North End Reacts to Pope Benedict News

Several residents and members of the clergy knew about Pope Benedict XVI’s announcement on Monday that he will be resigning on February 28.

Father Antonio of St. Leonard-Port Maurice Parish on North Bennet Street will miss Benedict.

“I think he’s been a great pope and a great thinker,” he said. “He’s been an excellent leader of the church and, by resigning, he proves what the Church always teaches – that authority is service and not power in the Church.”

Father Antonio went on to say: “Of course, as a reasonable human being, (the Pope) realized that his physical strength is no longer there to help him carry the load of work that his office demands.”

As for the future, Father Antonio knows exactly what he wants to see in Benedict’s successor.

“In a new pope, the first quality I would like to see is that he leads by example and not just by word as the previous popes in the last century have done.”

Other residents in the North End were contacted but either chose not to share their thoughts or did not have time to return our inquiries before press time. 

Janet Gilardi, a well-know resident of this community, was taken aback when she heard the news yesterday.

When she thought about it, however, Janet did have a strong reaction.

“A lot of people got turned away from the Church since the cover-up of the wrong doings of some priests and bishops,” she said. “I didn’t care for the Pope when he got voted in because he didn’t have the expression of love on his face.”

Janet did not detect warmth in this spiritual leader.

She wants transparency in the new pope.

“Stop the cover-ups and stop the abuse from happening,” Janet said.

Benedict, 85, spoke during a meeting of Vatican cardinals and said his strengths due to his age are no longer “suited to an adequate exercise” of his position as the head of the world’s Roman Catholics.

The Pope has been head of the Catholic Church for almost eight years.

According to Monday’s issue of The Guardian, it’s expected his successor will be selected by the end of March. Benedict will honor public commitments until his resignation.

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