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Bishop Kelly Students Curious About Pope’s Historic Resignation

The Papal Visit
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Flickr Creative Commons

Catholics around the world have been talking about the upcoming resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The papal resignation will be the first since the Middle Ages.

Students at Boise's Catholic high school, Bishop Kelly, have been talking about it during theology class. Deacon Rick Bonney says his juniors have lots of questions.

“ ‘Well what happens when he resigns? Does he get security? Where will he live? What will he do?' I had to basically answer, ‘I don’t know any of that since we haven’t had a pope resign in 598 years,’ ” says Bonney.

Bonney says his sophomore class recently studied Pope Gregory XII – the last pope to resign from office.

“And so the kids had just learned that last week. And then to have it come up that we have a pope resigning, and that the pope it goes back to is the one we were learning about was sort of fun.”

Bonney says his students also wanted to know who could be the next pope, and where he might come from.

Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio
 

Frankie Barnhill was the Senior Producer of Idaho Matters, Boise State Public Radio's daily show and podcast.

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