text: I think you are off base here.  EPBenedict was facing an entirely different type of papacy than his predecessors of 1000 years ago.  He had also observed what happened with his incapacitated predecessor.  He was not a very big part of the cabal around JPII actually running the Church.  That was Cardinal Sodano's crowd.  I think Benedict made the right decision to remove himself before any more damage to the Church was done by political cardinals with access to money and power.  His reforms would have been still born if another Pope didn't feel compelled to see some of them through to some extent or another.  I am not one of Benedict's theological fans, but I have always respected his integrity and his resignation was an action of integrity.