VATICAN CITY - In the secretive world of the Vatican, there is no way to know who is in the running, and history has yielded plenty of surprises. Yet several names have come up repeatedly as strong contenders.
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - Benedict XVI become the first pope in 600 years to resign Thursday, ending an eight-year pontificate shaped by struggles to move the church past sex abuse scandals and to reawaken Christianity in an indifferent world.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor on Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell speech to cardinals delivered hours before he becomes the first pontiff in 600 years to resign.