We may never know why he resigned. I personally believe that the San Gallo Conspirators who did everything they could to prevent him from being elected in the Conclave of 2005, and failed, succeeded in 2013 in threatening the Church with such a financial disaster that Benedict, out of love for the Church and on those countless men and women around the world who depend on the Church for their very sustenance and living, sacrificed himself and resigned the exercise of the power of jurisdiction (governing) that belongs to whoever occupies the Chair of Peter, but not the power of orders. Jorge Maria Bergolio, who was elected to succeed Benedict to the Chair of Peter in 2013 has chosen, rightly or wrongly, to exercise ALL of the powers of the papacy with the resulting chaos that we are now experiencing.
If Archbishop Ganswein was correct in saying in his speech in the Gregorianum that the Church now has a “shared papacy”, and I believe that he could only have said it if, as the personal secretary of Benedict XVI he knew that Benedict had received a sign from the Lord that what he contemplated doing was acceptable to the Lord, then Jorge Maria Bergolio has usurped powers he was not given.
One has only to look upon this photo of Pope Benedict XVI to see how much he has aged physically since the election of 2013. My heart aches for him. I can only begin to imagine the suffering he has experienced and continues to experience as he asks the Lord over and over again, “Did I do the right thing?”
Regardless of your own opinion, pray for him! Joseph Ratzinger was/is a great priest, Archbishop, Cardinal, and Pope. Pray for him!
+Rene Henry Gracida
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Today, January 25, 2018, I celebrated Mass in my private chapel in Honor of the Conversion of Sant Paul, my confirmation Saint. On this day, his feast day, forty-six years ago I was ordained/consecrated a bishop in Saint Mary Cathedral in Miami by Cardinal John Dearden, with Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll and Bishop Paul Tanner as co-consecrators. I prayed especially in this Mass for Pope Benedict XVI.
ABYSSUS ABYSSUM INVOCAT / DEEP CALLS TO DEEP 
Thank you. Bishop
Sent from my iPad
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Congratulations dear Bishop Gracida as you celebrate 46 years as the
Most Reverend Rene H Gracida. You have shown us what a true and courageous Warrior is….
a Roaring Lion of God! Continue to lead us to the very Heart of God!!
Thank you. Yes the similarity is striking!!
Mary Ann,
Yes, like Obama !!!
Bishop Emeritus Rene Henry Gracida is a gracious, most courageous man. God bless him!
Thank you Bishop Gracida.
I pray that God publicly rebuke them everyone, the ignorant, the malicious, and the cowardly who allow Almighty God, the Blessed Mother, and the Doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church to be mocked, manipulated, warped, and distorted in such a manner as to substitute man for God.
I pray they be rebuked not that they perish in Hell, but that in rebuking them, God grant them the opportunity to repent and be saved.
Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth….”
Revelation 3:19 “Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore, and do penance….”
Gather your willing Cardinals, Bishops, and priests together, Cardinal Müller, Bishop Schneider, Bishop Gracida, et. al. however few there beeven if but 1, and have a public Mass offered for that intention, i.e. a public and solemn call for God to rebuke these offenders, as an act of Mercy. Offer the Mass on March 19, 2018, the Feast of St. Joseph the Protector of the Universal Church and the 5th anniversary of Francis’ installation.
The person that mentioned the bastard obongo as one of the ringleaders would be mostly correct. I believe that I read in wikileaks that Pope Benedict was warned that the institution that ran the atm’s would no longer allow the Vatican to use their service which would have tied up the Vatican’s money.
Also, I read he was being blackmailed by some source, possibly Cardinals, that his brother who was the head of a school in Germany would come under scrutiny for alleged pedophilia that occurred under his brother watch and was covered up. Recall if you will, when Pope Benedict said recently that the Church was a leaky boat adrift and the very next day a story came out about his brother’s school and pedophilia.
Further, whatever became of the report that Pope Benedict had commissioned on homosexuality in the clergy? I think he left shortly thereafter.
Didn’t Pope Benedict also lament about wolves and needing strength from their desire to devour him.
I am just paraphrasing these above stories, but these things together or separate would give any man great pause in doing the proper thing.
I prayed he would stay strong, but he didn’t, left us to the wolves and betrayed Christ’s Church. This is very hard to forget and if he doesn’t speak up about what happened, he will be considered one of the worst popes ever. “He was tested and one by one they were proved wanting”. The Decline and Fall of Dr. Faustus
I will pray for him, Your Excellency. I am sorry to say during Benedict XVI’s papacy, I hardly prayed for him – and he asked us to do so – that he would not flee from the wolves. I wish I had prayed for him then.
Beautiful post. There is much to say about this. Bishop Gracida is correct in one of his replies to a comment. I had a long explanation but essentially Pope is not ordained, but Ontological Character changes when a Cleric becomes Pope.
We pray for him every day.+ God protect him.+
Thank you very much for all this … Does this mean that PF has only the power to govern the Church as a sort of ‘President’ ? He can’t speak infallibly then. Yes I feel sorry for Pope Benedict too. He looks terrible, and, whatever they held over his head must have been horrible. Will pray for him.
We are told that Benedict’s mind is good. Talk to us Papa. It is not too late to speak to us with the love for your flock, your children. We are in the second crucifixion of the body of Christ. Talk to us Papa.
I do every morning, Bp. Emeritus. =)
And I will continue to do so.
