MECHELEN,
Belgium (Reuters) - A Belgian Roman Catholic cardinal who said
that he would not be surprised if Pope John Paul (news - web sites)
II opted to abdicate next year denied Monday that he wished the
Pope would do so.
``What I did
not want to say is that it would be wishful for this pope to abdicate,
or that I would like to have him abdicate or that he is no longer
doing his job well,'' Cardinal Godfried Danneels told a news conference.
In his new
book ``Frankly Speaking'' released last week, Danneels said that
the 80-year-old pontiff could abdicate next year.
The Vatican
Thursday responded with a tersely worded statement denying that
the Pope had any plans to retire after this year.
But Danneels
Monday said the public reaction to his comments were exaggerated.
``The media
magnified what is actually an evident consideration,'' he said.
``Taking into
account increasing life expectancy, you cannot remain forever
at the head of such a large institution,'' he added.
In his book,
which takes the form of interviews on topics ranging from science
and politics to culture, Danneels comments on whether a retirement
age of 75 should apply to pontiffs, as it does to bishops.
``The question
will inevitably be posed in the same form to popes. And it would
not surprise me if the Pope were to retire after 2000.
``He wanted
at all costs to reach the jubilee year 2000, but I consider him
capable of retiring afterwards,'' he said in the book.
Last January,
a German bishop, Karl Lehmann, caused a storm when he aired the
idea that the Pope might one day retire if he felt he could no
longer do his job properly.
Popes usually
remain in their post for life. The last pope to resign willingly
was Celestine V, who stepped down in 1294. Gregory XII reluctantly
abdicated in 1415 in order to resolve a dispute when there was
more than one pope sitting at the same time.
According
to Canon 332 of Church Law, a pope can resign but he has to do
so freely and, since he is Supreme Pontiff, no one has to accept
the resignation.
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