VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
by John L. Allen Jr. | Feb. 13, 2013
Rome —
For some time to come, people will ponder the significance of Pope Benedict XVI’s stunning decision Monday to renounce his papacy. Ecclesiologists will debate its meaning for understanding the papal office, while spiritual writers may explore its potential as a case study in graceful withdrawal and letting go.
In the here and now, however, the most burning question is what it means for the politics of electing the next pope.
At first blush, the tendency was to think that staging a conclave while the previous pope was still alive might make it less likely that the cardinals would vote for change. The logic was that they would be hesitant to do anything perceived as disrespectful while the old pope was still around.
Even if one takes the Vatican at its word that Benedict will have no role in the process, it’s hard to imagine that every syllable he utters for the next 15 days and every gesture he performs won’t be dissected as possible signals to the cardinals who will gather in mid-March to cast their ballots. (In his general audience today, Benedict talked about the importance of opposing abortion, euthanasia and destroying embryos for medical purposes. It’s a good bet that in Thursday’s Italian papers, somebody will read that as putting pressure on the cardinals to elect a pope who will hold the line in the culture wars.)
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