A Pope Steps Down

Last Act Makes History

The sudden announcement by Pope Benedict may not have been so sudden after all. In the past year, he held two large assemblies to name a record number of cardinals.  This coincided with his very frail appearance at the Christmas Eve Mass—coming down the aisle on a car and being escorted during the entire service.  He literally was not under his own power. 

However, and this must be underscored, that this is the first time in about 600 years that a Pope has resigned.  Some speculate that he was persuaded by his experiences with his predecessor and his slow death and inability to function.  He saw what happened to the papacy and to that pope as the object of such attention.  Who knows….   

What we do know is that the yielding of power is a monumental struggle for people.  There is something of self-preservation in the yielding of power.  Is there the deep seated belief that we cannot give up power without GIVING UP OURSELVES?  Or could it be said that in giving up ourselves we yield to highest, most noble of instincts for the calling to Christ’s Church in the service of others?  There is a vast difference between “giving up on ourselves” and “GIVING UP ourselves.”

In Servant Leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf writes that we recognize leaders FIRST as servants.    Certainly the act of stepping aside for welfare of others and the Church is a true act of servanthood, regardless of other motivations that may be attributed to it.  

In Philippians 2, St. Paul recognizes the giving up of ourselves, “the emptying of oneself,” as the time of servanthood in which there is no void—but the opportunity of the Spirit to fill us and to lead us.

Let each of you look not to your own interests,

but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a servant,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.