But the Gregorian calendar isn’t the only legacy Pope Gregory left. His papacy encompassed a broad spectrum of achievements that have left a lasting mark on the world. Rise to papacy Born in ...

The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415, in order to end a civil war within the Church. Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected pope in April 2005 following the death ...

No living pope had handed off the keys of St. Peter since Gregory XII in 1415. If Pope Benedict had only waited some 14 months to announce his retirement — or abdication, or vacation — we ...

The German-born Benedict, 85, who on Feb. 11 said he no longer had the strength to lead the church, was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. The process of electing his successor ...

Not since Gregory XII stepped down in 1415 had a pope resigned. Benedict had presided over his predecessor John Paul's funeral Mass. He was the eighth German to become Pope and was known for his ...

When a pope dies, or more rarely resigns (Francis's direct predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first to step down since Gregory XII in 1415), the college of cardinals gathers in the Vatican to prepare ...