A number of international news agencies are now reporting that Pope Benedict XVI is set to resign.
The BBC is reporting that the Pope is to resign at the end of this month in an entirely unexpected development, the Vatican has confirmed.
The 85-year-old became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005 following the death of John Paul II.
The reasons behind the pontiff’s surprise resignation have yet to emerge.
At 78, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest new popes in history when elected.
Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi has reportedly told the AFP news agency that he will step down at 20:00 on 28 February. Now CNN International is also reporting it. It’s everywhere.
I’m stunned.
Update: My goodness. Here’s Pope Benedict XVI’s statement:
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28th. Below please find his announcement.
Full text of Pope’s declaration
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. 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. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with 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 Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013BENEDICTUS PP XVI
Wow. Just wow. I don’t even know what to say. I’m terribly sad that he believes he needs to do this.
I wonder if because he’s living it will help his ability to push a certain Cardinal to replace him.
February 11, 2013 at 11:19 am
Wow. Just…wow.
February 11, 2013 at 11:51 am
Oh, my God. I simply love Pope Benedict XVI. For me, the best pope I have see in my life.
God bless the Church.
February 11, 2013 at 11:54 am
Stunned and speechless.
February 11, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Let us pray!
February 11, 2013 at 12:39 pm
Out of the blue for sure, but I trust completely in his reasons for the good of the Church. I suspect that in a relatively short time those reasons will become clearer to all of us.
Pray for the Holy Father and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing his successor.
February 11, 2013 at 1:15 pm
News is saying he'll live on the Vatican grounds– I hope, as I have elsewhere, that his brother and cats will be able to be with him.
February 11, 2013 at 3:10 pm
I hope the next pope will be a strict traditionalist. So strict, he will make the liberals whine for the days of the 'liberal' popes that preceded him!
February 11, 2013 at 3:21 pm
He has seemed to me to have become frail at a rapid pace. May God bless him and give us another holy and courageous pope.
February 11, 2013 at 10:28 pm
By the end of the month, we'll have a former pope praying in the monastery and a stronger pope hopefully slamming the pro-aborts and the Islamists. Mazel tov.
February 12, 2013 at 2:02 am
@Rick: I hope you mean the "good luck" sense of "mazel tov" rather than the "congratulations" sense.
February 12, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Yes Sophia's Favorite. It's an all win scenario. Pope Benedict stepped aside to give the Church a strong leader after realizing his limitations. That's a win for the Church and for him too – as he by his act have exhibited heroic virtue being a true servant of God. We have another living saint in my mind.