POPE TO RESIGN 28 FEBRUARY

A Vatican Spokesman has said that Pope Benedict XVl will resign 28 February, an unusual development from the Papacy today.

When he goes, he will be the first Pope to do so in centuries.

“The pope announced that he will leave his ministry at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on February 28,” said the spokesman, Federico Lombardi. His retirement, according to the spokesman is linked to his old age. He is 85 years old.

The Vatican said a new pope would be elected next month.

“We should have a new pope for Easter,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters, saying a conclave could be held within 15 or 20 days of the resignation.

Pope Benedict XVl was born April 16, 1927 in on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, in the predominantly Catholic southern German region of Bavaria. His full name is Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger

He was ordained priest at the same time as his older brother Georg in 1951, and began teaching theology at Freising College in 1958.

Ratzinger went on from there to teach at several other German universities, notably in Bonn, Muenster and Regensburg.

He succeeded the popular Pope John Paul ll on 19 April, 2005 as the 265th Pope in history. Incidentally, John Paul died at the age of 85 too. He was born in Poland in 1920 and died in 2005.

A spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday the German-born pope deserved “respect” and “gratitude” for his nearly eight years as pontiff after he announced he was to step down.

“The federal government has the greatest possible respect for the Holy Father, for his accomplishments, for his life-long work for the Catholic Church,” said Steffen Seibert, adding the pontiff also deserved “gratitude”.

“As a Christian and as a Catholic, one reacts with emotion and dismay,” added Seibert in a regular government news conference.

He said Benedict XVI had left his “very personal mark” on the Church, “both as a thinker and a shepherd” to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

“Whatever the reasons may be for this declaration, they should be honoured and respected and he deserves gratitude for leading this world church for eight years in such a way,” concluded Seibert.

Merkel, herself the daughter of a pastor, would speak on the issue at 1330 GMT, her office announced