Pave Benedikt 16. varslet mandag at han går av pga. svak helse. Han er den første paven på 600 år som trekker seg. Den siste var Gregor 12. i 1415.

Benedikt 16 er 85 år. Han går av 28. februar, og en konklave vil tre sammen i mars for å velge en ny pave.

Paven sa at han etter nøye overveielse hadde kommet til at han ikke lenger greier å gjøre oppgavene forbundet med å bekle Peters stol.

«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,» he told the cardinals. «I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by 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 barque of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths 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.»

The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

Benedict called his choice «a decision of great importance for the life of the church.»