Pope Benedict XVI Announces His Resignation

After nearly eight years as the spiritual head of the Catholic Church,
Pope Benedict XVI shocked the Vatican City by announcing his
resignation. According to India Times, the head of Roman Catholic
Church — on Monday announced he will resign on February 28, a Vatican
spokesman told AFP, which will make him the first pope to do so in
centuries.
"The pope announced that he will leave his ministry at 8pm (1900 GMT)
on February 28," said the spokesman, Federico Lombardi.
Read below the details of his resignation speech:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three
canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great
importance for the life of the Church.
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 . 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.
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 Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength
of mind and body are necessary, strength 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.
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, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April
2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours,
the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave
to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those
whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work
with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for
all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of
Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother
Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal
solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself,
I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future
through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013.