Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful at the end of the Ash Wednesday mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Feb. 13, 2013. Pope Benedict XVI told thousands that he was resigning for "the good of the church", an extraordinary scene of a pope explaining himself to his flock that unfolded in his first appearance since dropping the bombshell announcement.

Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia