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THERE comes a time in the life of every individual when, despite the best willpower one could possibly muster, the human machine will inevitably ground to a halt. This is why it is important for every individual to come to terms with some basic facts of life, namely that nothing lasts forever and as the saying goes, ‘all good thing must come to an end’. These thoughts dawned upon me as I read the news of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI who became the first Pope to tender his resignation since Pope Gregory XII resigned as Pope way back in 1415. This incidentally predated the discovery by Columbus of the West Indies, something that is still the subject of much controversy among historians. This obviously came as a surprise to Catholics throughout the globe especially since there were no manifest indications that Pope Benedict was experiencing ill health or fatigue on the job.
It is now revealed that Pope Benedict had been advised by his doctor against going on long trips and that the Pope had in fact been considering stepping down for months. His brother, Georg Ratzimnger was quoted by the BBC as saying: “When he got to the second half of his 80s, he felt that his age was showing and that he was gradually losing his abilities he may have had and that it takes to fulfill this office properly,”. According to him, the resignation was therefore part of a ‘natural process’.
The Pope made history for being the oldest pope at the time of his election at age 78, quite an advanced age to carry the enormous responsibility as head of the Catholic Church which at the time was rocked by allegations of child sex abuse by Catholic priests.
There is nothing wrong in someone acknowledging his or her physical limitations regardless of position or status. The Pope in a statement admitted that “after repeatedly examining my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”
This is a highly commendable stance taken by the Pope one that won him admiration not only from Catholics but from a wide cross-section of the global population. This resignation paves the way for the election of a new and hopefully younger and more energetic Pope. The election process which is likely to commence soon is quite interesting and does not allow for any prolonged gridlock since a decision one way or the other must be made within the hallowed chambers of the Vatican.
The Pope has joined a long list of persons who have opted to retire before the expiration of their tenure due to failing health. Among some of the great names are Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro and our own Janet Jagan. One fundamental lesson in life is that no one is indispensable and the sooner we come to terms with this reality, the better for us all both as individuals and as national leaders. Fidel Castro, the great Cuban revolutionary admitted to his disabilities during a recent interview with journalists when he said that his ‘shattered knee and weak eyesight has taken its toll’. Despite his advancing age and failing sight, the 86 year old revolutionary praised election officials for building a new entrance to his polling site thereby eliminating the need for him to climb stairs thus facilitating him to cast his ballot. He continued to share his thoughts on fundamental issues confronting mankind in his now popular “Reflections” columns published in the Cuban Granma.
Age ought not to be a barrier to participating in public life so long as health and intellect can so permit. Cheddi and Janet Jagan are two of the finest examples of this philosophy of service both having worked up to their very last days of their lives and between the two of them contributed in excess of one hundred years of dedicated service to the Guyanese people. This is a true example of public service of an exceptionally high standard which others could do well to emulate.
The new Pope, when elected, would have quite a number of challenges to address including the whole question of Catholic conservatism which some feel are somewhat anachronistic and out of touch with modern thinking. One such issue has to do with family planning and the use of contraceptives which runs counter to Catholic orthodoxy. The use of condoms, which is perhaps the most common form of birth control especially among the younger segment of the population, is now widely recommended by health advocates as one of the safest and most effective way of safeguarding against sexually transmitted diseases in particular the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is responsible for the pre-mature deaths of millions throughout the world.
Thankfully, with the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs and robust preventative measures including voluntary counseling and testing measures conducted by the health authorities here in Guyana and elsewhere, it is now possible to have early detection and treatment of the virus resulting in a significant decline in the incidence of HIV/AIDS cases. The National Aids Secretariat and other related stakeholders must be commended for the good work they have been doing not only in arresting, but more importantly reversing the incidence of this dreaded killer.
It is now revealed that Pope Benedict had been advised by his doctor against going on long trips and that the Pope had in fact been considering stepping down for months. His brother, Georg Ratzimnger was quoted by the BBC as saying: “When he got to the second half of his 80s, he felt that his age was showing and that he was gradually losing his abilities he may have had and that it takes to fulfill this office properly,”. According to him, the resignation was therefore part of a ‘natural process’.
The Pope made history for being the oldest pope at the time of his election at age 78, quite an advanced age to carry the enormous responsibility as head of the Catholic Church which at the time was rocked by allegations of child sex abuse by Catholic priests.
There is nothing wrong in someone acknowledging his or her physical limitations regardless of position or status. The Pope in a statement admitted that “after repeatedly examining my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”
This is a highly commendable stance taken by the Pope one that won him admiration not only from Catholics but from a wide cross-section of the global population. This resignation paves the way for the election of a new and hopefully younger and more energetic Pope. The election process which is likely to commence soon is quite interesting and does not allow for any prolonged gridlock since a decision one way or the other must be made within the hallowed chambers of the Vatican.
The Pope has joined a long list of persons who have opted to retire before the expiration of their tenure due to failing health. Among some of the great names are Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro and our own Janet Jagan. One fundamental lesson in life is that no one is indispensable and the sooner we come to terms with this reality, the better for us all both as individuals and as national leaders. Fidel Castro, the great Cuban revolutionary admitted to his disabilities during a recent interview with journalists when he said that his ‘shattered knee and weak eyesight has taken its toll’. Despite his advancing age and failing sight, the 86 year old revolutionary praised election officials for building a new entrance to his polling site thereby eliminating the need for him to climb stairs thus facilitating him to cast his ballot. He continued to share his thoughts on fundamental issues confronting mankind in his now popular “Reflections” columns published in the Cuban Granma.
Age ought not to be a barrier to participating in public life so long as health and intellect can so permit. Cheddi and Janet Jagan are two of the finest examples of this philosophy of service both having worked up to their very last days of their lives and between the two of them contributed in excess of one hundred years of dedicated service to the Guyanese people. This is a true example of public service of an exceptionally high standard which others could do well to emulate.
The new Pope, when elected, would have quite a number of challenges to address including the whole question of Catholic conservatism which some feel are somewhat anachronistic and out of touch with modern thinking. One such issue has to do with family planning and the use of contraceptives which runs counter to Catholic orthodoxy. The use of condoms, which is perhaps the most common form of birth control especially among the younger segment of the population, is now widely recommended by health advocates as one of the safest and most effective way of safeguarding against sexually transmitted diseases in particular the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is responsible for the pre-mature deaths of millions throughout the world.
Thankfully, with the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs and robust preventative measures including voluntary counseling and testing measures conducted by the health authorities here in Guyana and elsewhere, it is now possible to have early detection and treatment of the virus resulting in a significant decline in the incidence of HIV/AIDS cases. The National Aids Secretariat and other related stakeholders must be commended for the good work they have been doing not only in arresting, but more importantly reversing the incidence of this dreaded killer.
