Emeritus I

The tradition of popes serving for life has been a significant influence on the cardinals who gather in conclave. Another, perhaps less obvious factor, is the impact of modern medicine which contributes to longer lives. Currently, there are ninety-one cardinals over the age of 80, forty-four of them over than Benedict XVI, and fifteen who are in their 90’s.

In this context, Joseph A. Komonchak’s comments in Commonweal seem particularly to the point:

“There is potentially great significance in Benedict’s action, and it may be that his resignation will be his greatest contribution to ecclesiology. He has so subordinated his person to the office that he could renounce it. His frank admission that he no longer had the strength of mind and body needed for the Petrine ministry not only humanizes the pope himself but helps bring the papacy back within the church, down from what Hans Urs von Balthasar called its “pyramid-like isolation.” All those unique titles that seemed to place the papal office above and beyond all other offices and ministries in the church suddenly have to yield to what their occupants all have in common: a fragile, sinful, and mortal humanity. The pope—and not just this one—loses something of his sacral apartness. He rejoins the rest of us.

“Benedict’s action also suggests the thought that if a pope can resign for reasons of health or of age, he might resign for other reasons too. There could come a pope who agrees with what John Henry Newman wrote in 1870, during the longest pontificate in church history: “It is not good for a pope to live twenty years. It is anomaly and bears no good fruit; he becomes a god, has no one to contradict him, does not know facts, does cruel things without meaning it.” In other words, even though no term limits may be assigned to the papal office, a pope can have his own term limits in mind, and say to himself, and to the church, “Basta!” If papal resignations were to become something normal (that is, more frequent than every seven hundred years), then there might be less reluctance to elect someone younger and still energetic without worrying that he will fall victim to the tendency Newman feared.”

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Retirment

What may not be obvious is that retirement by those in ordained ministry is something relatively new in the Roman Church. Prior to the Second Vatican Council it was normal for bishops and pastors to remain in office until they died. Likewise there were no limits on the roles of Cardinals either in the Roman Curia or in the Conclave.

However the Council in its Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops it the Church (CHRISTUS DOMINUS) stated:

“Since the pastoral office of bishops is so important and weighty, diocesan bishops … who have become less capable of fulfilling their duties properly because of the increasing burden of age or some other serious reason, are earnestly requested to offer their resignation from office either at their own initiative or upon the invitation of the competent authority. “(#21)

The Decree also stated that:

‘Pastors who are unable to fulfill their office properly and fruitfully because of the increasing burden of old age or some other serious reason are urgently requested to tender their resignation voluntarily upon the invitation of the bishop. “(#31)

In 1966 Pope Paul VI in his Apostolic Letter, ECCLESIAE SANCTAE, Implementing Decrees of Vatican Council II issued norms which were to “be observed by way of experiment, that is until the new Code of Canon Law is promulgated, unless in the meantime some other provision is to be made by the Apostolic See.”

“RESIGNATION OF BISHOPS

“(NO. 21 OF THE DECREE CHRISTUS DOMINUS)

“(11) That the prescription of No. 21 of the Decree Christus Dominus may be put into effect, all bishops of dioceses and others who are juridically their equals are earnestly requested of their own free will to tender their resignation from office not later than at the completion of their 75th year of age to the competent authority which will make provision after examining all circumstances of individual cases.

“(#20 - 3) So that the prescription of No. 31 of the Decree Christus Dominus may be carried out all pastors are asked of their own free will to submit their resignation from office to their own bishop not later than at the completion of their 75th year.”

Then in 1970, Pope Paul VI issued a motu proprio that decreed that cardinals over the age of 80 would cease to be papal electors.

Pope Paul VI designated  the point of entry to the conclave as the determining date but this was modified by Pope John Paul II in his 1996 who changed this so that you had to be under 80 on the day prior to when the start of the sede vacante.

The revised Code of Canon Law, issued in 1983 set a retirement age of 75 for cardinals that head up dicasteries (Curial offices) or other permanent Vatican institutes as well as for diocesan bishops. The Code also specified the right of the Pope to resign his office, a resignation that did not need acceptance by any body.

Pope Benedict’s decision to retire is part of a process begun by the Council which introduced the practice of retirement from ministry for the good of the Church.

Leadership

On Sundays, we are currently reading from St Paul’s 1^st letter to the Corinthians.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. (12:4-5)

This is a splendid passage, one that is easy very familiar and, therefore, easy to read without necessarily reflecting on the implications of its message. “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” I believe that one of the great challenges of implementing the Second Vatican Council is that of calling forth, nurturing and promoting the gifts of the Spirit.

When I look at the leadership of our church, I think we have a long way to go. Our present leadership structure looks like this:

Cardinals: 118 electors, 5 under 60 years of age, 39 in their 60’s, 74 in their 70”s (92 retired, 80 to 98 years of age) 

Archbishops: 715 active

Bishops: 2736 active

Curial Congregations: 7 cardinals 65 – 69, 2 73, 74

Roman Tribunals: 3 cardinals, 64, 71, 74 years of age

Pontifical Councils: 8 cardinals and archbishops in their 60’s, 4 in their 70’s

Roman Offices: 3 cardinals - 69, 69, 78 years of age

Institutes of the Curia: 1 bishop, 3 priests - 47, 56, 68, 70 years of age

Pontifical Commissions: 3 cardinals, 2 archbishops – 65-70 years of age

Interdicasterial Commissions: 5 cardinals, 65 – 78 years of age

Commissions: 6 cardinals, 3 bishops, 1 priest – 62- 73 years of age, 1 layman, head of Swiss Guard, 40 years of age

Other Institutions of the Holy See:  2 cardinals, 7 bishops, 5 priests,  60 – 75 years of age, 2 laymen, 60, 65

 

All of the above except for three laymen are celibate male clergy

 

Vatican City State: 2 cardinals, 1 bishop, 5 priests, age 49 - 56, 10 laymen age 50 – 73

Pontifical Academies: 1 bishop, 3 priests  62 – 75 years of age, 5 laymen 57 to 83 years of age, 1 laywoman age 74

Pontifical Universities: 1 bishop, 17 priests, 1 Religious woman, 1 layman

Educational Institutes: 1 bishop, 2 priests, 47 – 71 years of age

Apostolic Nunciatures: 180 archbishops, 51 to 73 years of age

Apostolic Delegates: 12 archbishops, 53 to 70 years of age

Representatives of the Holy See: 10 bishops, 6 priests- 50 to 73 years of age, 1 layman 69

Of the over 3600 people in major leadership positions in the Roman Catholic Church all are celibate male clerics except for 10 laymen, 1 laywoman, 1 woman religious; no one is under 47 years of age and most are in their mid-fifties to 80 years of age. Does this give sufficient witness to the gifts of the Spirit?