Pope Benedict has his last day today as billions of Catholics, around the world, observe the season of Lent.
By Fatima Valadez | Photo Courtesy Eustaquio Santimano / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND |
Thursday, Feb. 28, is the last day of Pope Benedict XVI due to his age. There will be a new Pope for Easter, since this will be significant for the Roman Catholic church and its followers. The effect of his resignation will be at 8 p.m. Today is also the last day Pope Benedict XVI had a meeting with the cardinals and later went to the Apostolic Palace at 5 p.m. and was flown by helicopter to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, about 15 miles southeast of Rome. He made his final appearance as pope on the balcony of the palace at 8 p.m.
In 600 years, Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope to resign. After eight years in office, he announced this because of his advanced age, 85, and his health. The Pope is the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics.
For months, there has been construction at the edge of the Vatican City of a four-story building that will be the home of the Pope after he retires. A meeting called the “conclave,” which is from college Cardinals, will elect who will be the next Pope. After his retirement, he’s going to a monastery within the vatican. Many people may be wondering if the Pope can retire, and the answer is yes. There’s a law called Cannon that states that a resignation must be made freely and properly manifested and that the pope resigning must be of sound mind.
His announcement came two days before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian tradition. While some religions do not observe Lent, others are familiar with the tradition and some students even had ashes on their foreheads.
“I have my ash, it represents that I have freedom of religion, I woke up at 6 a.m. to go to church to have it on,” junior Ali Toisma said on Ash Wednesday.
Freshman Noah Silvas thinks that there might be a good reason why the Pope is resigning, and that is because he’s getting old and it’s nice that someone will take his place. He also thinks it might be a coincidence that Ash Wednesday was that same week the Pope resigned. During this season, many people in the Christian tradition will give up certain things for 40 days and 40 nights as a remembrance of supposedly what Jesus did when he was in the desert without food.
“I’m giving up Facebook, candy, soda, my pillow and bacon, because I don’t need those things, they’re unnecessary and I’m also going to donate can food and do more community service hours,” sophomore Shannon Tapia, said.
Silvas, on the other hand, is giving up his bed, because he thinks that there are many unfortunate homeless kids that don’t have a bed to sleep at; he’s also giving up soda.
