sexual abuse of children.

It is being reported by WFSB that State police have launched a child porn investigation at the St. Paul’s in Chains Roman Catholic Church in Waterbury, Connecticut.Authorities have seized a computer from the Rectory as part of the child pornography investigation. Also, Father Dennis Carey has resigned. As reported at Fox News, Norwich Bishop Michael Cote will release a letter to parishioners during masses this weekend announcing that he has received and accepted the resignation of their pastor, Fr. Dennis Carey. So far there have not been any arrests; however, a prompt resignation cannot be a good sign.

WFSB-TV is reporting that state police seized a computer at Rectory of St. Paul in Chains Church as part of an investigation into possible child pornography, and Father Dennis Carey has resigned.

The news report said a computer was seized Thursday at the Waterford church, and Carey resigned, effective immediately. According to the article, a letter to members in the church by Most Reverend Michael Cote, Bishop of Norwich, said, “I have received and accepted the resignation of your pastor, Father Dennis Carey. His resignation is effective immediately.”

Obama Way Behind in Catholic Vote As Compared to 2008 … Gallup Poll Tied at 46% A Piece

Once again we see that for Barack Obama, this ain’t 2008 anymore. Obama’s war on religion taking its toll on his poll numbers. 

In the 2008 Presidential election, Barack Obama won the Catholic vote by nine points, 54% to 45%, over John McCain on his way to a seven-point victory.  That was then, this is now.  According to the most recent Gallup poll, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are tied with the Catholic vote at 46% to 46%. Protestants are also supporting Romney by 9 points, 51% to 41%. As stated at Hot Air, it would appear that Obama has completely alienated and lost millions of Catholic votes after announcing the HHS mandate that would force religious hospitals, schools, and charities to fund contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients.

Catholic voters in the United States are evenly split in their support for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for president, mirroring the national trend. However, Hispanic Catholics — about 18% of the total group of Catholic voters — are overwhelmingly likely to support Obama over Romney, while a majority of non-Hispanic white Catholics support Romney.

Catholics constitute almost one in four voters in the U.S. today. Did Obama really want to upset that voting block? Also, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops have not relented on the issue of the HHS mandate, and have been so provoked by Obama that they will be openly campaigning against Obama. Fear not Barack Obama, you seem to have a leg up with the heathen vote.

Religious White Catholics Support Romney; the Nonreligious, Obama

Non-Hispanic white Catholics themselves, who make up 75% of all Catholic registered voters, are far from monolithic in their vote choice. As a general rule in today’s political world, the more religious the American, the more likely he or she is to be a Republican and vote for Republican candidates. This rule of thumb is evident among white Catholic voters. Among non-Hispanic white Catholics whom Gallup categorizes as “very religious” or “moderately religious,” Romney wins over Obama by 30- and 22-point margins, respectively. Among nonreligious Catholics, Obama wins by 54% to 40%.