Pope Benedict XVI will be known as ‘emeritus Pope’ – Vatican

February 28, 2013

The Vatican announced that the Pope Benedict XVI will be known as ‘emeritus Pope’. It also held that the Pope after his retirement will continue to wear a white cassock and will be still addressed as “Your Holiness Benedict XVI” and will have the additional title of “Roman pontiff emeritus”.

Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he would resign at the end of this month after as the head of the Catholic Church citing old age and poor health to continue.

It is the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years. The new pope is expected to be elected before Easter. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope in 2005 after John Paul II’s death.

The last Pope who resigned was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped aside in 1415 amid a schism within the Church.

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