VATICAN City.
In the morning of February 11, the Pope announced his resignation from his Pontificate. In his own words, he is “no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the ministry." Maite Uribe, President of the Teresian Association has sent the Holy Father a telegram of thanksgiving "for his self-giving and dedication to the life of the Church." She has also invited the members of the Association to welcome such an important decision “with deep respect and affection.”
The following is Maite Uribe’s message to the members of the Teresian Association: "At this time, when the Pope has decided to ‘renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter…’ as he has expressed it, we are invited to welcome this decision with deep respect and affection. Like him we trust that the Church is under the care of the Supreme Pastor and the maternal attention of his Holy Mother Mary. We are grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for these years of self-giving and dedication to the Church. He will continue his service through prayer.”
Benedict XVI has communicated this important decision to the Consistory, which was convoked for three canonizations. His retirement will become effective on February 28 at 8:00 PM.
The following is the complete text:
"Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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 barque 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. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.”
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