2008 Woodie Awards
Should the pope retire? NO
The pope has a sacred duty to his people and church.
By: Kristine Fetalco
Issue date: 3/17/05 Section: Insight
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Pope John Paul II has been the leader of the Catholic Church for nearly 27 years and if he strongly believes that it is possible for him to continue being pope, then people should respect that.
It is the pope's calling and duty to lead the church throughout his lifetime, and nothing and nobody should force him to retire.
A Catholic encyclopedia states that the tradition of selecting a pope goes back to the "institution of a supreme head" by Christ. The media is reducing the Catholic papal tradition into a political controversy, which takes away the religious aspect of the issue.
It does not mean that his faith is slowly declining just because he has to go through surgeries and operations. He may have more faith and can perform the duty better than any of us combined.
Sure, the pope is not somebody who automatically becomes superhuman right when he was granted this obligation-he is merely human, and is not exempt from the uncertainty of death that a lot of people are so afraid of.
Society places little faith in its elders; people tend to think that as you near the end of your lifetime, you are reduced to a weak human being who is not capable of doing anything.
The pope's strength is not measured by how fast he can run or how clear he can see; his strength should be measured by the depth of his faith and his character.
He is the symbol of the church and he was assigned this position with the idea that he's going to commit to this profession until the day of his death.
According to Austin Cline of About.com, there is a certain ceremony performed by the pope's Camerlengo after the pope himself dies. Some processes after the death of a pope include: the interregnum, the novemdiales and the conclave.
The pope's job is not comparable to a CEO or a director-if he takes on the job, he is in it for life. It is not like there is a retirement date where the pope can just quit his duties and live off on a retirement plan. It is serious to pick a pope and the process involves various ceremonies.
It is the pope's calling and duty to lead the church throughout his lifetime, and nothing and nobody should force him to retire.
A Catholic encyclopedia states that the tradition of selecting a pope goes back to the "institution of a supreme head" by Christ. The media is reducing the Catholic papal tradition into a political controversy, which takes away the religious aspect of the issue.
It does not mean that his faith is slowly declining just because he has to go through surgeries and operations. He may have more faith and can perform the duty better than any of us combined.
Sure, the pope is not somebody who automatically becomes superhuman right when he was granted this obligation-he is merely human, and is not exempt from the uncertainty of death that a lot of people are so afraid of.
Society places little faith in its elders; people tend to think that as you near the end of your lifetime, you are reduced to a weak human being who is not capable of doing anything.
The pope's strength is not measured by how fast he can run or how clear he can see; his strength should be measured by the depth of his faith and his character.
He is the symbol of the church and he was assigned this position with the idea that he's going to commit to this profession until the day of his death.
According to Austin Cline of About.com, there is a certain ceremony performed by the pope's Camerlengo after the pope himself dies. Some processes after the death of a pope include: the interregnum, the novemdiales and the conclave.
The pope's job is not comparable to a CEO or a director-if he takes on the job, he is in it for life. It is not like there is a retirement date where the pope can just quit his duties and live off on a retirement plan. It is serious to pick a pope and the process involves various ceremonies.