Cardinals begin on Benedict successor

Cardinals have begun informal contacts to discuss who should next lead the Catholic Church through a period of major crisis as the Vatican said it planned a big send-off for Pope Benedict XVI before he became the first pontiff in centuries to resign.

At a news conference on how the Pope plans to spend the next two weeks before he steps out of the limelight, the Vatican also disclosed that he had been wearing a pacemaker since before he was elected in 2005.

It said no specific illness led the 85-year-old to resign, merely old age and diminishing mental and physical strength.