Unexpected news from the Eternal City

The internet is abuzz with the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's stepping down. He will be the Catholic Church's Supreme Servant till February 28 at 8:00 pm (Vatican time), he said.

In the hours following his official announcement, much has been said, reported, and speculated, so to help you stay the course as regards accurate information and sound analysis, here are a few links you may want to visit. First, the Pope's official announcement from Vatican Radio.

Here's an interesting take on the development from Patheos, titled Benedict XVI the Precedent Setting Pope -- it's short and concise, and it does help you think of what's going on from a different perspective.

This one is a statement from Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York Archbishop and head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), while this piece from First Things, titled An Evangelical Looks at Pope Benedict XVI, is bound to be an eye-opener for many.

And below is part of a status message of a Facebook friend, which I find reassuring; it's a much-needed reminder.

Dear Pope,

Thank you so much for taking care of us as the “Christ on earth.” Continue to pray for us as we pray for the College of Cardinals to be docile to the Holy Spirit. When the time [comes], you may not be governing us but you will continue sanctifying us. We know that the Church is “indefectible” - it will not fail in its mission, and so it will last until the end of time.

* Photo from Catholic News Agency

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I'm adding a link to another piece, titled Reacting to The Resignation, that I think is worth reading. An excerpt:

There are hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of conflicting thoughts rushing through my mind at the moment, many of them barely formulated. But as I scanned the reactions of my friends and acquaintances this morning, Steven Greydanus’ thought captured my sentiments perfectly:

For Catholics who love our Holy Father, Lent started two days early this year.