THE HISTORY OF PAPAL RESIGNATIONS IN LIGHT OF BENEDICT XVI's RETIREMENT AS POPE.............

When the retirement of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI began twenty four hours ago, became what historians and church experts consider one of only four to perhaps eight Popes among the 265 Successors of St. Peter to have ever resigned, voluntarily or forcibly.  Prior to +Benedict XVI's self decided abdicating yesterday, there is only sketchy and incomplete information on eight other Popes who are thought to have resigned as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.  They are Pontian, who was Pope from 230-235 A.D., resigned during the period of the persecutions in favor of electing another Pope, was exiled to Sardinia, and was ultimately became a martyr and was declared a Saint of the Church.  Marcellinus, who reigned 296-304 A.D., and about whom it is unclear whether he died or resigned; a century after his time as Pope was accused by an African bishop of presiding over pagan rituals for the Roman Emperor, but despite such unproven claims was ultimately proclaimed a Martyr of the Church.  Liberius, Pope from 352-to circa 366, was a defender of a more orthodox form of Christianity than was being practiced and was forced into exile.  He was replaced by Felix II, and for awhile they supposedly reigned simultaneously as Liberius remained the more popular with the faithful, until he resigned conceding the Papacy to Felix II, who according to some historians, given the confusion of dual simultaneous Popes, Liberius submitted, "in order to save the perplexing problem of Pope Felix II".  John XVIII, Pope 1003-1009 A.D., with the speculation regarding his resignation as Pope centered around a written statement in an unverified ancient catalogue of Supreme Pontiffs, that says, John XVIII, "died as a monk of at St. Paul's near Rome in June 1009".  Benedict IX, considered the first, "unquestioned abdication", may have been on and off the papal throne three times, 1033-1044/45 A.D., thought to have been age 12 when he first became Pope, he is infamous for having, "long caused scandal to the Church by his disorderly life"; led a licentious life and is thought to be the first married Pope, who ultimately sold the Papacy to his uncle.  Gregory VI, uncle of Benedict IX, purchased the office of Pope from his nephew in 1044/45 A.D., which the other Bishops were so offended by they requested his resignation and he voluntarily stepped down from in 1046.  Celestine V, Pope for five months in 1294 A.D., he was both both "unprepared and unfit" for the Papacy according to historians, when he was elected at age 84; which caused him to declare, "it is possible for Popes to remit the Office to the Cardinals", the basis for the current action of Pope Benedict XVI - instead of living out his life in a monastery as Celestine V desired, his successor's fear he would suffer at the hands of "wicked people", saw him die locked in a cell.  Gregory XII, the last previous Pope to resign nearly six hundred years ago, reigned 1409-1415, and was one of three men claiming the Papacy at that time, known as the "Great", and / or "Western" Schism.  Thought by most official historical to be the legitimate claimant to the Papacy, he resigned to preserve the Church, thus ending the divisions threatening it.  This is the History of Papal Resignations as we know it according to the Catholic Encyclopedia and historical research. It gives us context and provides insight into how the now resigned and retired past immediate Pope Benedict XVI, fits into this rare occurrence in the Petrine Ministry.............Fr.  Troy