With his announcement that he would step down on Feb. 28, Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff to leave office in nearly 600 years.
The last pope to resign was Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 amid a civil war in the Catholic church that became known as the Great Western Schism.
During the four decades-long conflict, several men from rival factions - some dubbed "antipopes" by the leaders of the Roman Catholic church --- claimed to be pope.
Read Full Article »