VATICAN CITY (AP) - On Monday morning Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will resign on February 28th.
He will be the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years, since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
AP reports that the Pope said at a meeting of the Vatican Cardinals that leading the Catholic Church requires ‘strength of mind and body', and that he can no longer fulfill his duties with his deteriorating health.
Today's announcement was a surprise. The decision makes it possible to elect a new pope before the end of March.
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