7/28/2019 Lighting and Helicopters- Papal Resignation

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Victor Val Mas

Lighting and Helicopters 

On February 28, a violent storm approaches the

eternal city. Immense gray cumulus clouds

slowly start to dominate the sky. Rome darkens

as the late evening sunlight is blocked by the

menacing clouds.

In the distance, behind the cupola of St Peters

basilica, the skyline becomes obscured as rain

can be seen pouring over the Castelli, Rome’s

surrounding hills. At 136 meters in height,

Michelangelo’s cupola towers over the nearby

buildings, reaching the sky. The surroundings

erupt with thunder and lightning. Bolts of 

electricity light up the sky and thunder jostles the

earth. Lightning strikes the cupola of St. Peter’s

basilica, the epicenter of Christianity, and the

pope resigns.

It’s been 598 years since the resignation of Gregory XII, and this time Benedict XVI might have set a

precedent that will be hard to ignore. Benedict XVI became the oldest cardinal to have been elected pope

since Clement XII in 1730. Claiming old age Pope Benedict decided to step down just 8 years after 

starting his mandate.

In one of the biggest media events of the year, the Pope boarded a helicopter to leave the Vatican and

retire to the Pope’s summer residence, leaving behind the burden of having one of the world’s most

powerf ul positions. The perfectly choreographed takeoff and meticulously planned flight path was Rome’s

biggest advertisement of the year. The papal helicopter, lent by the Italian police, hovered over Rome’s

most emblematic buildings, zigzagged over the Tiber and skimmed the Coliseum. The pope waved and

his helicopter rose into the sky.

During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI had hoped to avoid controversy, yet he found himself having to

confront sex abuse scandals, complots from within and corruption in the Vatican bank. Pope Benedict first

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words as pope were pronounced in front of thousands of pilgrims waiting at St Peter’s square. When he

walked toward the balcony, the world got a glimpse of their new pope, and then he said, “Dear brothers

and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer 

in the vineyard of the Lord.”. Pope Benedict left the Vatican not like a laborer but like a superman in an

action movie. He may have wanted his last public appearance as Pope to be discrete, but it was viewed

live by millions and resembled the Queen’s helicopter stunt during the inauguration ceremony of The

2012 Olympic Games.

Pope Benedict’s decision to step down from power could mean that from now on we might be seeing

papal resignations as the new norm. Let’s just hope they don’t occur every four years, or the Olympics

might see some stiff competition as the largest televised event of the year.