Pope Benedict XVI is to resign after declaring that he is too old to carry on as head of the billion-strong Roman Catholic Church.
In a surprise announcement, the Vatican said the 85-year-old Pontiff would leave on February 28 after nearly eight years in office.
A statement said the Pope, who has appeared increasingly frail, was unable to continue in office due to his age and diminishing strength and the papacy will remain vacant until a successor is elected.
He is the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years and the decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.
The pope, who visited Scotland and England in September 2010, announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals this morning.
“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he told the cardinals.
“I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.
“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary – strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.”
Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the pope revealed he had reached his decision after a “deep moment of reflection to consider the mission he received from God.”
The surprise announcement comes after reports that the pope was increasingly frail and had appeared on a moving platform at events. He was elected in April 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II.
The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.
The pope called his choice “a decision of great importance for the life of the church.”
“An obvious frisson in the air” Courier business editor Graham Huband is in Rome and describes how the news was received. See Tuesday’s Courier for more.