Ex-Benedict

So he’s now the pope emeritus.

His papal reign lasted just a little shy of eight years. Joseph Ratzinger will be 86 in April.

Traditionalist Catholics are outraged. When you are elected pope, it is understood that you will die on the job. It is truly a romance till death us do part. For some the heartburn is a little reminiscent of the abdication of Edward VIII—bad form. It seems to show disrespect for the office. It had been 719 years since a pope had voluntarily abdicated, and that pope, Celestine V, was such a misfit that he lasted less than a year, had all his papal acts annulled by his successor, and was immediately put into prison after his abdication where he soon died.

I give Benedict XVI credit. If he had called for my advice, I’d have endorsed his plan. He was well past most people’s normal retirement age—78—when he was elected pope. Here are some reasons why I salute Benedict:

• It is an act of courage to admit that your mind has lost sharpness and memory and that your body’s energy and stamina are declining. The head of a billion+ member organization needs to be vigorous and on top of things.
• Keeping a job till you die is just weird. The job is more important than you are. The Catholic Church has a well-oiled succession process. It’s not as though it’s a monarchy that needs a male heir or dynasty.
• When the executive leader is frail or failing, the bureaucracy grows in power. That is usually bad. Every objective observer I’ve read says that the Curia needs reform.
• Maybe his resignation will encourage the cardinals to elect a younger man, one who still has some youthful vigor. John XXIII was 77 when elected, and he lived only another 4 ½ years. Karol Wojtyla was only in his 50s when he was elected John Paul II.

It’s not just in the Catholic world that leaders risk overstaying their competence. Perhaps you are aware of Protestant church leaders and televangelists who cling to power, can’t let go, can’t delegate, pack their boards with yes-men, and ultimately hurt their ministries.

The story of John the Baptist is a powerful one for me for many reasons, but succession planning is one of the most important. John played an enormous role in preparing the world for the coming of the Savior, but his entire ministry lasted perhaps 18 months. God is not so much interested in quantity of service as quality. Hanging on past your prime is not necessarily a service to God or church. I hope all church leaders, myself included, will have the grace and sense to say at the right time, “I can’t do this properly anymore. It’s time for the next guy.”

http://www.timeofgraceblog.org/2013/03/11/ex-benedict/