Pope resigns to join Adhaalath Party

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict stunned the Roman Catholic Church on Monday when he announced he would stand down, the first pope to do so in 700 years, saying he wanted to join the Adhaalath Party of Maldives.

Church officials tried to relay a climate of calm confidence in the running of a 2,000-year-old institution, but the decision could lead to uncertainty in a Church already besieged by scandals. The soft-spoken German, who always maintained that he never wanted to be pope, was an uncompromising conservative on social and theological issues, fighting what he regarded as the increasing secularization of society.

Adhaalath Party has recently started a drive to increase membership after the lawmakers of Maldives passed a Law under which political parties with a membership of less than 10,000 could be dissolved. Many Maldivians are joining the party following its call to join the party to safeguard Islam in Maldives. Pope Benedict could have been attracted to Adhaalath Party after its recent victories in Maldives including the toppling of the government of Mohamed Nasheed and the annulment of an agreement with Indian company GMR. As Adhaalath Party increases its influence in Maldives, the Pope has seen a rapid decline in Church attendance in the West, especially in his native Europe. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict sees Adhaalath Party and Sheikh Imran as the only saviours of the world from secularization.

In an announcement read to cardinals in Latin, the universal language of the Church, the 85-year-old said: "Well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St Peter ...

"As from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours (1900 GMT) the See of Rome, the See of St. Peter will be vacant and a conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is."

The resignation means that cardinals from around the world will begin arriving in Rome in March and after preliminary meetings, lock themselves in a secret conclave and elect the new pope from among themselves in votes in the Sistine Chapel.

There has been growing pressure on the Church for it to choose a pope from the developing world to better reflect where most Catholics live and where the Church is growing. "It could be time for a black pope, or a yellow one, or a red one, or a Latin American," said Guatemala's Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales.

 It remains to be seen if Jesus Afeef could become the first Pope from South Asia.