Papa Benedict XVI ametangaza kuachia madaraka

KIONGOZI wa Kanisa Katoliki duniani, Papa Benedict XVI ametangaza kuachia madaraka ya kuongoza kanisa ifikapo mwishoni mwa mwezi huu, uamuzi ambao ni wa kwanza tangu karne ya 15 kwa mujibu wa taarifa za Shirika la Habari la AFP.

Katika taarifa yake, Papa amesema amefikia uamuzi huo ambapo sasa ana umri wa miaka 85.

Msemaji wa Papa, Federico Lombardi amesema kiongozi huyo wa juu kabisa wa Kanisa Katoliki duniani, ataachia ofisi rasmi tarehe 28 Februari, mwaka huu saa mbili kamili asubuhi.

Wachambuzi mbalimbali wa masuala ya Vatican wanasema safari hii, kuna uwezekano mikoba ya Baba Mtakatifu Benedict XVI ikarithiwa na Kardinali kutoka Afrika.

Kardinali Peter Turkson wa Ghana ametajwa kama mrithi-mtarajiwa wa nafasi hii nyeti ndani ya Kanisa Katoliki, linalokadiriwa kuwa na waumini zaidi ya bilioni moja dunia nzima.

Mwingine ni Kardinali Francis Arinze; mzaliwa wa Nigeria ambaye alichukua nafasi ya Benedict XVIkama Kardinali-Askofu wa Velletri-Segni alipoteuliwa kuwa Papa miaka nane iliyopita.
SOMENI STATEMENT YAKE HIYO HAPO
 Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.

I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, 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 recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI.