Campus News

Pontificating retirement

Dr. Toni Miles, director of the College of Public Health’s Institute of Gerontology, was quoted in a story featured in The Washington Post and USA Today about Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign due to declining health associated with aging.

Miles and other health experts lauded the aging pontiff’s decision to step down. She said Benedict’s move into a new role “sets up a model of grace for others to follow.”

Miles told USA Today, “We’re all living a lot longer. My first thought about the pope was I really admire what he’s doing. He’s saying I can’t handle my job anymore. He is saying he wants someone else to help solve today’s problems. That is something more of us need to learn to do.”