[note: Find the Pope Benedict novena prayers here.]

popebenedictA priest I know sent me a text message this morning that I couldn’t believe.

It said that the Pope was going to retire.

I was shocked and thought it was a joke at first. But, it was true!

My first thought was that we need to pray.

So, we shall pray!

I had already been planning a novena for Pope Benedict’s birthday in April. So, I quickly texted my wife, Annie, and told her that we would need to move the novena up.

It looks like Pope Benedict’s last day as Pope will be February 28th. He said that he was stepping down because of his age and declining energy.

So, I think we should pray for Pope Benedict in his last days as Pope!

We will pray a novena starting on Wednesday the 20th to end on his last day.

It will be our ‘retirement gift’ to Pope Benedict!

We will pray in thanksgiving for Pope Benedict’s service, for his health and for the Papacy!

Please spread the word!

What about the next Pope, you ask?

We will do a novena for the election of a new Pope when the conclave has been convened. So, keep an eye out for that as Pope Benedict has called for a new Pope to be elected by Easter!

Sign up here and invite your friends!

[note: Find the novena prayers here.]

Here is the text of Pope Benedict’s Statement to the Cardinals regarding his retirement:

“Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.

After having repeatedly examined 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.

I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.

However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to steer the boat of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.

And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.

With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.”