The Borgias series has a human, believable Pope Alexander VI. But it misses opportunities to make more of holiness as well as of sin.
pope
If we take the Christian story seriously, the pope's burdens are not his alone to bear. They are shared by everyone united with him in prayer.
On February 11, comedian Stephen Colbert asked historian Garry Wills if he was in favor of the next pope being not John Paul III or Benedict XVII but “Nobody the First.” Wills smiled and said, “Ah, very good idea.” For some Catholics, this idea is more than a joke.
When the pope says he's going to step down due to his deteriorating strength of mind and body, it's hard to say much more than that about it with any certainty. That said, I found Rose Berger's post pretty thoughtful.