Pope Benedict XVI to resign

From USA Today- (Additional links below)

Pope Benedict XVI will resign his office on February 28 because he is too old to cope with the demands of being the head of the Catholic Church.

The announcement was made in Latin during a meeting of cardinals in Rome and comes as a surprise to millions of Catholics around the world.

"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, have deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-resign/1908779/

Chicago Trib-

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pope-benedict-resign-20130211,0,123038.story

New York Times-

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/world/europe/pope-benedict-xvi-says-he-will-retire.html?_r=0

CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-benedict-resignation/?hpt=hp_t1

NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/11/171680715/pope-benedict-xvi-is-resigning

CBS

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57568645/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resign-this-month/