With the election campaign in full swing, here in Malta we did not pay too much attention to the resignation of the Pope last month. Although there was some coverage in the media, I am sure that it was not as extensive as it would have been had we not been preparing to vote for a new government. At any other time, such news would have rocked our foundations as it did in the rest of the Catholic world, and beyond.

Maybe, with election fever subsiding over the next few days – once the winner is known, the celebrations are over and we are back in our normal routine – we will devote more space and air-time to what is happening in Rome and what will take place there in the next few weeks.

Pope Benedict XVI made history when he became the first pope in 600 years to stand aside. For six centuries, all popes have reached the end of their mission with their death. Some of them spent their last weeks, sometimes even months, hanging on to their papacy even though they were too frail to carry out their duties.

Not so Pope Benedict. He realised that he was losing his strength and chose to retire while he was still capable of making such an important decision of his own free will, thus avoiding any possible speculation regarding his lucidity or whether he was being pushed to do so. For this alone, he deserves credit and – why not – even admiration. He will be remembered in history for relinquishing his position.

It is a momentous time for the Church.

One month has now passed since Pope Benedict made his surprise announcement and the date for the start of the conclave has been set for two days’ time – Tuesday, 12 March. It is likely that the Church will have its new leader before Easter, but there is also a slim possibility that this might not happen, given that there is no clear favourite.

Pope Benedict’s renunciation of his position as head of the Catholic Church was a courageous decision.

For one thing, it broke away from tradition, and from now onwards future popes will probably find it less difficult to repeat what he has done.

Secondly, it is also a not-so-subtle message to other leaders – and, seeing that the Pope is also a political leader, being the Head of State of the Vatican, to politicians too – that they should not think that the seat they occupy is theirs by right and for life.

For centuries, many dictators have believed that they could hold on to their seat of power until their death. Some succeeded in doing so; others were deposed by violence. But, even elsewhere, in so-called democratic countries, there are leaders who believe that somehow or other they should retain their place, come what may. This includes monarchs who, like the pope, have the right to remain in office until their death.

It is hard to say who will replace him as Christ’s Vicar.

The election of Pope John Paul II way back in 1978 broke away from 400 years of Italian popes, but the title remained in Europe, even after the Polish pontiff’s death, as he was succeeded by one from Germany.

Many will say that it is time for the Church to move away from its European roots, and electing a pope from outside the old continent would give a better idea of a Universal Church that wants its place in other areas around the world. But this in itself could send out wrong messages too.

Electing an American pope might be perceived as giving more power to the United States. And electing an Asian or African pope might also be seen as a way for the Church to interfere more in countries where it does not wield so much power simply because it is not the prevalent religion.

So it would seem that, if the cardinals want to move away from Europe, their preferred choice would be a pope from Latin America.

What is important, however, is not who the new pope is. What is vital is that he continues to keep the Church as close to its faithful, and even beyond, as possible. Pope John Paul II became known as the travelling pope because he took the Catholic faith to all corners of the world. Pope Benedict might not have been as charismatic, but he did keep up the pace as much as humanly possible, given that he was installed as pope when he was already 78 years old.

The Church – which in recent years has been embroiled in scandals involving priests who abused young people under their care – must continue the fight to re-build its image. It must be harsh with clerics who are guilty of abuse and, added to this, expose them for what they really are. In the eyes of both the Church’s followers and non-followers, it must be seen to be doing its best to eradicate this kind of exploitation.

The new pope must also work hard to regenerate the Church in the eyes of those who might still consider themselves as Catholics, but who have stopped practicing their religion. The strict position taken by the Church on certain issues have pushed people away from it. The Church’s values are what they are, but the Church can do and say a lot more to appear more understanding.

To say that the Church must modernise, does not mean that the Church should throw away all that it has built in 2,000 years.

But the Church can certainly be more forthcoming.

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