1. Has any Pope ever resigned before?

Yes. Pope Saint Celestine V issued a document declaring that a Pope may freely decide to resign his office, and then he himself resigned. He was Pope for only a few months in 1294 AD. Pope Gregory XII resigned in 1415 AD, at the time of the Council of Constance. However, in the entire history of the Church, the resignation of a Pope is a rarity.

2. Do the rules for electing the next Pope take into account the possibility of a resignation?

Yes. The current rules for electing the Roman Pontiff are those issued by Pope John Paul II in the document Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG), modified by a Motu Proprio document of Pope Benedict XVI. The former document, UDG, mentions resignation twice:

3. I further establish that the College of Cardinals may make no dispositions whatsoever concerning the rights of the Apostolic See and of the Roman Church, much less allow any of these rights to lapse, either directly or indirectly, even though it be to resolve disputes or to prosecute actions perpetrated against these same rights after the death or valid resignation of the Pope. [12] All the Cardinals are obliged to defend these rights.

Footnote 12 in UDG cites Canon law:

Can. 332 §2. If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.

And UDG mentions resignation a second time:

77. I decree that the dispositions concerning everything that precedes the election of the Roman Pontiff and the carrying out of the election itself must be observed in full, even if the vacancy of the Apostolic See should occur as a result of the resignation of the Supreme Pontiff….

In other places, the document speaks of the “vacancy” of the office, which includes either death or valid resignation.

3. What role will Pope Benedict XVI have in the Church after his resignation?

He retains his ordination to the episcopal degree, but he is beyond the age of retirement for a Bishop. He will essentially have the role of a retired Bishop. He will not be a retired Pope, because his resignation (effective 20:00 hours on 28 Feb 2013) removes him from that office.

After his resignation becomes effective, Joseph Ratzinger will no longer be Pope in any sense of the word. He will be a former Pope, not a retired Pope. He will no longer be able to exercise Papal Infallibility. He will no longer be able to issue papal documents. He will be able to exercise the non-infallible Magisterium, like other Bishops. He would theoretically be eligible to participate in an Ecumenical Council or any lesser gathering of Bishops, if one were held. But he does not retain ANYTHING proper to the person or office of the Roman Pontiff.

A resigned Pope is not a Pope.

4. Why is Pope Benedict XVI resigning?

His own statement of resignation says:

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…. 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….

He is resigning because of a deterioration of his strength due to advanced age. Notice that he says “both strength of mind and body” and then he asserts that this “strength…has deteriorated” to the extent that he is unable to adequately fulfill the Petrine ministry. This phrasing suggests that the Pontiff’s health has deteriorated both in body and in mind. As most older men and women realize, old age takes its toll on the mind as well as on the body.

However, anyone who claims that the Pope is resigning for some reason other than that which he publicly stated, is in effect calling the Pope a liar. He stated the reason he is resigning; he spoke honestly.

5. Can the Pope issue an order choosing his successor?

In the distant past, some Popes tried to determine their successor, and failed. Moreover, the current ecclesiastical regulations concerning the selection of the next Pope do not allow for that possibility. It is also evident that Pope Benedict XVI has no desire to choose his successor. He is leaving that choice to the Cardinal electors, and to the Providence and grace of God.

6. Are the Cardinal electors required to choose a fellow Cardinal elector as Pope?

No. They may choose a non-voting Cardinal (one who is past the age of 80 and therefore cannot vote). They may choose any Catholic Bishop in the world, including one from any Church in full communion with Rome. They may choose any male Catholic Christian. Pope Saint Celestine V was neither a Cardinal nor a Bishop when he was elected; he was a holy hermit living in the desert.

7. When will the election begin?

UDG requires the election to begin no sooner than the 15th day after the vacancy of the office. Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation is effective 28 Feb 2013. Therefore, March 15th is the earliest possible date for the start of the conclave that will elect the next Pope. However, the rules also forbid a start for the conclave later than 20 days after the day of vacancy. So the conclave must begin by March 20th, at the latest.

8. How many Cardinal electors are there?

As far as I have been able to determine, there are 118 Cardinal electors. However, some might not travel to Vatican City for the conclave due to ill health or other circumstances.

Any Cardinal whose 80th birthday occurs on or before 27 Feb 2013 cannot vote. Any Cardinal whose 80th birthday occurs on or after 28 Feb 2013 can vote. But to vote, one must be present in the conclave. No one may vote by wire or by proxy.

9. Will the next Pope be liberal or conservative?

Most (if not all) of the Cardinal electors were chosen by Pope John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI. The vast majority are conservative, especially when compared with the laity in general. A two-thirds majority is absolutely necessary for the election of the next Pope. So the next Pope will almost certainly be very conservative.

10. How soon will we have a new Pope?

I personally believe that the Cardinal electors will make a choice within a short period of time. However, the requirement that the new Pope obtain a 2/3rds majority could make it more difficult to reach a decision. In the past, the Church has gone for months, or even years, without a Pope, because the Cardinals could not reach an agreement. But that situation is very unlikely to recur today.

by
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
Roman Catholic theologian and
translator of the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Bible.