He has led church after the third-longest papacy in church history and during a time
in which the church is declining
in his native Europe but expanding
in Africa and Latin America.
Benedict's time as pope has been marked with a series of scandals and controversies, including hundreds of new allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
CNN's Chelsea J. Carter and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-benedict-resignation/?