28th February 2013 at 8.00 pm gmt, marked a significant moment in Catholic Church history, when the Vicar of Christ convinced that it was the Will of God, officially stepped out of the Vatican leaving the See of Peter vacant.
Ever since the news broke into the media world on 11th February, 2013, the Catholic community itself, starting from the Roman Curia in the Vatican to the distant catholic parish, reacted with respectful surprise and shock. Not a few newspapers, TV channels converted the news into media fodder to focus on the negative publicity surrounding the Church over recent years in particular. Why and Who are the two questions circulated around and hastily answered by more raw rumours than real facts.
After recovering from the unexpected news, my own thoughts are focussed more on the message the Pope Emeritus is sending across the Universal Catholic Church and the International Community to Leaders of the World today. Leadership, especially today cannot be a permanent charism, however gifted a leader is. Age and age-related limitations affect the performance of even efficient leaders. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The strife and struggle for democracy and People's power is gaining over monarchy and once successful leaders leaders are turning into despots and dictators in the political field.
Benedict XVI, we realise now was not a "power Pope" but truly a humble Leader devoted to his role as the Vicar of Christ and committed to His Gospel values. While seated on Peter's Chair, his pastoral ministry proclaimed lucidly and uncompromisingly the Teachings of Christ on Gospel Leadership, upto the very end of his papacy.
"The last shall be first and the first shall be last" was the often repeated key formula to good leadership which Jesus practised and preached, washing the feet of his own disciples at the Last supper. This episode must have remained etched in the minds of the Apostles and we note that "servant ministry" was infact the hallmark of early Christians whose "love for one another" identified them as true followers of the Master.
To a Church that had lost its identity as the Church of Christ and fallen into the trap of ambitious power-politics and the consequent scandals of moral behaviour, financial scams and diminishing Faith, Benedict XVI raised an appeal for a Year of Faith in God and fidelity to the teachings of Christ. It appears to me, that inspired by the Spirit, precisely in this charismatic Year of Faith, Benedict XVI offered himself, "to lay down his life" for the good of the Church. His brave and humble example of stepping down from the papal throne should awaken us all to the lesson of Gospel Leader of Jesus Christ. More than write off the "renouncing of the papacy" as an age-related need, I term it a prophetic gesture, a call to all catholics, most particularly the Admistrative Leadership of the Church in Rome, in the Dioceses and Parishes to return to the Humble Jesus Christ who came "to serve and not to be served".
Ever since the news broke into the media world on 11th February, 2013, the Catholic community itself, starting from the Roman Curia in the Vatican to the distant catholic parish, reacted with respectful surprise and shock. Not a few newspapers, TV channels converted the news into media fodder to focus on the negative publicity surrounding the Church over recent years in particular. Why and Who are the two questions circulated around and hastily answered by more raw rumours than real facts.
After recovering from the unexpected news, my own thoughts are focussed more on the message the Pope Emeritus is sending across the Universal Catholic Church and the International Community to Leaders of the World today. Leadership, especially today cannot be a permanent charism, however gifted a leader is. Age and age-related limitations affect the performance of even efficient leaders. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The strife and struggle for democracy and People's power is gaining over monarchy and once successful leaders leaders are turning into despots and dictators in the political field.
Benedict XVI, we realise now was not a "power Pope" but truly a humble Leader devoted to his role as the Vicar of Christ and committed to His Gospel values. While seated on Peter's Chair, his pastoral ministry proclaimed lucidly and uncompromisingly the Teachings of Christ on Gospel Leadership, upto the very end of his papacy.
"The last shall be first and the first shall be last" was the often repeated key formula to good leadership which Jesus practised and preached, washing the feet of his own disciples at the Last supper. This episode must have remained etched in the minds of the Apostles and we note that "servant ministry" was infact the hallmark of early Christians whose "love for one another" identified them as true followers of the Master.
To a Church that had lost its identity as the Church of Christ and fallen into the trap of ambitious power-politics and the consequent scandals of moral behaviour, financial scams and diminishing Faith, Benedict XVI raised an appeal for a Year of Faith in God and fidelity to the teachings of Christ. It appears to me, that inspired by the Spirit, precisely in this charismatic Year of Faith, Benedict XVI offered himself, "to lay down his life" for the good of the Church. His brave and humble example of stepping down from the papal throne should awaken us all to the lesson of Gospel Leader of Jesus Christ. More than write off the "renouncing of the papacy" as an age-related need, I term it a prophetic gesture, a call to all catholics, most particularly the Admistrative Leadership of the Church in Rome, in the Dioceses and Parishes to return to the Humble Jesus Christ who came "to serve and not to be served".
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