The Spectator’s Notes | 14 February 2013

Pope Benedict is stepping down for conscientious reasons about which he will have thought deeply. But I still fear that his decision is a mistake. First, its manner was unfortunate. An institution like the Catholic Church should avoid unnecessary shocks. It seems that the main people involved were told only on Sunday, and presented with a fait accompli. The news was announced the following day. Obviously, secrecy was important, but in a monarchical system, such a change is momentous and its consequences need to be thought through by the closest counsellors. The orthodoxy has grown up that the long physical decline of Pope John Paul II was a disaster which should not be repeated. This is not so (though it certainly created difficulties). The papacy is a sacred office, and the idea that its holder gives himself to it for life, despite whatever suffering it may entail, is an inspiring one. John Paul bore moving witness to this. Similarly, our own Queen has never shown the slightest inclination to abdicate: she believes she has a lifelong duty, promised to God, and would weaken the institution if she were to abandon it. What may seem right for this Pope now sets a tricky precedent. It will mean that future popes, as they age, will be vulnerable to plots to unseat them.

As he showed in his visit to Britain, Benedict has proved himself well capable of speaking to the modern world. His words will last. The defect of his papacy, displayed this week, has not been intellectual or ideological, but administrative. His shy, reclusive character meant that he never got to grips with the Vatican set-up. He did not appoint a secretary of state who could compensate for this. He dropped the system by which the Pope met every papal nuncio individually on appointment and every bishop individually on their five-yearly visits ad liminem.