that is where local media say pope benedict xvi has announced he will resign. we are hearing he will step down on the 28th of february. he was elected pope as the age of 78. we will be getting more information on this breaking news story in just a couple of minutes right here on al jazeera. stay tuned. it just a reminder, we are hearing from the vatican that pope benedict xvi has resigned. let's find out more and bring in sabine joining us on the telephone from italy. what more could you tell us on this announcement the pope will be resigning february 28? >> it appears the pope made the announcement himself but the information is very, very sketchy. of course, this is really big news. having a poker resign is something we have not seen for hundreds and hundreds of years. it appears the pope gave the announcement in latin. that is all we have a moment. we are obviously going to be following this story very closely indeed to see how things develop. >> i understand information just coming in, and very scarce at the moment. but any idea as to why he is going to resi

in terms of pope benedict xvi, i think mixed feelings. cate which has been tinged with scandal and abuse, the resignation of o'brien. on the other hand, i think people will look back at benedict xvi as being a great theologian and man of spirituality and who carried on his predecessor, john paul ii. back to you. >> we know this particular pope was a scholar and a lot of people are questioning whether or not there will be a more progressive pope going forward. have you heard any talk about that? >> well, i think that clearly being scholarly is important, being pastoral, possibly rather more important. benedict xvi had a pastoral heart but it wasn't always on display. in terms of whether we'll have a big reformer, i would be quite cautious on that. we'll have to wait and see what the cardinals decide. back to you. >> charles hodson, thank you very much. appreciate it. >>> we will talk to monsignor hilgartner, coming up. >>> and a cnn special on the pope's last day, anchored by erin burnett and quis cuomo in new york and christiane amanpour i

eastern time pope benedict xvi will officially step down. he shocked the world with the announcement earlier this month. the first pope in fact in 600 years to resign. he no longer has the mental or physical strength to leave the catholic church. his final blessing sunday he reacured faithful followers he is not abandoning the church and he will spend his final years in prayer. for more coverage of the pope's final public pier rance we go life to rome where amy kellogg is standing by in saint peters square. she joini us on the phone. >> i am where you are watching the pictures, we are waiting for the pope to begin the address which may be about to happen. it is incredibly moving. you have to wonder what is on his mind right now as he makes the final public appearance in the have aed can. we have a copy of the speech he will be making. it will be his final public appearance and thanks to all of those who have been with him through out the years here. people have passed through the square. there are a few pockets it is a full crowd. there are p

literally the sunset for pope benedict xvi. the symbolism of the moment caught with this split screen you're seeing right now. on the left side, the bells are ringing, they are saying goodbye to the pope. they are also sounding a call for what will come next. next to it, of course, the helicopter. literally riding off into the sunset. >> yes, the sunset in rome. >> pope benedict goes. >> we were watching it go over rome. it then circled back over the vatican, st. peter's, went over the coliseum, went over the airport. that would mean that nobody else is flying in or out of rome right now. >> not right now. it's a 15-minute trip, a very short trip, but it ain't going to be a 15-minute trip this time and i think that's very intentional. the air force, the italian air force chopper, the pope is on board with his secretary. >> we're looking at the landing area for the helicopter in castel gandolfo, which is helicopter looks like it is now approaching. >> this is it. and again, this is all a series, for those finding the interest to

and pope benedict -- he said i want you here. then he figured i can go back and i can work on my theology and then he's elected pope. >> and that's amazing because he was -- he was -- he could be elected pope at any age, but he was boating age then. he was part of that conclave. he came up a winner. >> he did. >> what is he showing by this resignation? it's a remarkable thing. you talkedabout it earlier too. in the press he was presented as stern and angry. but yet he was light. he was very appealing to all constituencies. the scholar, the everyday catholic, the man, the woman. >> i've never seen him angry. he speaks in a way that is easy to grasp for everybody. he used to say after he was elected pope, the crowds would come to st. peter's square to listen to pope benedict xvi. but benedict is much more accessible to normal people. >> he writes so wonderfully. he is the definitive scholar. if you wanted to find out how to do it, you would watch him. >> absolutely. people ask what is his legacy. >> what is it. >> of course it's goi

