Journal photo/ Mary Murphy
Bishop Tobin, speaking to the media Monday morning, says he was "stunned by the news" of Pope Benedict XVI's decision to step down.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, called Pope Benedict XVI's decision to abdicate his post "an act of great humility."
"He understands that the needs of the Church are greater than his own; that ultimately the well-being of the Church is in God's hands, not the Pope's," Bishop Tobin wrote in a news release Monday morning.
Photo courtesy of Bishop Tobin
Photo of Pope Benedict XVI and Bishop Thomas J.Tobin,
Providence Diocese bishop, on a visit to the Vatican.
"He is a man of great wisdom and holiness and he has given everything -- his heart and mind, his soul and strength -- to the difficult task of leading the Church."
Bishop Tobin said Pope Benedict would be remembered for his commitment to new evangelization. "We are in the midst of the Year of Faith. A time to renew our faith. His final legacy will be evangilization.
Bishop Tobin had met Pope Benedict on on a couple of occassions, once before he became the Pope and in 2011. "He is a wonderful man of great intellect, wise and very humble."
Asked about a successor, perhaps from countries with the faster growing Catholic populations such as Latin America or Africa, Bishop Tobin said, "The only one who know is God and he hasn't told us yet."
Bishop Tobin was asked whether other controversies in the church, such as the accusations of child molestation, could have affected his resignation.
"He is 85 soon to be 86. His burden is enormous, the people he meets, the traveling he has to do. His deterioration in health and strength has been noticeable. In previous writings, he hinted at it," Bishop Tobin said.
-- With reports from Journal Staff Writer Tatiana Pina
-- The original version of this report was published at 7:44 a.m. and updated at 10:26 a.m.