Benedict’s decision changed rules that were assumed to be beyond amendment. Pope John Paul II had retained office throughout a long period of illness that led to his death at age 84. The Pope, like the Queen, was expected to stay on the job until his last breath.

So when Benedict, 85, informed the College of Cardinals that he lacked the strength of body and mind to carry on, the news caused apprehension in the Catholic world. How could there be an emeritus Pope and a sitting Pope living within a short stroll of each other in the Vatican? These waters were uncharted, so considerable praise for Benedict’s wisdom and courage was coupled with anxiety and puzzlement.

Those feelings were exacerbated by a secular media that, in many instances, used Benedict’s resignation to denigrate a Pope they never liked and chide the Church for its so-called “outdated” morals and values. These criticisms came as Catholics wrestled with questions about a papal abdication. The sudden break with the past created uncertainty about the future. The Church was thrust into something new and undefined. As Fr. Raymond de Souza wrote at the time, Benedict’s resignation “changes the papal office forever; whether for better or worse remains to be seen.”

A year later, the long-term questions remain unanswered. Will aging or ill popes routinely retire? Now that a precedent has been set, might future popes confront outside pressure to retire for health or other reasons? Could popes someday face a mandatory retirement age, as do bishops and cardinals? In an age when people routinely live well into their 80s and 90s, these questions aren’t going away.

For now, though, it can be confidently stated that Benedict’s re-interpretation of the papal rulebook hasn’t caused a crisis. Far from it. He officially retired last Feb. 28. Today, the dome on St. Peter’s still stands and the Church still thrives. The emeritus pope receded humbly and fully into retirement, so there has been no uncertainty about who leads the Church. Indeed, the transition into this new era has been more than smooth. It has been rejuvenating.

For that, Benedict and the College of Cardinals deserve much of the credit. Benedict handed the cardinals a unique challenge when he asked them to choose his successor in these unorthodox circumstances. Despite a media tempest, they responded in a manner that, like Benedict’s papacy, was prayerful, calm and judicious.

The Church is stronger today because of it.