To be clear, where perhaps I wasn’t, Bishop Gracida is absolutely correct that ordination confers both orders and jursidiction. My point was that fullness of orders comes with the episcopacy, but the fullness of jurisdiction is the papacy (and of course the whole college with him). And, yes, universal jurisdiction does not completely sum up the nature of the papacy; there is also the gift of being Peter, mainly confirming of the brethren in faith and the “rockness” of infallibility. I don’t believe either aspect of the papacy can be shared, except with the whole college of bishops together with the Pope. I hope this is clearer and absolves me of all charges! Pope Benedict seemed to be saying that there was a spiritual “munus” of care and prayer for the whole, and he seems to be saying by deed that he is still partly pope (papal dress and kept his papal name – both of which are novel). But a declaration that is such a thing as a dual papacy can’t be done is such an indirect way.
[Apologies, but my prior post lacked a word or two. I’m still under the weather due to an illness.]
This is a very interesting reflection with many profound implications, Excellency.
If one holding the Papal office is coerced and ‘resigns’ without full voluntariness, such inevitably would leave the issue ‘de iure’ in ambiguity.
‘De facto’ an usurper may have seemingly, through, machinations and other surreptitious means, attained that office.
As for one licitly and legitimately designated to the Papal Office (both ‘de iure’ and ‘de facto’) without question or ambiguity, he assuredly is granted not only a privileged status in terms of jurisdiction in terms of power, but also in terms of ‘auctoritas’.
But it would seem that no ambiguity can exist concerning both the ‘de iure’ and ‘de facto’ status of said person in order to have certitude regarding this status.
This is a very interesting reflection with many profound implications, Excellency.
If one holding the Papal office is coerced and ‘resigns’ without full voluntariness, such inevitably would leave the issue ‘de iure’ in ambiguity.
‘De facto’ an usurper may have seemingly, through, machinations and other surreptitious means, attained that office.
As for licitly and legitimately designated to the Papal Office (both ‘de iure’ and ‘de facto’), he assuredly is granted not only a privileged status in terms of jurisdiction in terms of power, but also in terms of ‘auctoritas’.
But it would seem that no ambiguity can exist concerning both the ‘de iure’ and ‘de facto’ status of said person in order to have certitude regarding this status.
I pray for him daily. I believe you are correct about the financial aspect of this, and I also believe Obama was in on it and maybe even the ringleader of this travesty. Some day, we will know.
I DO!
Lg26. A bishop marked with the fullness of the sacrament of Orders, is “the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood” – The Papacy is a divinely instituted higher office (Vicar of Christ) with a greater jurisdiction (universal), but not a higher power of Orders. I was making a distinction between the sacrament and the office.
Well, I had a long response but it disappeared so I will just point to Lumen Gentium 22 and 26. It is indeed novel to say that the papacy can be bifurcated. Peter alone is the Rock. The college as college shares in the universal jurisdiction, but no individual shares in the universal jurisdiction of the papacy. Benedict knows his theology. Perhaps he was forced into something he knows is impossible and is telegraphing that he is still pope. Perhaps he intended to resign and is imprisoned. Perhaps he is confused. But we have no clear message from him, no new definition of the papacy (which would be impossible), and no way of knowing just now what’s up. We presume Francis is pope. In the Middle Ages many did not know and saints were on opposing sides. I like what Joan of Arc said. She appealed to the pope and her captors said, “Which one?” “Why,” she said, “the Pope of Rome! Is there any other?”
Pope Benedict’s suffering must be great; it shows in his face. You are right; he must be asking the Lord..did I do the right thing? Only God knows, and so I continue to pray for him that he endure with courage the terrible trial he is experiencing. Dear God, please strengthen and comfort Pope Benedict in his suffering!!
There are several errors in this comment, let the reader beware! The first error is that “there is no power of orders with the papacy” It is generally agreed that ordination to the priesthood of Jesus Christ confers on the ordinand the power of sacred orders and the power of jurisdiction (Cf. Cardinal Journet “The Church of the Word Incarnate”) and these power especially apply to the Bishop of Rome when he is given the Chair of Peter. I love the self-assurance and certitude with which Mary Ann writes her comments. Beware this one if filled with error.
There is one rock, one Peter. The office cannot be bifurcated. And there is no power of orders with the papacy. The highest order is bishop. The papacy is a bishop with a special office, and a special gift, but he is not ordained to it. So if Benedict really did intend to bifurcate the papacy, he made a mistake and is still Pope. I don’t believe we can know for sure, because first, we should not rely on hearsay, and, second, one has to play connect the dots with his own words, and third, it is a decision that needs to be made by a competent authority. So he ought to say. For Christ’s sake (I mean that devotionally), look at the poor Chinese bishops being betrayed!!!!
But why just remain silent? It is time to speak out. Things could be no worse. Maybe we should ask God to allow him to speak out!!!
I agree totally with you, your Excellency. Just to show how much I appreciate this Pope, at home I still have a small picture of Pope Benedict XVI on my refrigerator door! Only of him (no current one allowed) along with a magnet of the Sacred Heart. I thank him for giving us the Summorum Pontificum and more access to the TLM which I love. I ache for what is happening in the Church. I pray that the Lord will have mercy on us and somewhat repair the damage created in this last five years. Thank you for this blog. May the Lord bless you.
God bless you.
I will