The head of the Catholic Church announced his resignation, citing age and health as reasons for leaving the papacy. Pope Benedict XVI declared his decision to the cardinals on Feb. 11 and will officially vacate his position on Feb. 28.

Benedict spoke of his resignation in Latin to an audience of cardinals. The Vatican’s website published transcripts in eight different languages.

“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary,” Benedict said. “Strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.” 

Members of the clergy at St. Edward’s University described Benedict’s resignation as surprising, though also pragmatic.

“Personally, I think this is good modeling for people in ministry to recognize limitations and what you can and can’t do. Dealing with aging health issues is something everyone has to manage,” said Rev. Peter Walsh, director of Campus Ministry.

Benedict’s decision contrasts that of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who carried out his papacy despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease in his later years. This marks the first time a Pope has resigned in nearly 600 years, since Pope Gregory XII left the papacy in 1415, The New York Times reported.

“[Benedict] has given a number of interviews over the past couple of years and when he’s been asked is it ok for a pope to resign, he’s always given an affirmative answer,” said Rev. Louis Brusatti, professor of religious and theological studies. 

In the last six centuries, every other papal vacancy occurred after the pontiff died in office, The New York Times reported.

“In the last case it was a conflict over who exactly was the pope. No pope wants to resign because it harkens back to that period,” Walsh said. “They don’t want to turn to that, they don’t want to evoke that. But now, Benedict has done it in a way that makes it a really noble act and something that he thinks will benefit the church.”

Brusatti said Pope Benedict is “an academic at heart” whose writings are easier for a broader audience to read. Benedict wrote three encyclicals that drove Catholic social teaching in the 21st century that Brusatti said will be part of his legacy, along with his contributions to youth engagement and World Youth Day.

“He certainly continued the trajectory of John Paul II with Vatican II,” Brusatti said. “Some people say he was more conservative and backwards, but I don’t agree.”

Campus Ministry is currently discussing the possibility of hosting events to educate the community, which includes both Catholics and non-Catholics, about papal conclave, Benedict himself and the future of the papacy.

“We don’t have a date and a plan for that, but it is definitely something that we think we should do,” Walsh said.  

Walsh said the new pope will probably be elected by Easter and there may be a special service in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel following the conclave.