- Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians shocked by Pope's decision to resign
- Date: 11th February 2013
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (FEBRUARY 11, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LAGOS VARIOUS OF PARISHIONERS PRAYING VARIOUS OF THE CHURCH OF ASSUMPTION'S PARISH ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY MATTHIAS LABE WORKING IN HIS OFFICE CLOSE OF A BOOK CALLED "CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF LAGIS DIRECTORY A.D. 2013" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARISH ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY, CHURCH OF ASSUMPTION, MATTHIAS LABE, SAYING: "For Nigeria and the rest of the world, we're taking it with some level of shock but it's natural that the pope is a human being and if his body tells him you have to soft-pedal, fine and good, he has to leave." PHOTOGRAPH OF POPE BENEDICT ON THE WALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARISH ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY, CHURCH OF ASSUMPTION, MATTHIAS LABE, TALKING ABOUT WHETHER CARDINAL FRANCIS ARINZE WILL BE THE NEXT POPE SAYING: "If the Holy Spirit feels that he should be the next pope, fine, we'll be happy and everybody will be happy, particularly Catholics because we believe that it is the Holy Spirit that chooses who he deems fit. If he is the one, fine." VARIOUS OF MOTHER MARY'S STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEGAL ADVISER, LIZZIE AKA, TALKING ABOUT WHETHER CARDINAL FRANCIS ARINZE WILL BE THE NEXT POPE, SAYING: "It will be exciting to have a Nigerian be the Cardinal (sic: pope) but that's political and I believe that there is a process and I also believe that it is God that chooses the next one so I don't want to put that forward before God's wish. If it's God's wish that would be fantastic, I'll be very proud because we heard that same rumour the last time and it didn't happen. If it happens this time and... I don't believe we should be mixing politics with religion." VARIOUS OF PARISHIONER PRAYING BEFORE MOTHER MARY'S STATUE
- Embargoed: 26th February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAK6BCHIJAHTTVXWSWL6361LQP
- Story Text: Hours after Pope Benedict said on Monday (February 11) he will resign on Feb 28 because he no longer has the strength to fulfil the duties of his office, Catholic faithfuls in Nigeria expressed their shock at his decision.
Matthias Labe, parish administrator at the Church of Assumption in Lagos, said the pope's decision came as a surprise.
"For Nigeria and the rest of the world, we're taking it with some level of shock but it's natural that the Pope is a human being and if his body tells him you have to soft-pedal, fine and good, he has to leave," the parish administrator said.
British and Irish bookmakers ranked Nigeria's Cardinal Francis Arinze, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Canadian Marc Ouellet on Monday as favourites to lead the Roman Catholic Church, setting odds swiftly after Pope Benedict's shock resignation.
Matthias said that Catholics in Nigeria would be happy if Cardinal Francis Arinze was to be appointed as Pope Benedict's successor.
"If the Holy Spirit feels that he should be the next pope, fine, we'll be happy and everybody will be happy, particularly the Catholics because we believe that it is the Holy Spirit that chooses who he deems fit. If he is the one, fine," he said.
Arinze and Pope Benedict, who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, were both among the bookmakers' favourites in 2005 when the German was elected to succeed Pope John Paul II.
"It will be exciting to have a Nigerian be the Cardinal (pope) but that's political and I believe that there is a process and I also believe that it is God that chooses the next one so I don't want to put that forward before God's wish," said a legal adviser and Catholic faithful Lizzie Aka. "If it's God's wish, that would be fantastic, I'll be very proud because we heard that same rumour the last time and it didn't happen.
"I don't believe we should be mixing politics with religion," Lizzie Aka, Catholic faithful said.
A Vatican spokesman said the pontiff would step down from 1900 GMT on February 28, leaving the office vacant until a successor is chosen.
Elected to the papacy on April 19, 2005 when he was 78 -- 20 years older than John Paul was when he was elected -- he ruled over a slower-paced, more cerebral and less impulsive Vatican.
But while conservatives cheered him for trying to reaffirm traditional Catholic identity, his critics accused him of turning back the clock on reforms by nearly half a century and hurting dialogue with Muslims, Jews and other Christians.
Before he was elected Pope, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was known by such critical epithets as "God's rottweiler" because of his stern stand on theological issues. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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