I have long suspected that Pope Benedict had one eye on the 'early bath' with regard to his pontificate.
As Cardinal Ratzinger, he had the first hand experience of watching the final agonizing years of Pope John Paul II when Church affairs must have been in something of a freefall.
Also, he was not a young man when he took on the role and he has had the good sense to undertake, what in industry is called 'Succession Planning' - only in commerce, the successor is identified beforehand.
Aha!
Equally, I do not think that the Holy Father, having guided such a monumental change of direction in the Church, turning the oil tanker away from the rocks and into open water, would wish for an unseemly set to upon his death.
He, I am sure, does not wish for a liberal, left wing Cardinal to take over and ruin all his good work.
By retiring now, he may be able to cast a certain amount of influence over who succeeds him.
The following extract is from a feature on succession planning.........see how it reads to you (for 'company', insert 'Catholic Church'......
Succession management planning refers to the identification and development of potential successors in a company. The key in succession management is to create a match between the company’s future needs and the aspirations of individual employees.
A well-developed succession planning process increases the retention of superior employees because they recognize that time, attention and skill development is being invested in them for the purpose of career development. When you continue to challenge and reward talented employees, you eliminate their need to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Developing leadership talent is a long-term investment. A working succession system results in having more than one good person available for a key job. Real success requires choices between two or more qualified people. In order to have choices, you need to identify who is ready now and what it will take to make others ready when you need them.
You were first with the Cameron - Tatchell connection - second Benedict Brogan this a.m.
ReplyDeleteSurprised you were not first with this, Guido Fawkes broke it for me.
There's one small problem here: there's no viable successor! Most of the papabile this time are total duds, and the others are Italian, Johanno-Pauline politicos or else Americans!
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ReplyDeleteSixupman...my crystal ball is broken! Alphege, Cardinall Ouellet? I placed a bet on him succeeding Pope Benedict two years ago. He has all the required experience and more besides.And he is not American.
Richard, All I can say right now is that after reading these two posts from you , is that for some reason I'm starting to feel much better. I've been off my kilter all day ,because of this stunner. Perhaps it is your "matter of fact"-ishness- that has a settleing effect.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why being American is anathema. Cardinal Burke would be a superb Pope. Too bad Abp. Chaput doesn't wear the red hat. We could end up with a modernist which would be a disaster. But as long as he isn't American...
ReplyDeleteJTL - it is not anathema to me. I agree with your remarks about Cardinal Burke. I am also a fan of Archbishop Cordileone.
ReplyDeleteReally? Pope Benedict doesn't want a "liberal, left-wing" cardinal to succeed him. Who has chosen every cardinal of the Church? Pope Benedict and his predecessor, I don't remember any liberal, left wing choices of a cardinal eligible to vote.
DeleteExcept Cardinal Mahoney (of course), but I think he is distinctly NOT viable.
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