Irreverence

As you may have heard by now, Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down at the end of this month.  (I use "stepping down" for a reason.)

So of course my brain went to strange places.  One of the places it went was, what do you call an ex-pope?  The vast majority of ex-popes are dead when they quit.  Does one refer to Benedict as Former Pope?  Pope Emeritus (which wouldn't have the duties of the office, but admits that it used to was)?  Dowager Pope (like Dowager Countesses, moving the retinue to a smaller house and becoming social lions)?  Do ex-Popes get busted back to previous rank (Cardinal Ratzinger) or all the way back down to Private Father Ratzinger?

(I'd hope he's pleased to get his name back, though.  I imagine the first month of his papacy, the conversations always began "Benedict?"  "Who?  Oh, right.")

And the College of Cardinals (from which one almost never graduates) has to convene and do the whole thing with the black and white smoke.  Stan Musial, sadly, died recently, so --

Ahem.

And does he go on an inspirational lecture tour?  I think of him competing with Rick Santorum for sanctimoniousness--and losing.  Or he could join up with Jimmy Carter.  Humble work is in the office's bloodline.

[ETA:  Emeritus Bishop of Rome.  Something like that.  *giggle*]