Your Beatitude,

on 11 February 2013, Benedict XVI notified the public that on 28 February 2013 he would leave his office. In the history of the Western Church this was done last time by Gregory XII in 1415. The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate appealed to Benedict XVI in several public letters (of 17 September 2011, 19 December 2011, 10 February 2012, 5 May 2012...) to resign from office. The main reason was that on 1 May 2011 he beatified John Paul II who had made an apostatic gesture in Assisi. By his beatification Pope Benedict XVI officially approved of syncretism in the Western Catholic Church. Therefore on 1 May 2011, the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate renounced allegiance to the Vatican which through the Pope’s gesture fell under God’s anathema, i.e. God’s curse, in accordance with Gal 1:8-9.

Your Beatitude, on 30 May 2012 in Astana You made a gesture similar to that of Benedict XVI and John Paul II. The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate announced that consequently You brought down upon Yourself God’s anathema – a curse – which You now draw upon the entire Orthodox Church. That was why the Byzantine Patriarchate appealed to You to leave Your office.

The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate hereby appeals to You again to follow Benedict XVI and to resign from office on the same day, i.e. 28 February 2013.

Cc:

Vatican Secretariat of State

Cardinals of the Catholic Church

President of Russia V. Putin

The Government of Russia

President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano

The Government of Italy

Download: A call for resignation (11.2.1013)