Dear Brothers,
I have
convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations,
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 govern the bark 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 recognize my incapacity to adequately
fulfill 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.