More reactions in Asia to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation

(Feb. 13, 2013) The announcement of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has caused quite a stir across Asia.Major Archbishop Baselios Mar Cleemis of Trivandrum of the Syro Malankara rite in southern India’s Kerala State said “It is quite surprising. No one expected it from our Pope Benedict XVI. At the same time, I am convinced that this kind of thing can only come from a saint, because there are no precedents in the recent past and because it comes from someone like the Holy Father, who is respected for his deep relationship with God and his sincere love for the Church. He thought that the Church needed a new guide to ensure an effective Petrine Ministry; hence, for this reason, he has decided to resign from the active ministry as bishop of Rome.
Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land said he was stunned by the news. It is a gesture that we must understand in its profundity because it is quite new for the Church. Pope Benedict XVI has always been close to us in the Holy Land. He made a major trip to the region. He spoke to us, led the synod and gave us the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente. I am certain that the Holy See will continue to be concerned about the Holy Land.
Indian layman Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said “ We shall miss Benedict XVI a lot for what he was, for his quiet ways. He was the most inspiring pope in our lifetime. The results the pontiff obtained are unforgettable. He renewed the worship in the Church, reconnecting it to the majesty and deep piety of the past. He forged new ties with non-Catholics, by bringing former Anglicans into the fold through the Ordinariate.
New Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako of Iraq said Pope Benedict XVI has been a model for all of us, Catholics and non-Catholics. We must respect him even more for this act of humility. The pope has shown his greatness to the world, the wonder of his character, taking a step that we must all do when our body and spirit prevent us from continuing. He made a choice that history shall remember, starting with the men of the clergy and the Church. Too many times, many of us have refused to leave a see even though we could not fulfil our duties. The pontiff has reminded us once more that the see exists to serve, not to be served.