pope benedict xvi taking the papacy in 2005 after john paul ii died at the age of 84. one of the oldest to be elected in 2005 at 78 years old. he is now 85. again, citing that he does not have the strength anymore to fulfill his duties adequately as the pope. >> if you look at this video here, in the last year or so, we have seen the pope at times walking with a cane and with the help of the aides who surround him as he travels the world. that is a huge part of the job of the pope to travel the world as an ambassador if you will of the vatican and of the catholic church. he has said that his physical ability does not allow him to continue to do the job. there have been some reports coming out of family members saying that he had been -- the pope had been told by doctors that he should reduce, if not completely stop traveling transatlant transatlantically and around the globe. he's citing health reasons for wanting to leave the papacy and the catholic church going to have to figure out what happens next. it's been 600 or so years since they've had this sort of change in

pope benedict xvi will spent the final hours of his pope with the cardinals. nbc's anne thomp soj is live at the vatican. let's start with the meeting with the cardinals, first, what is going to happen there? >> what will you see, mara, the dean of the college of the cardinals will welcome the cardinals to the vatican, officially do that, then pope benedict will come in and he'll be greeted by each of the cardinals. there are about 100 cardinals here and the greetings will not be long. each one will come up, kneel before him and kiss his ring. but what is interesting is that perhaps, somewhere in this 100 people could be his successor. and it will be -- you know, people, vatican watchers will be watching very closely to see if there any kinds of signs or signals or favoritism to one of the possible successors or another. you know, people will being looing at this with different, different eyes. but yo can expect to see a lot of affection here. >> and you know, this is of course, an opportunity for them to say good-bye. as you mentioned his successor could be a

reaction is pouring in from around the globe as the head of the catholic church pope benedict, plans to step down. the first time a pope has resigned in self new jersey. >> a gunman opening fire inside a courthouse in delware. his estranged wife may be among the dead. a manhunt for an ex-cop accused of targeting police and their families. now the los angeles police have offered a seven-figure reward to information leading to his capture. all ahead, unless breaking news changes everything, on "studio b." >> first from fox's 3:00, bombshell ai knowns. which the world has not seen since 1415. pope benedict xvi saying he is stepping down. a move that took even his closest advisers by surprise and sets the stage for a new era in the catholic church and its bun billion catholics around the world. the 85-year-old pontiff says he doesn't have the strength to continue his duties in the church and will step down at the opened the month. his -- some cardinals not understanding what he said. we're seeing the same reaction from catholics all over the world, including here in the united states, the

in fact you saw cardinal sean o'malley greeting pope benedict. o'malley had told me that he wanted to thank the pope for coming to the united states and for meeting with victims for the first time in the united states in april, 2008. i'm sure that's what cardinal o'malley said to benedict in that shot. however, i think there's a perception that there still is work left to be done, in particular the notion of accountability not just for priests who abuse but also for bishops who dropped the ball. >> indeed. and that will be something that many catholics are looking forward to seeing, this business being finished once and for all. and the stated policy of zero tolerance by benedict to actually be zero tolerance, whether they did it or whether they hid it, so to speak. of course we'll be here throughout the day. we'll go back to you in new york. but the next event here is the departure of benedict vi to castel gandolfo and after he makes his appearance at the balcony, then three hours after that will be the end of his papacy. >> truly a historic day,

like pope benedict from germany. we're expecting more -- i can't tell if the pope is still out in the popemobile, but nobody is leaving. everybody is looking at those big screens over st. peter's square. >> well, ben, i have an advantage, i can see the bird's eye view of st. peter's square. so he most definitely is still there. the popemobile still continues to do the tour and indeed we've seen people lifting children, lifting babies up for the pope to kiss. we'll be right back. up next, more from the crowd and as you said they are part of something historic. and let's not forget that pope benedi benedict, a german, pope john paul from poland, the first nonitalian popes in about 500 years. >>> welcome back to our special coverage of the pope's second as to last day. he's in his popemobile touring the st. peter's square. and he's saying farewell to the faithful who have come to see his last general audience. shortly he'll begin speaking and we'll bring you his address. first, though, we're going to new york for some o

pope benedict xvi announced that he will resign at the end of february. he is the first pope to do so in 600 years. >> it was during a routine meeting with vatican card bills that pope benedict did something that no pontiff had done in nearly 600 years. he announced his resignation and stunned his audience. he said that i have come to the certainty that my strengths, in due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate execution of saint peter's ministry. pope benedict said the strength of mind and body are necessary. strength in that in the last few months had deteriorated to the point where he doubted he could carry out his duties. only yesterday pope had spoken to sunday audience in st. peter's square. the vatican said that there was no specific medical issue making can step down. the pope said that he did not have the stamina to continue. >> i am very disappointed and in shock about what happened this morning. >> it is a great act of courage to do what has not been done in 600 years. >> 1 cardinal feels it is a liberating act for the church.

