Reuters: Pope Benedict became the first pontiff to step down since the Middle Ages, saying he no longer had the strength to cope with his ministry.
Reuters: Pope Benedict became the first pontiff to step down since the Middle Ages, saying he no longer had the strength to cope with his ministry.
Church officials tried to relay a climate of calm confidence in the running of a 2,000-year-old institution but the decision could lead to one of the most uncertain and unstable periods in centuries for a Church besieged by scandal and defections.
