The Catholic Church awoke Friday with no leader following the resignation of Benedict XVI, who pledged obedience to his successor.

With Pope Benedict XVI’s sudden resignation, his successor faces a difficult task with a Church seen by many as outdated, and a papal bureaucracy deeply flawed, writes TP O’Mahony

A priest has accused RTÉ of imbalance and inappropriateness after he became embroiled in a blazing radio row on sex abuse in the Catholic Church on the day Pope Benedict XVI resigned.

Pope Benedict XVI left the Catholic Church in unprecedented limbo today as he became the first pope in 600 years to resign, capping a tearful day of farewells that included an extraordinary pledge of obedience to his successor.

Benedict XVI has become the first pope in 600 years to resign, ending an eight-year pontificate shaped by struggles to move the church past sex abuse scandals and to reawaken Christianity in an indifferent world.

A special mass is taking place at the Pro Cathedral in Dublin to mark Pope Benedict's resignation today.

Benedict XVI has left the Vatican for the last time as pope, flying by helicopter to the Vatican’s vacation retreat hours before becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.

Pope Benedict XVI said there had been “stormy waters” during his papacy as he gave his farewell speech in St Peter’s Square before tens of thousands of pilgrims ahead of his momentous resignation today.

Pope Benedict XVI bid an emotional farewell at his last general audience, acknowledging the “rough seas” that marked his papacy “when it seemed that the lord was sleeping”.

Pope Benedict’s last general audience, in Rome yesterday, was an emotional, but nevertheless joyous, affair.

The Pope has changed the rules of the conclave that will elect his successor, allowing cardinals to bring forward the start date if all of them arrive in Rome before the usual 15-day transition between pontificates.

Pope Benedict XVI has given his final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, Rome.

Pope Benedict the 16th has begun a week-long private spiritual retreat ahead of his resignation at the end of the month.

Pope Benedict XVI blessed the faithful from his window overlooking St Peter’s Square for the first time since announcing his resignation today, cheered by an emotional crowd of tens of thousands of well-wishers from around the world.

The Vatican is raising the possibility that the conclave to elect the next pope might start earlier than March 15, the earliest date possible under current rules that require a 15-20 day waiting period after the papacy becomes vacant.

Pope Benedict hit his head during his March 2012 trip to Mexico, the Vatican says, denying it had any “relevant” role in his resignation.

Pope Benedict XVI hit his head during his March 2012 trip to Mexico, the Vatican says, denying it had any “relevant” role in his resignation.

The head of one of the world's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese and thought to be a leading Latin American contender to succeed Pope Benedict XVI said neither nationality nor age should matter in picking the next pontiff.

A weary Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated his final public Mass as pontiff.

Pope Benedict XVI urged an end to “religious hypocrisy” and “rivalry” in the Catholic Church as he donned his papal mitre for the last time at an emotional Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.

The Pope has told the faithful in his first public appearance since announcing his resignation that he is stepping down for “the good of the Church”.

The pope is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not even write any more, his brother said after talking with him.

Strange though it may seem, Pope Benedict’s decision to resign the papacy for the good of the Catholic Church may do it a small disservice.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny wished the Pope well in his retirement despite a stormy relationship with the Vatican.

Pope Benedict shocked the world by saying he no longer had the mental and physical strength to cope with his ministry, in an announcement that left his aides “incredulous” and will make him the first pontiff to step down since the Middle Ages.

THE signs have been evident for some time — a pope no longer in control, unable to act decisively, resulting in embarrassing publicity and a leader showing increasing signs of being overwhelmed by the problems of a Church in deep crisis.

Catholic Church leaders in Ireland were caught by surprise at yesterday’s decision by Pope Benedict to resign on Feb 28 due to poor health, according to the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin.

A FEW years ago, on Dec 23, I got a morning call from RTÉ.

POPE Benedict XVI has a reputation as a charming and shy man who is also deeply conservative in his outlook and teaching.

FOLLOWING the pope’s stunning announcement, the time for the Catholic Church to elect its first non-European leader is approaching — and it could be a Latin American.

The great challenges facing Catholicism are epitomised in Pope Benedict XVI who announced yesterday — in Latin — that he is to resign on grounds of ill health.

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI today has set in motion a complex sequence of events to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has paid tribute to Pope Benedict XVI today following the pontiff's decision to resign.

Pope Benedict's brother Georg Ratzinger said the pontiff had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months.

Pope Benedict XVI has a reputation as a charming and shy man who is also deeply conservative in his outlook and teaching.

Pope Benedict is to resign his office at the end of this month after declaring he was too old to carry on as head of the Catholic Church.

A Vatican spokesperson has said Pope Benedict will resign on February 28. It is believed the resignation will take effect at 7pm Irish time on that date.

A number of news agencies are reporting that Pope Benedict has announced his intention to resign.