Pope Benedict XVI Resigns, Becomes The First To Resign in 600 Years; A Look at Past Popes

Pope Benedict XVI shocked the entire world today after announcing that he was resigning as head of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is the first to resign since Pope Gregory XII resigned almost 600 years in 1415. According to the Daily Mail, Benedict XVI announced his resignation during a Vatican cardinals meeting Monday morning in a speech made in Latin.

"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," the pope told the room full of 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."

The 85-year-old pope is the first to ever resign due to health issues, the Daily Mail reported. Benedict XVI, who succeeded Pope John Paul II in 2005, continued, "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 barque 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 recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

According to a Vatican spokesman, the Pope will officially retire at 8 p.m. Rome time (2 p.m. EST) on February 28.

The Daily Mail reported that Pope Benedict XVI has appeared "increasingly frail," and that he is known to "be suffering from a degenerative joint disease." However, his announcement this morning has come as a shock to everyone in the Vatican since there has never been a health-related resignation.

Pope John Paul II, who was the last Pope to serve as head of the Roman Catholic Church, led the Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. It was widely known that John Paul II suffered from Parkinson's disease during his last years but he continued his work as Pope until his last days.

Pope John Paul I, the latest Italian Pope to reign in papal history, had a short run as pope, dying a mere 33 days after ascending as head of the Church in August 26, 1978. The 65-year-old was reportedly found dead of a heart attack, although there have been conspiracies that there was foul play and that the Vatican covered it up "to avoid a scandal." The previous pope, Pope Paul VI also passed away while he reigned as head of the Church. He ruled for 15 years before passing away of a massive heart attack in 1978.

Now, the Roman Catholic Church will be tasked with electing a new pontiff. According to the Daily Mail, cardinals will hold a conclave with two voting rounds a day until a new pope is chosen with a two-thirds majority.