Pope John Paul II has been the leader of the Catholic Church for nearly 27 years and if he strongly believes that it is possible for him to continue being pope, then people should respect that.

It is the pope’s calling and duty to lead the church throughout his lifetime, and nothing and nobody should force him to retire.

A Catholic encyclopedia states that the tradition of selecting a pope goes back to the “institution of a supreme head” by Christ. The media is reducing the Catholic papal tradition into a political controversy, which takes away the religious aspect of the issue.

It does not mean that his faith is slowly declining just because he has to go through surgeries and operations. He may have more faith and can perform the duty better than any of us combined.

Sure, the pope is not somebody who automatically becomes superhuman right when he was granted this obligation-he is merely human, and is not exempt from the uncertainty of death that a lot of people are so afraid of.

Society places little faith in its elders; people tend to think that as you near the end of your lifetime, you are reduced to a weak human being who is not capable of doing anything.

The pope’s strength is not measured by how fast he can run or how clear he can see; his strength should be measured by the depth of his faith and his character.

He is the symbol of the church and he was assigned this position with the idea that he’s going to commit to this profession until the day of his death.

According to Austin Cline of About.com, there is a certain ceremony performed by the pope’s Camerlengo after the pope himself dies. Some processes after the death of a pope include: the interregnum, the novemdiales and the conclave.

The pope’s job is not comparable to a CEO or a director-if he takes on the job, he is in it for life. It is not like there is a retirement date where the pope can just quit his duties and live off on a retirement plan. It is serious to pick a pope and the process involves various ceremonies.

In addition, there is a tradition in the Catholic Church that a pope has to be declared dead before a new pope can be elected. There are certain processes that are needed to be followed in ordaining a pope; it’s not like they can replace popes every five or so years just because the media or the public want to have a more youthful looking religious leader.

Selecting a pope is a sacred thing, and a pope cannot be picked every time people think that the pope is getting old.

Moreover, it’s not like the pope is totally incapacitated. He can still talk, inspire, and tour the city despite his condition and there’s no law banning disabled people from being popes.

Being the pope surpasses the physical aspects of fitness, for somebody to be a pope, he has to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually fit as well in order to serve the people, the Vatican and God.

A lot of people want the current pope to retire because they don’t think he can handle the job. What they don’t realize is that he has people to help him do the bulk of the work in running the holy city.

Subordinates overlook the operation of various aspects of the Catholic Church. Austin Cline states that the pope serves as a symbol of the Catholic tradition of “leading the Christian community.”

There is a purpose for Pope John Paul II and consequently, there is a reason he’s still alive. Although in the past, some popes have resigned by their own free will, they faced choices which were vital for the church’s existence.

Pope John Paul II is not faced with such a critical choice at the moment, although there is sentiment for the continuation of his term by many who believe he is too old to finish the job. But it is a job he has dedicated his life to, and he is the only one that can chose if he cannot go on.

People have to keep in mind that the pope is the vicar of Jesus, and if God wants another pope to reign over the Vatican.

He will probably take Pope John Paul II’s life in a heartbeat and send the world another pope, but for now the pope should stay and do the job he loves and does the best at.