The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415, in order to end a civil war within the Church. Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected pope in April 2005 following the death ...

Pope Gregory XII was the last to resign in 1415. Despite any shortcomings Benedict might have had as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, he will be remembered as an intellectual, Father Charles ...

The German-born Benedict, 85, who on Feb. 11 said he no longer had the strength to lead the church, was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. The process of electing his successor ...

his decision to resign came as a surprise as no pope had done so since Gregory XII in 1415. His papacy was marked by a scandal involving child sexual abuse by priests. Two reports in 2009 detailed ...