Cardinals plan to ask the next pope to pledge in his inaugural address that he will serve until his death -- unlike Benedict XVI whose resignation, they believe, has destabilized the Catholic Church -- reports the Catholic News website today (March 3, 2013).
Doubts have emerged about the impact of Benedict's decision to retire before his death, as the cardinals begin a series of meetings -- known as general congregations -- to discuss the church's future.
Italian reports suggest some church leaders believe Benedict's departure has undermined the sacredness of the papacy. An unnamed cardinal told the Corriere della Sera newspaper it was impossible to abolish the rule that a pope had the right to resign of his own free will.
"But for the future we need to safeguard the freedom of the church from external influences," he said, amid fears that a pope could be pressured into stepping down.
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