Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of a mass at the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican
Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of a mass at the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican February 9, 2013.Photo by Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI said on Monday he would resign at the end of the month because he no longer has the strength to fulfill the duties of his office, becoming the first chief pontiff since the 15th century to take such a step.

The 85-year-old pope said he had noticed that his strength had deteriorated over recent months "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," he said according to a statement from the Vatican.

The Vatican said the pontiff would step down at 7 P.M. GMT on February 28, leaving the office vacant until a successor is chosen. A Vatican official said he expected the period between Benedict's resignation and the election of successor to be "as brief as possible".
A German government spokesman said he was "moved" by news of the pope's resignation.
The pope ecently joined Twitter and gained 250,000 followers within hours. He plans tweets in eight languages.
The pope last visited Israel in 2009.


Culled from: http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resign-on-february-28-first-to-step-down-since-15th-century-1.502861