Keyword: pope benedict xvi

Pope Benedict Stepping Down in Shocking Abdication

Picture: Pope Benedict XVI courtesy h2onews/Flickr. Adele M. Stan - Not since the 15th century has a pope resigned his throne. Speculation abounds regarding the pope's unusual decision. Was it the sex-abuse scandal? Pope Benedict XVI stunned the Roman Catholic Church -- and the world -- with his announcement that he would turn in his sceptre, effective February 28. To find a precedent for Benedict's action, one needs to go back through six centuries of history to Pope Gregory XII's resignation in 1415. In a statement issued in Latin, the pope wrote:...