Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the papacy ten years ago today, in a surprising and historic decision, on February 11th, 2013. Benedict was about to turn 86 and said that, due to his advancing age, he no longer had the strength to exercise the Petrine ministry adequately. Peter’s seat, he said, would be vacant from February 28, 2013, from 8:00 p.m. (Rome time) until the conclave decided on a new Pope. Benedict XVI announced his resignation during the public consistory for canonizing the 800 martyrs of Otranto, Mother Laura, the first Colombian saint, and Mother Lupita of Mexico. Before the announcement, he told those present that he would make a “decision of great importance for the life of the Church.” Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals and for years Secretary of State of the Vatican during the pontificate of John Paul II, said after the announcement that “we are incredulous at your words… On behalf of all of us cardinals, we are close to you at this moment as we have been in these eight luminous years of your pontificate”. So, on February 28, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. (local time), the seat of Peter was vacant until, on March 13 of that year, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected in the conclave and assumed the name of Francis. Following is the full text of Benedict XVI’s announcement on February 11, 2013:

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.  And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

Vatican City, February 10, 2013

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI.”