A new page in history

We were all surprised. In Rhineland where I live, Rose Monday is the highlight of German Carnival. Suddenly, we heard the news. At first nobody believe it, but quite soon it became clear that it was all true: Pope Benedict had announced his resignation.The Pope’s decision fills us with respect and gratitude. Josef Ratzinger, a Catholic from Germany, spent all his life flawlessly spreading the message of Jesus Christ and serving the Church. His service for the good of the Church was also the reason for his decision. Pope Benedict mentioned his declining strength, his suffering and his inability to fulfil his role. I believe his reasons to be a clear token of his humanity. He decided to step down given the deep responsibility he feels for our Church. This is a sign of love for the Church, which has always been the priority of his entire work. Our President Alois Glück said: "This decision surprised and shocked us all. We thank Pope Benedict for his outstanding service and for his example as servant of the faith and the Church".Many journalists and TV reporters wanted to have interviews with me. They all asked for an opinion about the pontificate and wished to know something more about the reasons for this decision, as well as to speculate on the successor and what he could possibly do better. In all interviews I reinforced the importance of showing respect for our Pope Benedict, whose pontificate isn’t over yet and deserves our utmost appreciation!When taking stock of his pontificate, provided that we have fully understood the implications of the decision announced on Monday and the pontificate is indeed over, there are many things worth mentioning: the encyclicals, the travelling, the speeches, the actions and the decisions. Pope Benedict should not be compared to his predecessor; we should rather consider all the challenges he rose up to with his physical and spiritual strength over the past eight years. His decision is sovereign, historical, and it made history. Even if it is not going to be binding for future Popes, it will at least affect them. It’s a decision for the good of the church. This will contribute to make the Church more modern and up-to-date. Pope Benedict did rightly say: "The world that is changing at such a rapid pace has to address questions of great importance for the faith". The world needs a capable, courageous and resolute Church leadership. The current Pope is stepping down and thereby setting a standard for the future.If I may, I would like to reinforce a proposal that was made several times. Modern governments make a consistent use of the principle of collegiality. Heads of state and prime ministers call on their cabinets weekly to get advice and exchange views about important issues. Said advice is not binding for the head of government, since he or she is always the one having to make a final decision and establish the guidelines to follow. But advice helps improve decisions. By contributing with knowledge, experience and innovation, there is also room for additions, assessment, classification and even well-grounded contradictions. Wouldn’t it be good if the new Pope called on the cardinals of the Roman curia on a regular basis and convened larger bishops’ meetings? Shouldn’t the heads of the different bishops’ conferences meet at least once a year under his leadership to address important questions? Waiting to see how things will unfold for the church, let’s all thank Pope Benedict XVI.(*) Secretary General of the Central Committee for German Catholics (ZDK)