pope benedict xvi is resigning at the end of the month. ans for the catholic church and what it means for choosing the next pope. >>> and a man hunt for a man accused of killing three people in california. how close are they to catching christopher dorner? >>> the search for christopher dorner taking place in california. a $1 million reward for that leads to his capture and conviction. dorner is accused of killing three people, including a police officer. despite his statement to wage war fare against the lapd and their families. they issued a stern message to dorner. >> let me be clear. our dedication to catching this killer remains steadfast. our confidence that we will bring him to justice is unshaken. this search is not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. i want christopher dorner to know that. we will not tolerate this reign of terror that has robbed us of the peace of mind that residents of southern california deserve. >> nick valencia is in los angeles for us this morning. let's start with the very latest on the search for dorner.

pope benedict will not take part in the conclave. usually a conclave happens after a pope dies. 1415 was the last time a pope quit in office. who is the next pope? he could come from developing areas of the world. it guarantees a lot of drama and a lot of black or white smoke coming from the roof is sistine chapel. march report concerns about the pope's health surfaced this past christmas eve. have it can watchers say he looked frail as he delivered the midnight mass. here he is riding in a motorized cart. the mass is moved up two hours to give the pope time to rest for the christmas day speech. he took the opportunity to urge peace in the middle east during the holidays and was looking rather frail at christmas before this big decision. dill * it was remarkable to watch him at the midnight mass the amount of help he needed to move anywhere inside of st. peter's. cart mall timothy dolan, the archbishop of new york made this statement. >> i was very startled and i don't know what to say. i'm waiting for information, for instructions as

relatable to the people, not just this political figure and religious figure. >> with sadness, pope benedict has been such an inspirational leader for the church. >> he was himself a university professor and his writings are really pro found. >> reporter: john garvey, president of catholic university of america says the pope's visit five years ago left a lasting impression on campus. garvey admits the noun 895-year-old pontiff looks frail even back then, yet remained a giant figure. >> in some ways he is the spiritual leered of the world. >> whoever the next pope is going to be is going to need a lot of prayer and good smarts and an ability to reach out to people who are far and way in the church. >> reporter: pope benedict's had statements that seemed to be offensive to muslims jews and latin americas. still he will be remembered for his efforts in strengthening the catholic church, and its core beliefs. >> his legacy will be having followed pope john paul ii. (audio difficulty) (audio difficulty) (audio difficulty) that region represents 42% of the 1.23 billion catholics around the world.

pope benedict has said that the pope, he, his papacy is not succeeding in the modern world, and something has to be changed and he has made a great act of changing by leaving, some are calling it a secular act, also part of his message today that he is not going to be vod in the politics of what comes next. in the real sense it might be moving for him to say it, i think it went without saying, he was n't going to interfere in this process in any way. and now the helicopter starting to take off for the last time in a very historic moment. >> and the bells are tolling. this is an extraordinary -- the last vivid image i have of those bells tolling is when they tolled upon his election. there is an ongoing joke among people who have sat at a conclave that you can't tell whether the smoke is black or white and we finally got the news that it was indeed white, first from the vatican -- once again as the blades start to turn, and he will take his lead for the last time, from the vatican and liz, so much history here, i think pointing out, carl was talk about that there is some sentiment here tha

we talked a lot about pope benedict's resignation this morning. advanced age is forcing him to step down. the question for you, what is significance of the pope's resignation beyond catholicism? l.z.? >> i tell you, i was checking facebook, and i can't find anyone of my thousands of friends who are mourning this occasion. in fact, i found several people, particularly those involved with the lgbt movement who are hopeful that maybe now they'll get a pope who doesn't necessarily say disparaging things about his lgbt children. beyond that, you definitely have the conversation about the uses of contraception, particularly this anti-condom rhetoric from the pope. >> ignore the buzzer. go ahead. >> thank you very much. and you've got to remember 30% of congress is catholic. and so while the general population doesn't necessarily care, i'm sure those catholics in washington do care. and so what comes next is very important for the policies that are being set here, particularly with regards to abortion and lgbt rights. >> will, you can ignore the buzzer t

