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"Pope Benedict XVI is making history. On Monday (Feb. 11), the leader of the Roman Catholic Church announced in a letter that he is leaving the Papacy; the 85-year-old, German-born Benedict (born Joseph Ratiznger) is the first pope to resign since 1415. Named Pope in April 2005 (succeeding the late John Paul II), Benedict will leave the position at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;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,&amp;quot; he says.\r\n&amp;quot;I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering,&amp;quot; he continues.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me,&amp;quot; Benedict explains in his statement. The post will remain vacant until a replacement is chosen, as per tradition, by a group of cardinals."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/pope-benedict-xvi-to-resign-february-28-2013112>