Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI surprised everyone with a sudden announcement he will resign on February 28. While there is much speculation about the timing and reasoning, all agree his health has deteriorated significantly in recent months. He is the
- oldest pope elected since 1730,
- first German to hold the title in half a millennium, and the
- first pope to resign in six centuries.
As one who has supported the use of and, more recently, participated in the use of social media, Pope Benedict XVI has appeared on my blog several times:
- A Christian Way of Being Present in the Digital World,
- The World’s Most Powerful People (he was listed as #7), and
- Religious Rockstars on Twitter.
Additionally, I reviewed one of his books: Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Volume 1: The Unity of the Church (2010).
So What?
Rather than focus on speculation about issues beyond health that may have contributed to the decision to resign, I would rather most people focus most of their energy on what his contributions have been and how he is likely to be viewed in the future. Toward that end, I invite you to respond to the following questions: What do you believe will be regarded historically as Pope Benedict XVI greatest contribution to Catholicism? to Christianity as a whole?