Pope Benedict Resigning
Monday, February 11th, 2013 -- 8:27 AM
-Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.
The 85-year-old pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning.
He emphasized that carrying out the duties of being pope, the leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide, requires "both strength of mind and body."
The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415.
Benedict called his choice "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."
Health issues are the main reason the Pope is stepping down. The pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger, says his brother was advised to not take any more transatlantic trips and he had been considering stepping down for months. He also said his brother was having increasing difficulty walking and that his resignation was part of a "natural process."
The move sets the stage for the Vatican to hold a conclave to elect a new pope by mid-March, since the traditional mourning time that would follow the death of a pope doesn't have to be observed.
There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner.
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