will become pope emeritus. benedictgure in the catholic church, george. >> you see the aerial view of the pope as he drives to that helipad. bring in john, longtime journal and author of "the vatican diaries." in this move by the pope to retire has been described as revolutionary. >> it is revolutionary. and, you know, i suppose it could be seen as traumatic for the church, as well. that's why i'm very interested in seeing the pope's demeanor as he's gone through these farewells the last few days. i think he's gone out of his way to reassure the catholic church that, yes, this is new, but it is not traumatic. you even see it in the low-key way he is greeted individuals with smiles, the personal asides that he's made. you know, this is a moment that's full of drama. everyone here knows history is being made, and, yet, the pope seems 0 have almost a low-key approach to it. >> like all moments full of drama in rome it has accompanied by sirens and horns as the pope makes his way to that helipad. terry moran joining us, as

pope benedict xvi will resign if the end of the month. the process of electing the next pope starts on march 1. the vatican will go through a conclave in the sistine chapel until two-thirds of the cardinals agree on a successor. it is expected the new pope will be in place by easter. ,et's talk more about this joined by came -- joined from cambridge by professor duffy. first of all, is ethnicity going to be a factor, do you think? >> it is anybody's guess. the church is growing fast in africa and china and parts of latin america. it would be natural to look there for a new pope. the fact that we have had a polish pope and that a german pope clears the way for someone of any nationality. so, it is anyone's guess. myself, i would be very surprised indeed if it was an italian or western european pope, but no one knows. >> going back to history and into the history books, professor, there have been non- european popes in the past, admittedly many centuries ago. >> sure, african pope, pope from asia minor, part of europe. certainly the focus is

and so we're already beginning to try to understand the great gifts that have come from pope benedictvi and i'm sure that the cardinals and the pope himself, they're all praying and reflecting on how to carry the church forward, so that both the challenges and opportunities before us, truly we find the best possible successor to already two great popes, john paul ii and pope benedict. there are two things that obviously play into this as the cardinals are making their consideration. one is theology, and the question americans always asked is, will we get a more liberal pope. and the second is stylistic, because he was much more introverted and intellectual, i guess more professorial, i guess would be the word, than certainly pope john ii. so what are the key things the cardinals will be looking at? >> there are a couple of things. first of all, the makeup of the college. 67 of the cardinals have now been chosen by pope benedict and 50 were chosen by pope john paul ii. two popes, who were very much on similar lines, in terms of theology. so i don't think we're going to see any great di

. >>> a few hours from now pope benedict xvi will officially become emeritus pope. cbs reporter vinita nair joins us live from the vatican with more on today's historic event. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon. it's interesting. in a way today is the first day of the week that we have been here that really feels somber and i think that's what the pope had intended. he said he wanted today to be quiet, of course, after his retirement today he intends to sort of remove himself from the world. he wants to pray, he wants to meditate first. but earlier today, he had the opportunity to meet with his college of cardinals and give them some important messages. >>> reporter: cardinals stood and clapped for pope benedict xvi as met with them at the vatican ahead of his historic resignation. the pontiff blessed them and promised to show unconditional reverence and obedience to the next pope. the 85-year-old called for the church to remain united and said he would continue to support cardinals in prayer. pope benedict gave an emotional farewell to 150,000 people in st

shocked. >> pope benedict said he is resigning because of his age and deteriorating health but he is the first pope to do so in 600 years and one questions whether this was the right move. >> he should not leave even if he does not have good health. >> it is a valid opinion and that is what john paul ii did but i think if my opinion this is really an act of boldness on the part of this pope and, also, an act of great humility. >> the church will turn its attention to the successor, and a bay area man will be part of that decision. the cardinal will be in voting on the next pope. >> a lot of times someone who is appointed a cardinal which 10 great thing in itself never gets to vote for a pope so this is a big deal. >> the archbishop of san francisco released a written statement praising the pope for his service and the archdiocese says parishes will pray for the pope and his successor. >> a clergyman from california will vote even for the next pope, although he is banned from public duties because of the way he handle the sexual abuse cases. cardinal mahony headed the archdiocese of lo

