Bishop Gregory Hartmayer with Pope Bendict(Savannah, GA) Bishop Gregory Hartmayer of the Diocese of Savannah says like millions of others across the world, he found out this morning that Pope Benedict is resigning. "I was watching the news," he told reporters.
Bishop Hartmayer does say he was not surprised by the announcement because he saw the Pope less than a week ago in Italy. "He was moving very slowly, was very frail," Hartmayer said. "He was still alert mentally and spoke in six languages when he was giving an audience at the Vatican. But because of his physical condition, I thought to myself, he may not be long in this job."
Hartmayer says Pope Benedict is 86 and has been failing in health. "I think he is doing the humble thing, he is saying he can't continue to keep up with the demands of what has become a modern day job, which is truly being a world leader," says Hartmayer.
Hartmayer says since taking over the Diocese of Savannah, he has seen Pope Bendict four times. "This time, the physical difference seemed striking," the bishop said. "The Pope looked like he may have lost 40 pounds."
Bishop Hartmayer says the Pope is stepping down February 28 and that this "resignation" is indeed rare. "I believe I have heard of only one other time in the history of the Church where this has happened," he said.
Hartmayer says it's always difficult to predict what the College of Cardinals will do when it comes to electing a new leader of the Catholic Church. "But I hope whoever it is, they can lead the Church in the ways it needs to be led, in perhaps a louder way in the sense of making the issues of poverty and culture more in the forefront," said Hartmayer.
