Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign  —  ROME — Pope Benedict XVI, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who took office in 2005 following the death of his predecessor, said on Monday that he will resign on Feb. 28, the first pope to do so in six centuries.

Pope Benedict XVI resigns: pontiff's statement in full  —  The full statement from Pope Benedict XVI, who has announced he will resign on February 28.  —  Pope Benedict XVI is to step down on February 28  —  Dear Brothers,  —  I have convoked you to this Consistory …

Pope Benedict XVI's resignation: Live Report  —  LONDON — 1223 GMT: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to speak about the Pope's resignation at 1330 GMT, her office says.  —  The Pope, Joseph Ratzinger, is of course German — he was born in Bavaria in 1927 and was archbishop of Munich for four years from 1977.

Pope Benedict surprises world, steps down citing frailty  —  Reuters/Reuters - Pope Benedict XVI waves during a mass conducted by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, for the 900th anniversary of the Order of the Knights of Malta at the St. Peter Basilica in Vatican February 9, ...more

The Absentee Commander in Chief  —  The Defense secretary told the president that Americans in Benghazi were under attack.  Then: nothing.  —  We've both had the honor to work in the White House.  We've seen presidents, vice presidents, chiefs of staff and national security advisers during moments of international crisis.

Obama weighing executive actions on housing, gays and other issues  —  View Photo Gallery — The State of the Union's history: Technology and partisanship have transformed the State of the Union over the past century.  Here's a look back.  —  President Obama is considering a series …