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Pope Benedict XVI announces he is to resign

1210: "I think he deserves a lot of credit for advancing inter-religious links the world over between Judaism, Christianity and Islam," Israel's chief rabbi Yona Metzger says of Pope Benedict.

1209: Israel's chief rabbi Yona Metzger says Israel and the Vatican have enjoyed the "best relations" under Pope Benedict's leadership.

Joe in Oxford emails: With Lent approaching soon, is this the most appropriate time to resign? Lent is about penance, suffering, commitment. I'm not sure this is well timed.

1208: Our correspondent says that a conclave will be set up at the Vatican to elect a new Pope. He says a vote could take place in just a few weeks.

1207: The BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott says it must have been an extremely lonely decision for the Pope to make on his own.

1204: Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine reports that Georg Ratzinger, the Pope's brother, had known "for months" of the resignation plans. He said that his brother wanted "more quiet" in his old age, Der Spiegel says.

Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation. Here is the full text of his statement from the Vatican:

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.

After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.

I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.

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 steer the boat of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.

And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.

With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.