Pope Benedict has announced his resignation from the papacy. He will resign on February 28.
The Pope Announces His Resignation
![Pope Benedict greets the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 19, 2005.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3cfa59fb-0773-49e9-84f7-1917dd3d750d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict greets the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 19, 2005.
![Pope Benedict arrives to attend a meeting with seminarians at the Romano Maggiore seminary in Rome, February 8, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/131df41f-785b-4f03-b928-0810e4e2847a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict arrives to attend a meeting with seminarians at the Romano Maggiore seminary in Rome, February 8, 2013.
![Pope Benedict waves as he arrives to lead the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican April 18, 2012.](https://gdb.voanews.com/46ad2ba7-3c84-4487-b1b8-418d6aea3400_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict waves as he arrives to lead the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican April 18, 2012.
![Pope Benedict wears a sombrero, a traditional Mexican hat, while being driven through the crowd before officiating a mass in Silao, Mexico, March 25, 2012.](https://gdb.voanews.com/026ea744-f6ed-4c11-a8c0-2998ae83b20b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict wears a sombrero, a traditional Mexican hat, while being driven through the crowd before officiating a mass in Silao, Mexico, March 25, 2012.
![Pope Benedict holds his cross as he leads a solemn mass in Zagreb, Croatia, June 5, 2011.](https://gdb.voanews.com/485fb74a-a6a0-41e5-91bf-1b2e2772b734_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict holds his cross as he leads a solemn mass in Zagreb, Croatia, June 5, 2011.
![Pope Benedict visits the Ardeatine Caves Memorial in Rome, Italy, March 27, 2011.](https://gdb.voanews.com/d844ce50-097b-4def-b4e9-2c8eb4d6746d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict visits the Ardeatine Caves Memorial in Rome, Italy, March 27, 2011.
![Pope Benedict leaves after an audience with Vatican-accredited diplomats at the Vatican, January 10, 2011.](https://gdb.voanews.com/40be37df-a950-46de-b5cf-7b9d10299416_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict leaves after an audience with Vatican-accredited diplomats at the Vatican, January 10, 2011.
![Pope Benedict visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City May 12, 2009.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3a607bdc-8344-4f70-be88-e5f44f795844_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City May 12, 2009.
![Pope Benedict waves to the crowd gathered in Saint Peter's square during his weekly Angelus blessing at the Vatican, May 16, 2010.](https://gdb.voanews.com/6285d02c-fdb1-4532-a535-0073720a6229_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Benedict waves to the crowd gathered in Saint Peter's square during his weekly Angelus blessing at the Vatican, May 16, 2010.
![US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama meet with Pope Benedict at the Vatican, July 10, 2009.](https://gdb.voanews.com/e146b25b-83fe-4335-a2fe-3f53b433bc4f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama meet with Pope Benedict at the Vatican, July 10, 2009.