Vatican officials said Monday that Pope Benedict XVI had announced to his senior clergy that he would resign his position as the head of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28, according to multiple news agencies which received a transcript of his remarks.
Benedict has dealt with health issues for some time, and the 85-year-old announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals Monday morning, according to the Associated Press. The move took almost all Vatican observers, and millions of Catholics around the world, by surprise.
He said that because of his advanced age and diminishing strength, he didn't feel he could carry on the job. Reuters quoted the Pope as saying he was "fully aware of the gravity" of his resignation.
The pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger, told a news agency in Germany that the pontiff had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months.
Talking from his home in Regensburg to the news agency dpa, Georg Ratzinger said his brother was having increasing difficulty walking and that his resignation was part of a "natural process."
"His age is weighing on him," the 89-year-old said of his 85-year-old brother. "At this age my brother wants more rest."
The 265th Pontiff, Benedict will be the first leader of the Church to step down voluntarily in almost six centuries. He has led the Church since 2005 through a tumultuous time that has seen him criticized for his handling of the scandal related to years of sexual abuse of young parishioners by priests and other clergy, and senior church officials' alleged moves to hide those actions.
CBS
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