then he will no longer be pope benedict and assume the title roman pontiff emeritus. >> how would you rate the status of the church as the pope is leaving? has it gotten better or worse? >> it varies a great deal from continent to continent. in europe and in north america, the church appears to be shrinking. membership, of course, is one indicator and not necessarily the only one, of course, but one indicator of the church's vibrancy and life. on the other hand, in africa, and asia, for example, the church is growing at quite a remarkable rate. in the last 100 years, for example, the catholic church in africa has grown enormously. there are now more than 200 million christians in africa, and they have very little understanding for the demands in europe and north america for reforms within the church. i live myself for many years in southern africa, and the church there is very vibrant. >> what can we take away as benedict's legacy? what were his most important achievements? >> of course, he is a very profound and prolific writer. i think his legacy will be mainly in his writings. part

peter's square here in rome, where pope benedict has just completed his final general audience in st.ting down right now. but it was a mood buoyant and subdued. the pope came in, riding in that pope mobile, around the square. even kissed a few babies in front of the cardinals who will choose the next pope. buwh

let's get some more, though, right now on pope benedict 16. born joseph ratzinger in germany. he became a cardinal in 1977. he was chief theological adviser to pope john paul ii. he was elected pope in 2005. he was then 78 years old. the oldest person to become pope in almost 300 years. little has been said publicly about his health. which made his resignation today even more surprising. since he said his strength has deteriorated recently. once again, much more on this story coming up. the shocking resignation of pope benedict xvi. i'll talk, among other things, to the man who introduced me to the holy father here in washington back in 2000. standby for that interview. >>> and a 75-mile path of destruction across three counties. we'll hear from people who lived through this devastating tornado. see life in the best light. outdoors, or in. transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. so you see everything the way it's meant to be seen. maybe even a little better. visit your eyecare professional today to ask about ou

pope benedict xvi's decision came as a surprise, shocking york. >> that is big. i can i give a reaction now because it has not sunk in yet. >> the first pope to abdicate in 600 years. chicagoans were stunned. >> to me it is like losing a father. >> the 85-year-old cited fading health saying in a statement, " has -- i have come to a certainty that my strength due to advanced age is no longer -- i am no longer suited. >> this is a man of great integrity and looking out for what he believes is the best interest of our church. i admire him for it. >> he used twitter but had visibly slowed down as the papacy became more demanding. thanks in part to his energetic predecessor john paul ii. >> he said, i do not know of i am up to this but i will give it my best shot and he has done well for almost eight years. >> many feel the next pope got to be more charismatic and stronger. >> that a man in the full possession of his physical powers is going to be there. >> the college of cardinals will fill the responsibility. >> i do not know what else to do. i will wait instructions

pope benedict is 85 years old.eved his strength was failing to such an extent. just a shock to the millions of catholics worldwide. >> absolutely. that will be the question, who will be the successor. any idea of a timetable? >> they haven't mentioned that yet. you know as well as i do sort of inner workings of the catholic church. for something this unusualing, this unprecedented, it is only left to speculation as to how many in that inner circle knew this was coming to prepare for a conclave which is as you know an incredible large and okay straight event. >> absolutely at the beginning of the year he met with the cardinals in rome. you wonder how long they have known about this or if it is taking them by surprise. stacey cohen with the breaking news on february 282nd, pope benedict xvi will be stepping down due to his incapacity to adequately fill his ministry. >>> jessica doyle is here with another your money report. >> reporter: fingers crossed. see if they can pull that off. just on the doorstep right now for

: pope benedict xvi and his battle with the modern world." david is in new york. welcome to you both. david, let me begin with you. what do you think the cardinals will be looking for most eagerly when they meet to choose a successor? >> well, bob, i think they're going to take for granted that whoever they choose is going to be an orthodox cardinal and follower of pretty much the line of benedict xvi and the previous popes in terms of doctrine and all the hot button issues that we often like to talk about. i think they're also looking at someone who might be a bit younger. some of the cardinals have said they don't want to elect anyone who's over 70. benedict xvi was 78 when he was elected eight years ago. but i think the big choice really facing them is whether they are going to go outside of europe really for the first time in the modern era, the first time almost ever, and pick someone from the southern hemisphere, from latin america, asia or africa, really where the catholic church is booming, w

