Archbishop of Sydney

Can The Pope Retire

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
20 February 2005

Pope John Paul II, the head of the Catholic Church has been sick for years and is now very ill and weak.  For at least 12 years his critics have been suggesting that he was at the end.  With a will of iron he has confounded these prophets of doom with his schedule of work and public appearances.  But he is now 84 years old.

A more sympathetic question is also asked often.  Why doesn’t the pope retire?  Even if he remains as pope, why are there so many public appearances, now in a wheel chair, where his voice is sometimes unintelligible and he is manifestly sick and exhausted?  He finds it difficult to breathe and can manage to utter only a few sentences.

It is useful to remember that the Pope has publicly stated many times that he does not intend to retire, but continue carrying his cross until his death.  We can take him at his word.

It would be a different situation if he lost his faculties.  Years ago I remember Bishop J.P. O’Collins, my first bishop, telling me of a cardinal in the 1920s who was nominated for the position of pope, but would not allow his name to be considered because there was Alzheimer’s disease in his family.

As the successor of St. Peter the Pope is the corner-stone for the world-wide unity of the Catholic Church.  Such a unity is always maintained only through wisdom and hard work, as the splits with Orthodox Christians in the 11th century and with the Reformers of the 16th century demonstrate.

A retired pope could become an agent of division in the church, perhaps exercising undue influence on the election of his successor; perhaps as a focus of discontent when a group of Catholics was dissatisfied with a decision of the new pope.

As well as some bad popes during the 2000 year old papal story, there were decades which saw rival claimants to the papacy, each supported by opposing groups of followers.

We have to be very careful with the precious jewel of Church unity.  This does not survive automatically.  With this background we can better understand why the great Italian writer of the 14th century Dante Alighieri had placed Pope Celestine V, who had abdicated in 1294, on the outer reaches of hell in the next life!  Pietro del Morrone was a saintly hermit, elected pope at the age of 85 after a 27 month vacancy.  He became a puppet of King Charles II of Naples and was not up to the task.

The papacy is a life long office, because the pope is not like the chief executive of a multi-national company.  He is a living personal symbol of unity.

This pope also recognises that growing old and being sick are important parts of life’s journey.  Suffering with dignity should not always be hidden from the public.  All human lives have value.