Hero or villain? courageous or coward? supreme sacrifice or continuing to intrigue behind Vatican walls? These were the questions asked by some, including the Romans, seasoned in a thousand Vatican battles. From Lungotevere, place Navona, Campo di Fiori or Piazza Farnese, Romans and tourists read the newspapers the next day with large front pages on the Withdrawal of Benedict XVI, sitting on the terraces on a sunny day, unlike the unpleasant workshop of the previous day when lightning struck the dome of St. Peter's. The image of that meteorological phenomenon, the image of a meteorological phenomenon, was a very clear one. The image of that meteorological phenomenon, captured by photographer Alessandro Di Meo, traveled the world because of the strange coincidence with the papal Withdrawal , and has become one of the most published photographs in the media.

Betrayal of tradition?

Historical statistics immediately came to light. The last Pontiff to resign was Gregory XII, the Venetian Angelo Correr, who resigned in 1515, two years before his death. The other cases of Withdrawal to the pontificate have been those of Benedict IX, elected in 1032, and Celestine V (now a saint), who resigned in 1294 when he declared himself inexperienced in the management of the affairs of the Church. The image of the German Pope depositing his pallium on the tomb of his resigned predecessor in the cathedral of L'Aquila has once again gone around the world. And the immediate future also loomed on the horizon: the next trip to Rio de Janeiro to attend for the next World Youth Day workshop also came to mind... The doctor had advised against an intercontinental trip and a pope carried on his shoulders was not exactly the most aesthetic thing to do.

According to Vatican gossip, the Pope was considering it before, perhaps especially after his last trip to Cuba, from which he returned more than tired. Lombardi diluted this punctual moment, placing it within a somewhat more prolonged process. The questions that arise at this point is whether a Withdrawal is a victim of fear, or a withdrawal in time. There has been a rumor circulating - never proven and possibly unprovable - that the German Pope had experienced a panic attack when he suddenly became aware of the Church's problems. Against this argument are all the preparations (including the works in the old monastery) that lead one to think that the decision was not so hasty. There are, according to the experts, other indications: was it not in fact simpler to follow what the Pope himself said in his Latin statement ?

Other testimonies support that he decided to abandon the government of the universal Church, when he realized that the exercise of the pontificate required a vigor and energies that he considered he did not have. Leo XIII lived 93 years, but he hardly had to leave the Vatican... A Withdrawal was it really an act of cowardice? Was it necessary to prolong a state of affairs that, without being terrible, is not ideal? Evidently not. But are Wojtyla and Ratzinger really incompatible, even though they have taken different paths? Perhaps they are two possible ways of exercising a ministry at the service of the Church and the world. They were going to be different even in this, despite the fact that both collaborated for 23 years. They are two styles, two ways of living a vocation, perhaps equally legitimate. Ratzinger is also consistent in saying that for him prayer and adoration are the center of the Church itself. That is why his contribution now, he thinks, is prayer and study.

The future Pope

There was some precedent, but it was certainly unusual. "Surprise in fact, but not in law," titled his article an expert on Canon Law. It was provided for in the code. Now, do all popes have to resign from now on? Each one remains entirely free to do as he sees fit. Another question: what should the next pope be like? In addition to being younger and more vigorous, thanks to the last pontiffs, a first condition is clear: to be himself. Each pope must act in conscience after taking advice. The differences between John Paul II and Benedict XVI constitute an evidence, and not a simple commonplace of all the anecdotes. There are two possible options.

What should be the priorities of the new pontificate? That will be up to the future pope to decide, but the trail blazed by his predecessors could constitute a possible guideline. The German Pope's ideas can be summarized in seven words: reason, heart, creation, (ad)prayer, Jesus Christ, Church and beauty. In two words: "new evangelization" was the formula repeated by John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It has been a program that many have found exciting. It constitutes a road map that promises an interesting incursion into the modern world. The new Pontiff will do as he sees fit, but he may already have some possible clues. Believers and non-believers, we can pray for him.

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