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Declaratio

Statement

Fratres carissimi:

Non solum propter tres canonizationes ad hoc Consistorium vos convocavi, sed etiam ut vobis decisionem magni momenti pro Ecclesiae vita communicem. Conscientia mea iterum atque iterum coram Deo explorata ad cognitionem certam certam perveni vires meas ingravescente aetate non iam aptas esse ad munus Petrinum aeque administrandum.

Bene conscius sum hoc munus secundum suam essentiam spiritualem non solum agendo et loquendo exsequi debere, sed non minus patiendo et orando. Attamen in mundo nostri temporis rapidis mutationibus subiecto et quaestionibus magni ponderis pro vita fidei perturbato ad navem Sancti Petri gubernandam et ad annuntiandum Evangelium etiam vigor quidam corporis et animae necessarius est, qui ultimis mensibus in me modo tali minuitur, ut incapacitatem meam ad ministerium mihi commissum bene administrandum agnoscere debam. Quapropter bene conscius ponderis huius actus plena libertate declararo me ministerio Episcopi Romae, Successoris Sancti Petri, mihi per manus Cardinalium die 19 aprilis MMV commissum renuntiare ita ut a die 28 februarii MMXIII, hora 20, sedes Romae, sedes Sancti Petri vacet et Conclave ad eligendum novum Summum Pontificem ab his quibus competitandum convocandum esse.

Fratres carissimi, ex toto corde gratias ago vobis pro omni amore et labore, quo mecum pondus ministerii mei portastis et veniam peto pro omnibus defectibus meis. Nunc autem Santctam Dei Ecclesiam curae Summi eius Pastoris, Domini nostri Iesu Christi confidimus sanctamque eius Matrem Mariam imploramus, ut patribus Cardinalibus in eligendo novo Summo Pontifice materna sua bonitate assistat. Quod ad me attinet etiam in futuro vita orationi dedicata Sanctae Ecclesiae Dei toto ex corde servire velim.

Dearest brothers and sisters:

I have not only summoned you to this Consistory because of the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After examining my conscience again and again before God in order to arrive at a certain knowledge , I have found that, because of the weight of age, my strength is no longer fit to carry out adequately the official document of Peter.

I am well aware that this official document, of agreement with its spiritual essence, must be fulfilled not only by acting and speaking, but also - not least - by suffering and praying. However, in the world of our time, subject to rapid change and disturbed by issues of great weight for the life of faith, to steer the ship of St. Peter and to proclaim the Gospel also requires a certain strength of body and soul which, in recent months, has diminished in me to such an extent that I must acknowledge my inability to carry out well the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, well aware of the weight of this act, I freely declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter, which was entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, so that as of 28 February 2013 at 8 p.m., the See of Rome and the See of St. Peter is vacant and a Conclave must be convoked to elect a new Supreme Pontiff by those to whom it belongs.

Dearest Brothers, I thank you with all my heart for all the love and the work with which you have borne with me the burden of my Ministry and I ask your forgiveness for all my shortcomings. We now entrust the Holy Church of God to the care of her Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and we ask his Mother, Holy Mary, to assist the Cardinals with her maternal goodness in the election of the new Supreme Pontiff. As for me, in the future I want to serve wholeheartedly the Holy Church of God with a life dedicated to prayer. 

Benedictus PP. XVI

Benedict XVI