Pope Benedict XVI – in pictures

Monday, 11 Feb 2013

Benedict has announced without warning that is is resigning due to his age – he is 85 – and declining strength. The former Joseph Ratzinger came to the highest office in the Roman Catholic church in 2005 after serving as his predecessor John Paul II's right-hand man. He will step down on 28 February and leave the papacy vacant until a successor is chosen

Gallery

pope benedict resigns: The cross of Pope Benedict XVI — December 2005: The cross of Pope Benedict XVI reflects the sun as he attends his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: newly elected Pope Benedict XVI — 19 April 2005: A pilgrim applauds as the newly elected pope steps on to the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City Photograph: Di Meo/EPA

pope benedict resigns: pope's prayer vigil for World Youth Day — August 2005: An estimated 700,000 pilgrims attend the pope's prayer vigil for World Youth Day on the Marienfeld near Kerpen, Germany Photograph: Jens Hartmann/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict watches the screening of a CBS mini-series Pope John Paul II — November 2005: Benedict watches a screening of the CBS mini-series Pope John Paul II at the Vatican Photograph: Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict XVI at Auschwitz — May 2006: The pope prays during a visit to Auschwitz on the last day of a four-day trip to Poland Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: 2007 attack on the pope in Saint Peter's Square — June 2007: A 27-year-old German man is stopped by bodyguards as he tries to attack the pope in St Peter's Square Photograph: Romano Gambineri/EPA

pope benedict resigns: at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland — April 2008: Benedict steps in to a limousine upon arrival at Andrews air force base in Maryland for a six-day visit to the United States Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict XVI visits Washington — April 2008: Benedict waves from the popemobile as he passes the White House in Washington DC. The pope was greeted by President George W Bush on the South Lawn and then had a meeting in the Oval Office Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict XVI at the United Nations — April 2008: The pope shakes hands with Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, before addressing the staff of the United Nations in New York Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

pope benedict resigns: mass in Luanda, Angola — March 2009: A woman wears earrings bearing an image of the pope during a mass in Luanda, Angola Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

pope benedict resigns: Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem — May 2009: The pope attends a wreath laying ceremony at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict XVI visits the Western Wall — May 2009: Benedict visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Cardinal Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Martin — December 2009: Cardinal Sean Brady and the archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, talk to the press after a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, following an Irish government report that said church leaders covered up widespread sexual abuse of children for 30 years Photograph: Tony Gentile/Reuters

pope benedict resigns: Victims of sexual abuse by priests in an orphanage in Malta — April 2010: Victims of sexual abuse by priests in an orphanage in Malta hold a press conference to request a meeting with the pope during his visit to the island Photograph: Ben Borg Cardona/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Papal visit to UK — September 2010: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh talk with the pope in the morning drawing room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh Photograph: David Cheskin/PA

pope benedict resigns: consecration of the Sagarada Familia, in Barcelona — November 2010: The pope conducts a mass to celebrate the consecration of Antoní Gaudi's basilica, the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, Spain Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Children attend a mass at by Pope Benedict XVI in Cotonou, Benin — November 2011: Children attend a mass by the pope in Cotonou, Benin Photograph: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: Pope Benedict XVI wears a sombrero — March 2012: Benedict wears a sombrero while being driven through a crowd on a visit to Silao, Mexico Photograph: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

pope benedict resigns: pope benedict xvi makes first visit to cuba — March 2012: The pope meets Cuba's former president Fidel Castro at the Vatican embassy in Havana Photograph: L'Osservatore Romano/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: pope visits lebanon — September 2012: A Lebanese soldier watches over crowds gathered to welcome the pope on a visit to Bkerke Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

pope benedict resigns: The pope sends his first tweet — December 2012: Benedict sends his first Twitter message from an iPad at the Vatican, using the handle @pontifex Photograph: L'Osservatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images

Monday, 11 Feb 2013

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