• Submit A Nut
KnowledgeNuts
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
KnowledgeNuts
No Result
View All Result
Home Facts

Pope Francis Had Already Retired When He Was Elected

Pope Francis Had Already Retired When He Was Elected
197
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
“This is what I want, a poor Church for the poor.” —Pope Francis

In A Nutshell

Pope Francis is the most popular pope in living memory, a global figure nearly everyone agrees is awesome and a huge boon to the Catholic Church. But his election was far from a certain thing. At the point when his predecessor stepped down, Francis (then Jorge Mario Bergoglio) had already sent his letter of retirement to the Vatican—in keeping with the edict that cardinals must hang up their cloth at 75.

The Whole Bushel

Related articles

How to Learn AI for Free and Excel in Your Career

How to Learn AI for Free and Excel in Your Career

November 26, 2023
Seasonal Side Hustles: Boosting Your Holiday Budget

How to Sell Holiday Products Like a Pro

November 24, 2023

Since his election earlier this year, Pope Francis has become the new mega-star of world religions. The Catholic Church’s answer to the Dalai Lama, Francis is instantly recognizable, already known for his down-to-Earth saintliness and love of the poor and currently drawing crowds four times the size of his predecessor. But things were nearly very different for the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio: In the months before Benedict XVI stepped down, he’d already been forced to retire.

Half a century ago, Pope Paul VI had decided to put an upper limit on the age of cardinals. Reasoning that 75 was old enough, he issued an edict making it Vatican law that all cardinals must hang up their cloth at that point. Fast-forward to December 2012 and the future Pope Francis had reached the cutoff point. According to TIME’s portrait of him for their “Person of the Year” feature, he sent his letter in early 2013 and sat back to await official acknowledgement. Friends said he seemed like a spent force, a man almost fading away, destined to spend the rest of his days in a spartan retirement home in his native Argentina.

ADVERTISEMENT

We all know what happened next: Out of the blue, Benedict XVI became the first pope to retire in 600 years, prompting the election of Francis and a global shift in the direction of Catholicism. But it’s impossible to stress how unlikely this was. Francis wasn’t thought to be in the running for Pope, and would likely have never been elected if Benedict XVI had held out a little longer. Instead of being on the cover of TIME, he’d be a retired old man in Argentina, waiting to shuffle off this mortal coil and into the Kingdom of God. How close did this come to being reality? It’s hard to say, but had Benedict tarried even another six months, it seems unlikely we’d be having this discussion now.

Article Continued Below

Show Me The Proof

TIME‘s Person of the Year 2013: Pope Francis, The People’s Pope
Vatican Insider: The position of bishops who do not want to retire
Featured image photo credit: Thierry Ehrmann

Post Views: 697
Share79Tweet49
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

How to Learn AI for Free and Excel in Your Career

How to Learn AI for Free and Excel in Your Career

by Knowledge Nuts
November 26, 2023
0

  Struggling to keep up with the fast-paced world of tech? Artificial intelligence is shaping our future, and mastering it...

Seasonal Side Hustles: Boosting Your Holiday Budget

How to Sell Holiday Products Like a Pro

by Knowledge Nuts
November 24, 2023
0

  Is the holiday season sneaking up on you, leaving you unsure of how to maximize your e-commerce profits? Did...

Family Support

FamilySupportCenter

by Trevor AMG
October 16, 2023
0

Your Role as a Mental Health Advocate For Better Support

Your Role as a Mental Health Advocate For Better Support

by Knowledge Nuts
October 14, 2023
0

  Struggling with mental health issues is a tough journey no one should walk alone. Being a Mental Health Advocate...

Speedy Car Loan Repayment: Your Guide

Speedy Car Loan Repayment: Your Guide

by Knowledge Nuts
October 11, 2023
0

Are you struggling to keep up with your car loan repayments or just looking for ways to pay it off...

Load More
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Frugal Meat Mastery: Save Big at Your Local Butcher

Frugal Meat Mastery: Save Big at Your Local Butcher

November 29, 2023
How to Learn AI for Free and Excel in Your Career

Knowing When and How to Make Positive Changes

November 28, 2023
Boost Your Finances: The Tax Impact of Donating Clothes

Boost Your Finances: The Tax Impact of Donating Clothes

November 28, 2023

KnowledgeNuts.com: Your go-to source for insightful information and financial guidance. Explore, learn, and empower your future with us.

Categories
  • Artist
  • Artwork
  • Attitude
  • Bizarre
  • Business
  • Creative Insight
  • Design
  • Differences
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Forgotten
  • Forgotten Horrors
  • Innovation
  • Inspiration
  • Learning
  • Listicles
  • Market
  • Misconceptions
  • Other
  • Personal Finance Tips
  • Places
  • Thinking
  • Uncategorized
Tags
aid assistance bad credit budget budgeting Business car insurance credit debt disability families family Finance finances Financial Aid food government assistance grants guide healthcare help history holiday holidays home housing income insurance Invest jobs loan loans make money medical Misconceptions Money personal finance quick cash rent savings side hustle side hustles student student aid taxes
Lost your password?
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Mobile Privacy Policy
  • Mobile Terms & Conditions
  • SMS Opt-in

© KnowledgeNuts.com – A Division of Media Comms Networking.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Finance
  • Bizarre

© 2023 KnowledgeNuts.com