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As of 2:00 pm EST today the Church has a 'sede vacante'; the empty seat or 'cathedra' of the Pope. It's a strange feeling because, well, the Pope isn't dead yet the chair is empty, something that hasn't happened in 600 years.
My first reaction after "what the...!?", was "why?" I'm sure it was pretty much the same for everybody. He gave his two weeks notice much as we in the secular working world are accustomed to do but the words 'Pope' and 'resigned' haven't been used together in 600 years or to put it into perspective; when Gregory XI stepped down in 1415, Columbus had not even been born, much less set sail to new lands...
My first reaction after "what the...!?", was "why?" I'm sure it was pretty much the same for everybody. He gave his two weeks notice much as we in the secular working world are accustomed to do but the words 'Pope' and 'resigned' haven't been used together in 600 years or to put it into perspective; when Gregory XI stepped down in 1415, Columbus had not even been born, much less set sail to new lands...