Papal renunciation
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A papal renunciation, also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope conventionally holds the office for life, a papal
18 St.Pontian
29 St.Marcellinus
36 Liberius
141 John XVIII
Pope Gregory XII
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Pope Gregory XII, born Angelo Corraro, Corario, or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claim
Papal renunciation
…to resign was Benedict XVI, who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013, the date of his effective resignation. He was the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415. Despite its common usage in discussion of papal renunciations, the term abdication is not used in the official documents of the church for…
Portrait of Gregory XII as Gregory I by van Gent and Berruguete (c. 1476, Ducal Palace, Urbino)