The Pope's Retirement

The Pope retired this week.
The fun comments happened immediately:
"Wow! That sets the bar pretty high on giving things up for Lent."
"Is he cleared for sex now?"
"Wearing all that heavy gold tired him out."
pictures of Eggs benedict with papal hats - ex benedict!
get it?

My favorite was Stephen Colbert
who said the retirement may prompt a "Catholic free for all"
where the devout will be
"passing out Pez dispensers full of birth control pills
using the Lord's name in vain,
coveting thy neighbor's wife,
killing anybody you want.
It'll be like being Presbyterian."

Benedict tells the world that he stepped down for the good of the church.
He's old.
He's tired.
I understand that.
I did the same thing myself not that long ago.
The church deserved better than an aging pastor
dragging herself around with developing health issues.

The lines were drawn pretty clear for me in retirement.
don't show up
ever.
don't act as a minister anymore around those people.
Make sure your family stays away too.
The rules are for my protection
and theirs too
even though they smart sometimes
and hurt our feelings.
Divorce is painful whatever the circumstances.

For Presbyterians there's a nice orderly process when one retires.
We get a pension.
We get a little ceremony at a Presbytery meeting.
even a standing ovation.
and then we're done.
We can pretty well do whatever we want after that
within reason of course
as long as it's decent and in order.

Not so for the Pope.
There aren't any guidelines.
they all have to be made up now.
where to live, what to wear,
health care?
It's much more complicated for him
than it is for us,
Us Presbyterians with our Pez containers.