The Anchoress: Did Twitter Hasten Benedict’s Retirement?

[LouisvilleFan]

I think she is spot on: "Prayer and Penance: Did Twitter Hasten Benedict’s Retirement?"

 

It's about more than just Twitter... her reflection on the vocation of prayer that Benedict will assume as he moves into a  monastery are especially powerful.

[Ash Wednesday]

I do not buy into the twitter theory at all, but nonetheless like her, I doubt that he made the decision lightly to retreat into reading, piano and feeding cats -- the step into monasticism is not a light and easy one.

Edited February 13, 2013 by Ash Wednesday

[Era Might]

I do not buy into the twitter theory at all, but nonetheless like her, I doubt that he made the decision lightly to retreat into reading, piano and feeding cats -- the step into monasticism is not a light and easy one.

 

Is he becoming a monk?

[Basilisa Marie]

Is he becoming a monk?

 

No, but he's retiring to a monastery.  It's a pretty common thing for older clerics to do. 

[Nihil Obstat]

It sounds farfetched, but she makes good points.

"A great deal of that tweeted animosity has been inspired (and earned) by the deplorable scandals of past decades (for which we are due a long season of penance) but no doubt much of it is rooted in nothing more than the church’s obedience to Christ’s commission that she be not only a consolation to the poor, the sick and the marginalized, but also a sign of contradiction to the world and its disorienting trends. I wonder if our sensitive pope looked into the abyss of pain, screaming hatred and ignorance so easily accessed by just a few clicks of a keyboard, and felt called to humility and prayer — a full renunciation of everything in the world, including earthly power and communion with the faithful — in reparation, penance."


"He’s retiring to a monastery within the Vatican. One does not “retire” into monasticism; a monastery is not an idyllic place of retreat, but a full-thrust into spiritual depths. It is where one goes to pray, do penance and — if one is particularly holy and willing — to engage in supernatural battle with things seen and unseen."

Perhaps Mahony should be 'invited' to join him. :|

[fides' Jack]

Huh - followed the links.  For those of you who followed his twitter account, what kinds of "tough questions" is he getting on there?

[Nihil Obstat]

Huh - followed the links.  For those of you who followed his twitter account, what kinds of "tough questions" is he getting on there?

Rather than 'tough questions', I think they are more accurately classified as vile and obscene abuse. And a lot of unintelligent posturing.

The 'tough questions' and intelligent insights are few and far between.

[Era Might]

Twitter is useless chatter...personally I think the whole "the church needs social media" idea is wrongheaded. Maybe I just don't "get" Twitter...I've tried "live tweeting" and following thousands of posts pouring in at once, but can't seem to get the point.

Edited February 13, 2013 by Era Might

[GeorgiiMichael]

Twitter is useless chatter...personally I think the whole "the church needs social media" idea is wrongheaded. Maybe I just don't "get" Twitter...I've tried "live tweeting" and following thousands of posts pouring in at once, but can't seem to get the point.

 

The idea that the church needs social media is wrongheaded, but that's not what people are advocating. They're saying that social media needs the church. The Body of Christ needs to be able to operate within social media in order to serve social media. In, not of, just like the church's relationship with the world.

[LouisvilleFan]

Pope Benedict's words "shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith" made me think of Twitter specifically. The few times I've followed comments made in reply to @Pontifex, I've felt that underneath the widespread ingorance, immaturity, and sarcasm, most of these people are expressing concerns that are most relevant to our lives. Not that it's the only reason... I'm thinking that a man of God would feel the very real suffering of people behind all that mess. And there's a certain genius to respond in the silence of prayer. The world thinks he is retiring to an easier life, when in fact he's taking up the most difficult struggle: to pray for the world.

[Didacus]

Lets ressurect all the threads of when Pope Benedict got elected!!!

 

Remember the dude who bought a used car that turned out to be an old car owned by Cardinal Ratzinger and he resold it for something like 10 times what he originally had paid for it?!

[LouisvilleFan]

By the way, does anyone know what she means by the "Long Lent" that began in 2002? I can't seem to login to patheos in order to ask there, but it's the first time I've ever heard that phrase.

[DameAgnes]

The "long Lent" pertains to the Lent of 2002 during which the stories about abuse in Boston began to break and then from all over the country, then the world.