to the main story, " but added xvi is to resign his post as the head of the catholic church -- pope benedict xvi. for people joining, just remind us where we are with this momentum moved this morning. >> out of the blue announcement came from the italian news agency the pope has resigned. none of us could quite believe that the moment it could be true. there have not been any rumors. nobody was talking about it. he did not seem to be ill or anything. but it happened and it is true and he made an announcement in latin himself saying he felt -- in the last few months his strength of mind and body, which are necessary for the job, has deteriorated to the extent i have to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. in other words, it looks like a health this an enormous job. after all, he is 85. >> we heard from the gentleman papers are referencing an interview that he has given which really alluded perhaps to not being in the best of health. >> it looks as if he has been paving the way. that he would step down if he did not feel he was capable of doing the job. t

pope benedict xvi will resign at the end of the month. decision during a meeting of cardinals for health reasons. the resignation is the first for a living pope in 600 years. >> a $1 million reward is motivating phone tips to los angeles police as the dorner trail is cold. the last sign was a torched truck found in big bear but students head back to school. >> they are cleaning up in mississippi and alabama after 15 tornadoes yesterday. the biggest injured 63 people and damaged 300 homes in hattiesburg. >> www.godaddy.com is moving into their first silicon valley office to attract more high-tech talent with 40 locally fielded positions with dames on abc7news.com under "see it on tv." >> the grammys were handed out if los angeles last night with the big award going to "fun" for song of the year and mumford&sons taking album of the year. black keys and the producer took home the most awards with four. the exciting award show, the biggest of the season, the oscars, that is on february 24, at abc7, the only place you can catch the awards show

now, pope benedict xvi will leave on february 28th. the vatican hopes to have his successor which falls on easter this year. alex savidge, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. you can get more information on this by going to our channel 2 website, go to ktvu.com and click on the pope resigns tab. >>> dozens of tires have been slashed in the city of concord and the senseless act of vandalism is costing many residents hundreds of dollars. brian flores is talking to some people and has more. >> reporter: we're live here at the 1400 of bel air drive at a condo complex. at least ten cars in this complex alone had their tires slashed. an additional 50 in the concord area. residents -- residents are trying to find other ways to get around and are paying for it. some concord residents are left with frustration. >> we're looking at $800 replacing all of the four tires because it's all the four tires that were damaged. >> reporter: she has not the only one -- she was not the only one. police say the first calls came in before 7:00 a.m. on sunday t

pope. this is a live look at vatican city where benedict is retiring today. utgoing pope and the catholic church he led for eight years. >>> reporter: cardinals stood and clapped for pope benedict xvi as met with them at the vatican ahead of his historic resignation. the pontiff blessed them and promised to show unconditional reverence and obedience to the next pope. the 85-year-old called for the church to remain united and said he would continue to support cardinals in prayer. pope benedict gave an emotional farewell to 150,000 people in st. peter's square yesterday. >> it did mean a lot and to see the affectiontion of the people, the appreciation of the crowd and it was -- it was touching. >> reporter: later today the pope will take a 10-minute helicopter ride to his summer retreat on the outskirts of rome. >> he will spend about a couple of months there until there's a new pope of course and until things are ready here. then when he comes back here, he will basically be spending it in a life of prior in a convent on the vatican grounds. >> reporter: most o

outgoing pulte in his own words. -- outgoing pope. >> this has been the summer residence for popes. benedict xvi sat down here with a group of german reporters. they wanted to hear about what the pope had to say about dwindling membership in the face of scandals. he spoke of a crisis of faith. >> in the west draw world, we are experiencing secularism. the world we encounter is created by us humans and got no longer appears in it directly. progress is only progress if it benefits us as human beings and we continue to grow epaminondas does technical capabilities, but our moral power. the real problem is the imbalance between the immense rapid growth of our technical capabilities and our moral capacity. christianity, catholicism, it is not just a collection of bands and provisions. it's a positive option. to start with, it is this task we are charged with to make clear what positive things we want and we work across cultures and religions. the african and the asians are terrified of our cold rationality. what i want to pass on is the courage to dare to make inclusive decisions, the ones that ma

heath the successor no one not even benedict knows which cardinal but he pledged unconditional obedience and sent a clear message to the people who will choose the next pope. the college of cardinals will act like an orchestra he says, in harmony and agreement. the cardinals could look for a good administrator, where benedict was more of a professor. he is considered a leading theologian but despite the long distinguished career many believe he saved the most powerful lesson for the final act. >> he has been a fantastic teaching pope and he has been teaching more in the last two weeks probably than in the entire time. >> the apartment is being sealed with guards and the papal ring is defaced and he is now pope emeritus and will spend the rest of his life in prayer and meditation. >> sends the eight-year leadership, and this only he issued the final feet as pope "thank you for your love and support. may you always experience the joy that comes from putting christ at the center of your lives." in the bay area, church bells tolled 85 times in honor of the pope's age, a special mass was held to celebrate his service. abc7 news news reporter, amy hollyfield, w

