Pope Benedict left the Chair of St. Peter and he came to it, with great humility. The abdication of his office, outside of the media's best efforts to augment the reasons for his departure, was an act of abandonment to the will of God. In his announcement he stated that "…my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. " Pope Benedict has been criticized for, amongst other things, for leaving under there conditions when his predecessor, Bl. John Paul II, underwent great suffering while remaining the as the Roman Pontiff. Instead of ignoring this contrast we can view it with an alternate perspective, one that shows no contradiction between the two. Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI ended their Papacies in way that can be summed up in a single phrase "This life is not about me". 
John Paul, while battling Parkinsons, could have opted for a less rigorous life style; something that would have reflected, and be more suited to, an elderly man with his condition. The now Pope Emeritus could have also adapted his role to better suit himself. They didn't. Both of them remained faithful to The Office of St. Peter and what they believe it required of someone. If we can assume that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is a man of great integrity and humility, then I would like to highlight something hie did in this past month, the last month of his papacy, something that perhaps was missed in the excitement.
On February 14th Benedict gathers together the priests of Rome. Being the Bishop of the Diocese, having one last opportunity to speak his priests, what wisdom and insight does he decide to impart to them. Pope Benedict offers an impromptu personal reflection on the Second Vatican council. Pope Benedict, then Joseph Ratzinger, was only a young theologian at the time. Cardinal Frings, Archbishop of Cologne, was so impressed with Ratzinger that he invited him to take part in the council. "So off we went to the Council not just with joy but with enthusiasm." Pope Benedict reflects. He describes the state of the church as being "robust", but at the same time, "not moving forward."
The overall mood was that the Church "seemed more a thing of the past and not the herald of the future". Many, when thinking of Vatican II, will first know it for it's liturgical reforms, but Pope Benedict connects two dots in that one statement. All that is passé, antiquated, and seemingly irrelevant is corrected with evangelization. "By the power of the Gospel He permits the church to keep the freshness of youth. Constantly He renews her and leads her to perfect union with her Spouse" Vatican II, Lunem Gentium, 1:5
It is through this interpretive lens that we can properly understand the Second Vatican Council, and as the older generation moves on, it is the responsibility of the next generation to aptly comprehend and uphold it as it was intended. This will be the first installment of a series of blog posts on the Second Vatican council as a “herald of the future”.
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