Maltese Cardinal Prospero Grech outside St Peter’s Basilica in Rome yesterday. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Pope Benedict XVI recently underwent a routine intervention on his pacemaker, but this played no part in influencing his shock decision to resign, according to a Vatican spokesman.

Fr Federico Lombardi yesterday confirmed at a press briefing that the 85-year-old Pontiff had a pacemaker fitted some years ago; the first time the Vatican has mentioned this.

Just three months ago the pacemaker’s batteries were replaced during a minor procedure, but Fr Lombardi stressed: “It had no influence on the decision, the reasons were in his perception that his strength had diminished with advancing age.”

The general feeling outside the Vatican was still one of shock 24 hours after the Pope broke with tradition and told a group of cardinals at a routine canonisation ceremony that he would step aside on February 28 at 8pm.

Asked about the significance of the time, Fr Lombardi said this was simply the hour when the Pope’s day of work normally ended – “there’s no motive behind it”, he told journalists.

I would not have liked him to present the figure of Pope John Paul II sitting on his throne, nodding- Cardinal Grech

International media vans have mushroomed in front of the Vatican since the news reverberated across news channels and social media. People from all faiths and nationalities, queuing to get inside St Peter’s Basilica, were yesterday trying to grasp what this meant for the Church.

The unexpected news has left everyone in a state of reflection, including Malta’s Cardinal Prospero Grech, who believes the Pope has taken an “honest and courageous step”.

“Like everybody else it came as a surprise, though looking back we should have had some sort of inkling. In some of his speeches and writing he had at least spoken theoretically of a Pope abdicating... Except at the time it didn’t cross anybody’s mind,” Mgr Grech told The Times from his Augustinian residence located next to the Vatican.

Mgr Grech, 87, should have been at the consistory for the canonisation ceremony on Monday where the Pope made his declaration, “but unfortunately I missed that and heard the news in my room from Vatican Radio”.

The question is, who’s next?

In his resignation announcement the Pope said: “In today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith... both strength of mind and body are necessary.”

What did Mgr Grech read in these words? “It’s not that he can’t keep up with the times, certainly not. He is one of the popes who has been most open to dialogue. Imagine he opened himself to Twitter.

“His health is the reason... he cannot even walk the length of St Peter’s; he’s got to be carried.

“Then of course he’s had many set­­backs in the past few years. First there was the issue of paedophilia; then the happenings in his apartment, which set him back psychologically,” Mgr Grech said, referring to the Pope’s butler who was last year convicted of stealing and leaking the Pontiff’s private letters.

Could it also be possible that Pope Benedict took this decision after witnessing the slow demise of Pope John II, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease?

“I can’t enter into [Joseph] Ratzinger’s mind but I would not have liked him to present the figure of Pope John Paul II sitting on his throne, nodding... not that he was asleep for heaven’s sake! But you could see he was suffering,” the Augustinian scholar said.

“So I suppose, (Cardinal) Ratzinger must have said I’ve done my duty till now, I’m still fresh in mind, but I wouldn’t like to cut a bad figure when I’m old and sick.

“I don’t want pity so I will let the Church choose somebody who will lead it in a worldly manner. The question now is who will succeed him,” he reflected.

Once Pope Benedict, who will today be celebrating Mass at the Vatican to mark Ash Wednesday, steps down, the sede vacante (empty chair) period will begin, during which the Church will be administered by the camerlengo (chamberlain).

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will then summon the 120 cardinals worldwide to Rome for a conclave to elect the next Pope.

Fr Lombardi said if the election process followed the usual lines the new Pontiff should be elected “within the space of a month” by the end of March.

He added Pope Benedict will “not intervene in any way” in the conclave to choose the next Pope.

Cardinal Grech will not be in the conclave to vote for the new Pope as he is over 80.

Mgr Grech said the Pope’s successor should be someone “fully mature of age” and rooted in the Catholic tradition.

“However, this person should also understand the problems that surround us today. It’s not running with the world, but a question of how to convince the world to run with Christ’s doctrine,” he stressed.

Mgr Frans Bonnici, director of the Pontifical Ministry for Vocations, said what was important was the sense of communion and unity to spread the Gospel.

“The Church is not a factory of Christians,” he said, expressing his sadness at the news of Pope Benedict’s decision to step down and expressing admiration for the man’s teachings.

Fr Stefan Attard, who has spent the past years in Rome, felt Pope Benedict’s bold step was undoubtedly a practical and tangible example of his unquenchable thirst for truth, a passion that has marked his entire life as an intellectual.

“I cannot but laud Pope Benedict XVI for such a courageous decision that has been reached through a sincere examination of his present life circumstances in the light of God’s will for him and for the Church at large,” he said.