Pope Benedict XVI will be the first pontiff to step down since the Middle Ages. He is set to leave office on February 28. In 2011, the 85 year old Pope said he would become the first pontiff to resign voluntarily in more than 700 years if he felt physically, psychologically and spiritually unable to continue running the Catholic Church. The last Pope to step down was Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
Pope Benedict XVI to step down
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