Pope Benedict XVI shocked Roman Catholics when he announced Monday morning that he was going to resign on Feb. 28 due to advanced years and infirmity.
“It has caught us all by surprise. Normally, this is a job taken for the rest of the pope’s life,” said Father Stephen Lyness of the Catholic Student Association at Georgia State.
Benedict became the first pope to resign in 600 years. How his successor will be chosen is still unknown to many people, though most believe that Benedict will not play a role in choosing the successor.
“Lawyers have been discussing precedents in common law and people are asking, “where do we go from here?”’ Lyness said. “[In the election process] there will be a lot of negotiations and politics behind the scenes, but done in a very nice way. According to unverified sources, he will not be a part of the election for his successor.”
Asia Thomas contributed to this report.
