Pope Benedict to resign, says Vatican

• Image Credit: Reuters
• Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leads his weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he will resign as leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics on February 28 because his age prevented him from carrying out his duties, an unprecedented move in the modern history of the Catholic Church.

"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," the 85-year-old pope said in a speech pronounced in Latin at a meeting of cardinals in the Vatican.

"In order to govern the ship 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 recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me," he said.

"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