Rome, Italy, Feb 12, 2013 / 17:07 pm
Pope Benedict's resignation during Lent is no coincidence according to a Vatican expert who thinks the timing was tied to the Church's liturgical calendar.
"He did this at the beginning of Lent because he wanted to ensure that when we celebrate Easter with the risen Christ, we could have a new pontiff with the Lord's resurrection," said Paul Badde, the Rome correspondent for the German newspaper Die Welt.
"He did this within the framework of the Church year, not the secular year," said Badde.
Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 13 and Pope Benedict will give up his office 15 days later on Feb. 28.