. >>> pope benedict xvi stunned every this week by announcing he is resigning at the end of this montharch to elect a new pope. our brian todd has a closer look now at who will run things in the meantime, and at the politics of picking the pope's successor. >> reporter: it is politics in overdrive, with the pope leaving february 28th, who will be in power at the vatican until a new pope is elected. there is a position, a right-hand man to the pope, who deals with finances and the managing tasks. it was portrayed as a master power broker. in real life, the title was held by the cardinal who also holds the powerful position of secretary of state, who in the vatican is like a prime minister. but experts say don't get the idea that bertoni is the stuff of movie legend. >> despite the job title and movies, he is not the best organizer? >> no, the joke in rome is he couldn't organize a one-man band, the number one criticism is they couldn't make the job run on time. >> reporter: the correspondent for the national catholic reporter newspaper says that bartoni was damaged in the so-called scan

pope benedict xvi. welcome back. i'm glad are you with us. one of us have heard before. a pope has announced he is resigning. pope benedict announcing to his cardinals he is resigning due to age and declining health. we want to bring in eric, one of the writers behind our belief blog right now. this is such major news. surprising to so many of us. talk to me about pope benedict's health and his concerns about his health. something he's talked about over time. >> it's funny. normally when we face a situation like this, it's under much graver circumstances, keep in mind, when pope john paul died, he was in and out of the hospital. there was not something sudden about it, and, you know, reporting next week, talking about transition, because the pope was 85, and for no other reason than he's of an age where something horrible could happen at any moment. the fact that he has resigned. something so unbelievably unprecedented, indicates to me that there must be something incredibly serious with his health. all indications that i had over the last two

pope benedict xvi not the first hope to step down. the best known example was back in 1294 when pope celestine v stepped down and pope gregory xii stepped down. >>> a developing story from southern california this morning as the manhunt continues for the former l.a. police officer turned shooting rampage shooting suspect. "today in the bay's" marla tellez joins us live in our newsroom with a look at the search for the state's most wanted man. laura? >> reporter: so much of southern california is on edge especially since lapd is running short on new leads. since friday christopher dorner has gone silent though last night police in north ridge received two separate 911 calls from people thinking they spotted dorner inside this lowe's store. the store was evacuated but police say the reports turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. so the search does continue to focus on the area around big bear where some new developments happened over the weekend. police say they found a cache of weapons and camping gear inside dorner's burned out

and breaking right now, pope benedict, just hours from stepping down and making his dramatic departure helicopter. moments ago, his final prayer, pledging obedience to the next pope. and saying his own personal good-bye to every cardinal. our special, live coverage from rome this morning. >>> woodwardgate. did a top white house aide threaten legendary investigative reporter bob woodward over his latest reporting on the president? we'll tell you what set off the clash. >>> cold justice? look at this hockey coach tripping a player on the other team. the boy crashing to the ice, breaking his wrist. now, the coach is in court, will he face time behind bars? >>> and all the right moves right now. prince harry, charming his way through his first goodwill trip since returning from afghanistan. learning to dance, baking a cake, and revealing what he thinks his mom would think right now. >>> and good morning, america, from rome, where you can see all of the history happen right now here at the vatican. none of us have ever seen anything like this before. the first retirement of an active pope i

of silent prayer for pope benedict. from the philippines to nigeria and mexico, news of the pontiff's's resignation spread around the world. though the news caught the faithful by surprise, many catholics expressed sympathy for benedict's condition. >> he needs a rest. he has done a lot. it is a sign of humility on his part to pass on the responsibility of leading all the world's catholics. >> benedict said he no longer had the strength to carry out his ministry. those were historic words. he is the first pope to abdicate in almost six centuries. this german cardinal believes the move could signal a new era for how future popes will deal with the responsibility of the office. >> in contrast to others in the church and in society, benedict is not clinging to power. rather, he understands that it is an authority that was conferred upon him that he must exercise for the greater good of the entire church. that is already considerable speculation about who will succeed the pope. one candidate is the current cardinal secretary