Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he will resign his position on February 28th.

Surprising the world that he will step down as head of the Roman Catholic Church, the 85 year-old made the announcement in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals.

The Pope said that at his age he no longer had the strength to properly do the job.
Benedict XVI was 78 when he became Pope, one of the oldest when he began, and he has cut back his travel and limiting his audiences in recent years.
He uses a moving platform in St. Peter’s Basilica to assist his travel to the altar. Sometimes with a cane, he still was occasionally too week to engage in conversation.

The first pontiff to resign in 600 years, Vatican officials said there’s no specific illness involved with the decision.

For more details on the decision by Pope Benedict XVI and the process of finding a new Pope, hopefully before Easter, visit CBS News.