Pope Benedict Resigns

Pope Benedict has bestowed his final Sunday blessing of his pontificate from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

If evidence was ever needed that the next pope must urgently overhaul the powerful Vatican bureaucracy called the Curia, the scandal over Pope Benedict XVI's private papers is Exhibit A.

Crowds are gathering in St. Peter's Square for Pope Benedict XVI's first Sunday window blessing since his retirement announcement, and the second-to-last before he leaves the papacy.

A Vatican spokesman says the resigning Pope Benedict XVI will play no role in election of his successor.

New Jersey Catholics are shocked and saddened by Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign at the end of the month.

Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign Feb. 28, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

A French cardinal says Pope Benedict's decision to resign is a "liberating act" for future popes.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he was as startled as the rest of the world about Pope Benedict XVI's announcement that he will resign later this month due to failing health.