Habemus Papam! Pope Francis "I" and a lot of other firsts!

Just back from St. Peter's Square where the atmosphere was electric - sorry, I know that's usually for a rock concert, but there's really no other word! It must have been the Holy Spirit. Shortly after 7pm, I was sitting in my office here in Rome glued to the papal smoke stack watching live as... more black, no wait, gray, no... actually WHITE smoke started to pour out.

What is Benedict XVI doing? His last two days as pope.

Sitting in St Peters and praying my rosary today, I couldn't help but think back eight years. I wasn't in Rome at the time for the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Benedict XVI in 2005. Still it seems like yesterday I was at our seminary in Ireland staring at a little chimney which suddenly started to spew white smoke - a historic moment! Today was one more in that series of spiritually earth-shaking moments in the Church and the world.

Benedict Resigns, a New Pope, and the Inside Story.

It was November 30, 1406, and all the Cardinals were gathered to elect a new pope. Angelo Corrario was among them. There was tension in the air. Before anyone had even voted, let alone been elected, he had sworn to resign from office. In fact every cardinal had sworn to resign from office should he be elected.

This was the Western Schism and not only was Corrario elected as Gregory XII, but there were two other “popes” or claimants to the papacy at the time – Benedict XIII and Alexander V. Elections at that time were difficult with many political and economic pressures. At times substitute elections were organized to elect the “true pope”, leaving the Church oft in confusion and uncertainty.

As it turned out, Gregory didn’t resign for almost another ten years, during the Council of Constance in 1415. And he died two years later before seeing the end of the schism with the election of Martin V.

That was 1415, and no other Pope has resigned until 2013, 600 years later! What happened? Why is Benedict stepping down?