85-Year Old Pope Benedict Stepping Down

Pope Resigning At End Of Month - Advanced Age Cited As Reason
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, known as Pope Benedict XVI will resign as leader of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28.  The Vatican announced Pope Benedict will resign the Papacy due to his advanced age.

The Papacy will remain vacant until a new Pope is chosen by the College of Cardinals.

He is the first Pope since 1294, Pope Celestine V, to voluntarily resign from the Papacy.

In September 1991, Ratzinger allegedly suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily but he recovered completely. This was never affirmed, officially the Vatican said Ratzinger fell and struck his head against a radiator but this was an open secret known to the Conclave that elected him Pope.

Since his election in April 2005 there have been several rumors about the Pope's health but none of them have ever been confirmed. In May 2005, the Vatican revealed that he had subsequently suffered another mild stroke. French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin further revealed that since the first stroke, Ratzinger had been suffering from a heart condition as a result of his age, for which he is currently on medication. 

In late November 2006 an unconfirmed rumor emerged that Pope Benedict had undergone an operation in preparation for an eventual heart bypass operation but this rumor was only published by a small left-wing Italian newspaper and was never confirmed by the Vatican.

On 17 July 2009, Benedict was hospitalized after falling and breaking his right wrist while on vacation in the Alps. His injuries were reported to be minor.

Benedict served in dual roles as Sovereign of the Vatican City State and leader of the Catholic Church since his election in a papal conclave April 19, 2005. Benedict is both a German and Vatican citizen.

He was ordained a priest in 1951 and was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977 and in 1981 became the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. In 2002 he served as the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

A conservative priest, as Pope he revived a number of Catholic traditions including the Tridentine Mass, celebrated in Latin. He announced his resignation Monday, speaking in Latin, at a Vatican meeting.

Other related stories: Pope And Catholic Church