The historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI continues to hold the world’s attention. The pope used yesterday’s Angelus address to say good-bye to throngs of well-wishers, while the Vatican announced today that the conclave to choose Benedict’s successor can begin as soon as March 15.

Read more on Chaput: The Next Pope and a Re-Formation…

Since Benedict’s resignation we’ve been treated to almost two weeks of conspiracy mongering about the “real” reasons behind Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down. It’s been everything from Piers Morgan’s ceaseless yammering about his “doubts” to theories about the pope hiding out in the Vatican in fear of an arrest warrant issued by “unknown European” entities concerning clergy sexual misconduct, and still lingering hope among some that this time it really was the butler who did it.

Yet, if scandal were the reason, Benedict could have resigned well before this. He was asked about the matter point blank in 2010 by Peter Seewald in Light of the World. Here was his response:

When the danger is great one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign. Precisely at a time like this one must stand fast and endure the difficult situation. That is my view. One can resign at a peaceful moment or when one simply cannot go on. But one must not run away from the danger and say that someone else should do it.

Perhaps I am naïve but I think the reasons he resigned are actually the reasons he gave us. We live in a world where leaders, Christian or otherwise, are resistant to giving up the reins, where people tend to hold on to power much too long, and where everyone is jockeying for influence. Pope Benedict’s willingness to let go is a refreshing contrast to all this.

And as for the claim that Benedict may try to influence the conclave and the next pope, there is no more influential person in the Catholic Church than Benedict XVI. If maximizing his influence were his goal he wouldn’t have resigned.

I think his resignation can be boiled down to three things: magnanimity, humility, and prudence. I’d like to take a moment to consider each of these qualities in turn. Read more on Benedict XVI: Magnanimity in an Age of Self-Promotion…

The latest Radio Free Acton Podcast is part 2 of “Reflecting on the Legacy of Pope Benedict.” Director of Research Samuel Gregg and Research Fellow Michael Matheson Miller discuss the upcoming papal conclave.  They explain the process that will be used to choose Benedict XVI’s successor and what should be on the cardinals minds as they go about this process.

Read more on Radio Free Acton Podcast: Reflecting on the Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI Part 2…

On April 19, 2005, Joseph Ratzinger was elected to become the next Pope after John Paul II. Several Acton Institute analysts wrote articles looking ahead to what kind of papacy the world could expect from Benedict XVI. Take a look and let us know how we did. (We’ve added links where they are still available).

Read more on Looking Back: Acton Experts on Benedict XVI’s Election…

It can be tempting to judge the papacy, the world’s longest continuously functioning institution, by its various historical stages that often have little relevance to the modern office. While the Chair of Peter remains the central teaching medium of the Roman Catholic Church, it is safe to say that the challenges faced by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI are not the challenges faced by Pope Adrian I (772 – 795) or even Pope Leo XIII (1878 – 1903). The papacy is always acting in response to an ever-changing world, while remaining rooted in the truth of the Gospel.

In The Modern Papacy, Acton’s Director of Research Samuel Gregg notes that the “…popes recognizing that the political, social, and religious culture of modernity was one in which Catholicism would be obliged to live, move and have its being.” This engagement between culture and the papacy has been one of critique, or as Gregg says, affirming “what the Church considers to be good in modernity without ignoring its shortcomings.” Read more on The Modern Papacy…

Digging into the Acton video vault, we’ve reposted on YouTube some of the analysis that Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, handled as the on-air expert for BBC News in 2005 and, when not on call from the BBC, Fox News, EWTN and others. The fourth video here is from last week’s appearance on Fox, discussing the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Check this resource page for updates on Acton’s ongoing coverage of Pope Benedict’s resignation.

On the 2005 Papal Conclave (BBC America – April 18, 2005)

Read more on Video: Rev. Robert A. Sirico at the 2005 Papal Conclave…

This week, Istituto Acton Director Kishore Jayabalan joined Al Kresta of Ave Maria Radio to discuss the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The special broadcast featured Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder of Ignatius Press, who did his doctoral dissertation under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Read more on Putting the Resignation of Benedict XVI in Perspective: Kresta in the Afternoon…

On Catholic Online, Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse praised Pope Benedict XVI for his “deep understanding” of the Christian patrimony of Christendom. “The Christian foundation of culture should be self-evident to most, but in our post-Christian (and poorly catechized) age our historical memory has grown increasingly dim,” he said.

Read more on Orthodox Priest: Pope Benedict Helped Heal East-West Divide…

On Feb. 11, Rev. Robert Sirico  discussed the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on CNBC News.

He talked about Pope Benedict XVI’s reason for resigning, what happens when the papal seat is empty, and who potential candidates for the new pope are.

Read more on Audio: Rev. Robert Sirico Discusses Papal Resignation on CNBC…

Seize the Day with Gus Lloyd on SiriusXM’s the Catholic Channel interviewed Kishore Jayabalan, director of the Acton Institute in Rome, regarding Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected resignation.

Jayabalan discussed the mood in the Rome, the shock of the timing, and Pope Benedict XVI’s legacy.

Read more on Audio: Kishore Jayabalan discusses Pope Benedict XVI’s Resignation…