The life and resignation of Pope Benedict the 16th
<p><span word="Today">Today</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="resignation">resignation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Pope">Pope</span> <span word="Benedict">Benedict</span> <span word="the">the</span> 16<span word="th">th</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="leader">leader</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span> <span word="Catholic">Catholic</span> <span word="Church">Church</span> <span word="surprised">surprised</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="plans">plans</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="resign">resign</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="month">month</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> 600 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="pope">pope</span> <span word="resigned">resigned</span>.</p><p><span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Reporter">Reporter</span> <span word="Jack">Jack</span> <span word="Payton">Payton</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="join">join</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pope">pope</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="life">life</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="Christopher">Christopher</span> <span word="Cruise">Cruise</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Pope">Pope</span> <span word="Benedict">Benedict</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="resignation">resignation</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="religious">religious</span> <span word="leader">leader</span> <span word="surprised">surprised</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span> <span word="Catholic">Catholic</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="resignation">resignation</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Vatican">Vatican</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="carry">carry</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="duties">duties</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="Christian">Christian</span> <span word="group">group</span>. <span word="The">The</span> 85-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="pope">pope</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="Vatican">Vatican</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="worsened">worsened</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="months">months</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="recognize">recognize</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="his">his</span> “<span word="incapacity">incapacity</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="adequately">adequately</span> <span word="fulfill">fulfill</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ministry">ministry</span> <span word="entrusted">entrusted</span>” <span word="to">to</span> <span word="him">him</span>.</p><p><span word="On">On</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Vatican">Vatican</span> <span word="confirmed">confirmed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Pope">Pope</span> <span word="Benedict">Benedict</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pacemaker">pacemaker</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="control">control</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="heartbeat">heartbeat</span>.</p><p><span word="Pope">Pope</span> <span word="Benedict">Benedict</span> <span word="spoke">spoke</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="gathered">gathered</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="St">St</span>. <span word="Peter">Peter</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Square">Square</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="talked">talked</span> <span word="about">about</span> “<span word="peace">peace</span>, <span word="harmony">harmony</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gratitude">gratitude</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Heaven">Heaven</span>.” <span word="Few">Few</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="publicly">publicly</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="pope">pope</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="shocked">shocked</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pope">pope</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="resignation">resignation</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Anglican">Anglican</span> <span word="Church">Church</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="of">of</span> “<span word="heavy">heavy</span> <span word="heart">heart</span>” <span word="after">after</span> <span word="hearing">hearing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="news">news</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Archbishop">Archbishop</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Pretoria">Pretoria</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Catholics">Catholics</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pope">pope</span> <span word="fondly">fondly</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chief">Chief</span> <span word="Rabbi">Rabbi</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Israel">Israel</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Pope">Pope</span> <span word="Benedict">Benedict</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="improved">improved</span> <span word="ties">ties</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="Judaism">Judaism</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Christianity">Christianity</span>.</p>
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