Bishop Mark L. Bartchak offered the following statement in reaction to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI:

“Pope Benedict served the Church well by providing continuity in the tradition of the Catholic faith in its entirety. He is a person of deep spirituality calling people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. He is also a person of great intellect and an excellent teacher. I would not be surprised if he will continue to reflect on and write about topics that are important to him even after he retires. I am certainly grateful for his leadership in our Church, and we continue to keep him in our prayers.”

Calling this a “historic moment in the life of the Church,” Bishop Mark has announced that he will celebrate a Mass on February 28, 2013, at Noon, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona. The faithful will be invited to pray for Pope Benedict and the College of Cardinals, which will elect a new pope.

[Photo: Bishop Mark and Pope Benedict during the Bishop's ad limina visit to Rome in December 2011.]