On Benedict's Last Day, A Pledge Of Obedience To His Successor
With a promise of "unconditional reverence and obedience" to the man who will take his place, Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday began his last day as head of the Roman Catholic Church.
As NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reminded us on Morning Edition, at 8 p.m. in Italy (2 p.m. ET), Benedict will no longer be the pope. The first man to voluntarily give up that post in about 600 years will become "pope emeritus" and begin a life in which he's expected to be out of the public eye. Benedict, 85, has said he no longer has the strength to lead the church.
Benedict's pledge of obedience to his successor came during "an unexpected speech" to the church's cardinals Thursday in Vatican City, The Associated Press writes. According to the wire service:
"Benedict also urged the 'princes' of the church to set aside their differences as they elect the next pope, urging them to be unified so that the College of Cardinals works 'like an orchestra' where 'agreement and harmony' can be reached despite diversity. He said he would pray for the cardinals in coming days as they choose his successor."