Pope Benedict To Become 1st Pontiff To Resign In Centuries
Pope Benedict is resigning his papacy. His spokesman confirms the Pontiff will step down as head of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28th. The Church claims about a billion followers worldwide.
In a statement, Pope Benedict the 16th says his strength is no longer adequate to continue. The 85-year-old Benedict entered office as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and became the Pope in April of 2005 when he was 78-years-old. He and has served for eight years, taking over for Pope John Paul the Second.
A Vatican official says they expect the papal vacancy to be as brief as possible. He will be the first Pope to resign in centuries.
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