Pope’s Abdication Is Old-Fashioned News
The Guardian
Most news stories these days aren’t really news. The breaking news label is slapped on each and every new detail of a story and the line between a scoop and an oppo dump is increasingly blurred. Almost nothing is a surprise, politicians leak texts of their speeches in advance, elections are polled ten times a day, every day and hurricanes and storms are charted constantly for a week before have make an impact.
The announcement this morning by Pope Benedict XVI that he will abdicate the papacy at the end of the month was old-fashioned in every sense of the word. Published in Latin, the Pope stated to perform his duties, “both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.” This made Benedict the first Pope to resign his office in nearly 600 years since the time of the Great Schism in the early 15th century when there were three different claimants to the papacy.
The news surprised everyone and came with no warning, no leaks or advance copies circulated. It wasn’t hyped on the Pope’s much vaunted Twitter account. It was a simple statement of fact, unaccompanied by personal preening or adornment.
The next six weeks will be consumed with intrigue as the press endlessly speculates over the identity of the next pontiffs. Bookies will take bets and as each of the 118 eligible electors (and thus possible contenders) is profiled and picked apart. These will be the type of news stories we are used to and none will have the impact as Pope Benedict’s bombshell announcement on Monday.
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