Pope's resignation reflects new reality

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 12, 2013

~~<p>The pending abdication of Pope Benedict XVI is a seismic event in the Roman Catholic world. Even if his successor is not an agent for change in the practice of the faith — and, given the conservative alignment of many within top church leadership, abrupt changes seem unlikely — the very fact of the pope's resignation signals a significant acknowledgement of one modern reality.</p>
<p>That is: The longevity that modern health technology allows means that many people live well past the point where they can handle any full-time work, let alone the shepherding of more than 1 billion members of the Catholic flock.</p>
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The pending abdication of Pope Benedict XVI is a seismic event in the Roman Catholic world. Even if his successor is not an agent for change in the practice of the faith — and, given the conservative alignment of many within top church leadership, abrupt changes seem unlikely — the very fact of the pope's resignation signals a significant acknowledgement of one modern reality.

That is: The longevity that modern health technology allows means that many people live well past the point where they can handle any full-time work, let alone the shepherding of more than 1 billion members of the Catholic flock. Login for more...