On behalf of our colleagues, families, and friends at the Acton Institute in the United States and Rome, we express our heartfelt sorrow and the pledge of our prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of Pope Francis, the 266th Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, who passed away today at the age of 88 during the 13th year of his papacy, which began March 13, 2013. We also pray now for the cardinal electors that they may discern wisely with the Holy Spirit when choosing a wise and holy successor of Peter during the ensuing conclave.
In February 2013, Benedict XVI stunned the world by announcing he would soon retire. This act had few precedents in the history of the Church. The last papal resignation occurred in 1415, not as a singular act of humility but as the solution to the Great Western Schism, during which three men claimed the Chair of Peter.
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